Install problems

[msu_newestbie]

Ok, here goes.
I am a student in the computer science department at Montana State and have been thinking about installing Linux on my home comp as a dual boot system for some time now. After looking around i decided on Corel because i have liked their software in the past and because i have heard it is a very user friendly distribution for a first timer. I have since learned it is user friendly as long as the user doesn't want to get involved.

I installed partition magic, and made some free space on the hard drive (10G of a 30G drive for linux) then let the install program make it's own partitions for linux. When i rebooted, boot magic didn't recognize any os in the linux partitions. So i tried to boot from the corel linux boot disk. Got a little further, the start screen pops up, says linux is loading, then locks up. After reading more documentation from boot magic, it made it seem like boot magic won't recognize partitions created by linux utilities. so, i deleted all the partitions that corel put in, and createed my own partitions for linux based on recommendations found here and at other sources. The install went fine, the interface told me it completed. When i rebooted, boot magic didn't recognize any os in the partitions set aside for linux, and still the boot disk locks up.

I have searched the corel site, the corel newsgroups, and this site but nothing seems to apply.

Would an incompatible graphics card cause a lockup? I have a Diamond Stealth III 16MB s540 Graphics Card which i have not seen listed as supported under the corel site.

Anyone have any ideas?

my system is a compaq, 750mhz athalon, 128mb ram, 30G hard drive.

[MBMarduk]

It's a shame you nought Corel. They recently dumped the whole linux side of their business.

Anyways, you give us very little info on which to help you. (Sorry, but I dunno either what I should ask you first :()

I don't have any experience with Corel, and I think not many others either.

I would very strongly suggest you bulk up on the NHFs (http://www.linuxnewbie.org/nhf/index.html) on LNO.

No offence but try to get another distro, i'd personally recommend SuSE. :cool:

Welcome, Good luck & keep us posted,
-Mike

[knute]

Never used boot magic, but it sounds like boot magic isn't pointing at your root partition. You may need to tell boot magic where those partitions are yourself.

I'll see what I can find and post later if I find anything.

[knute]

Ok, I found some info for you from this link: http://www.ozemail.com.au/~oscwilde/PC/lawppm2.htm#PartitionMagic

Basically you let lilo or windows or whatever overwrite the boot partition that you previously set up with boot magic and then use the rescue disk to update and reactivate boot magic.

Like I said, I've never used it before, so I would recommend that you check out the site before you try it. :)

[DA7]

if you really like corel these corel-type flavors, try caldera. it was the first linux i ever used(God had mercy on my soul). if you follow the instructions, it works PERFECT. i never got an error with caldera. but screw what i just said... use mandrake if you can. if you cant, use debian.


btw MB, marduk sucks :p Opeth 4 Life :)

[bdg1983]

I've used BootMagic versions 1 and 2 with Linux and had no problems at all.

The problem you are most likely having is the dreaded Lilo past the 1024 cylinder (around 8GB) limitation which occurs with Lilo versions below 21.5. There is a NHF here on the subject.

There are multiple ways around this.

Repartitioning all
Creating a small /boot partition below the 1024 cylinder
Upgrading Lilo
Using a different bootloader such as Grub
Upgrading/changing your distro
etc.

Now since this subject has been covered many times here, I would suggest you do a little research here or at Corel for any possible solutions you may come across.

Post back on what you would like to try and we can attempt to assist you.


You can also do a search here (http://support.calderasystems.com/caldera) on 'lilo', 'grub' or 'BootMagic' for more information. Will help to explain things better than I can.

[ 31 March 2001: Message edited by: mdwatts ]

[msu_newestbie]

I was hoping that boot magic would help avoid the 8G limit. My linux stuff starts at about 20G, but regardless of this shouldn't i be able to boot from floppy no matter where LILO resides?

I got the Corel distro in the half price bin for a grand total of $10. I guess half price software is alot like half price sushi, they're getting rid of it for a reason!

I suppose if I can get the wordperfect for linux off it after installing something else, it will be worth while.

[bdg1983]

I don't think Corel is to blame. Lilo is lilo no matter what distro you use. You could try updating lilo to at least version 21.5, change your partitions or search for any alternatives that may work.

