Boot Slack - not Win98 Da#%&

[Cazen]

My second Slackware 7.1 install today -
I killed a logical DOS drive and used the space for Linux swap and ext2 partitions, cool. But I left the first zipslack install at c:\Linux. Install from 7.1 CD went great - till I decided near the end of setup that I didn't need to install lilo cause I already installed it to MBR for Zipslack. But lilo only shows the DOS partition at boot. I have tried booting from 1.44 floppy / 1st CD / 2nd boot CD / zipslack / to try and reconfig lilo but I can't figure out how to edit lilo.conf on the ext2 partition. Running 1st CD 'setup' doesn't allow me to choose "reconfigure system". ???????????????????%&$