Not sure why the bootdisk would not work though.

Did you check out the documentation at the url I gave you. Some good stuff there that may help.

Also PowerQuest will have faq's on BootMagic and partitioning scenarios you can try.

[msu_newestbie]

ok, i got boot magic to see linux by creating a /boot partition in the first 15Mb or so of the hard drive, when i select this for booting, it says "starting LILO" then locks.

The boot floppy brings up a corel linux screen shows a line that says "loading LInux" then one that says "starting Linux" then locks. This is what happens anytime i run the boot floppy, whether i create the partitions or let the install program do it.

[Linuxcool]

Like the guys said above, I too believe that lilo's 1024 cyclinder limit is your problem. But just adding a ' /boot ' partition at the beginning of your hard drive isn't going to solve the problem. Lilo is pretty dumb. Any changes you make in partitions, you have to rerun lilo so that it can record the changes. Since you are unable to boot into linux, you can't rerun lilo. It looks like you'll have to reinstall linux. Make sure when you reinstall that linux makes use of the ' /boot ' partitiion you created and that lilo is installed in your ' / ' partition.

There is one thing you could try before reinstalling. See if you have LBA (Logical Block Addressing) in your BIOS settings. If you do, enable it. It might get lilo working.

[ 31 March 2001: Message edited by: Linuxcool ]

[bdg1983]

Continuing what Linuxcool was saying...

Did you just create a /boot partition without reinstalling Linux? Is it empty?

You will need to probably use a 'expert mode' install to allow you to specify separate partitions for Linux.

[msu_newestbie]

first i made a 10G of blank space after windows and let corel install itself, creating the partitions as it saw fit. Then i deleted all partitions, partitioned it myself and re-installed. Then i deleted all partitions, moved windows 15Mb back, reinstalled it letting corel partitons again. then i deleted all partitions (except windows) and created partitions and reinstalled.

on the last attempt, i got boot magic to recognize that there were two os on the drive, but no more. Through the expert install mode, i can tell corel what i want installed, but not where.

The main thing that concerns me is the boot disk not working. when i restart with the boot disk in, it flashes "LILO" on a DOS type screen, then goes to the corel screen, then displays "Loading Linux" then "Starting Linux" then freezes. Would not having LILO in the right place affect the boot disk also?

[Linuxcool]

Then i deleted all partitions, moved windows 15Mb back, reinstalled it letting corel partitons again. then i deleted all partitions (except windows) and created partitions and reinstalled.

When you created the new partitions, did you use Partition Magic? If you did, then according to the information on Corel's website it won't be able to install to the partitions. Use the ' Edit partition table ( for advanced Linux users) option when you install. Check out this link:Corel (http://linux.corel.com/support/html/9322.htm)

[ 01 April 2001: Message edited by: Linuxcool ]

[David Robertson]

I had very similar problems when I first tried to install Linux on my Win 98 PC.
This is what I did to solve the problems:-
First, in Win uninstall or disable the PM boot manager.
Second, throw away the Corel Linux CD and get the "free" version of Mandrake 7.1 (7.2) current version. You should be able to buy this for the price of a blank CD and the postage.
Fire up PM and create an EX2 linux partition before your Win partition of about 30Mb. This will be your /boot partition(s),when the Mandrake installer gets to that bit.
Then create a swap of about 128 Mb and 3 more ex2 partitions after the Win partition(s). These will be / root, /usr and /local.
The size, name and number of these partitions keeps many discussion groups busy round the clock so you may get alternative suggestions about which ones to create and what size to make the /boot and /swap.
Once you have done all that and checked that all your win partitions are OK and you have defragged all with the "start all my programs faster" UNCHECKED and validated your Win Startup disk, put the Mandrake CD in the hole provided and re boot.
Depending on the version and your set up you may have to make a boot disk first or go in the BIOS and change the boot sequence so that the CD is bootable.
During instalation do NOT choose the "automatic" or "let me make the partitions for you" option but select one that will allow you to individually select the prepared red and green partitions and name them from the options list supplied. After that select all the defaults, especially the boot bit that comes later and you should have a working system.
If you get that far I can e mail you an instruction manual for installing and setting up WordPerfect 8 for Linux that I have written.

Good luck.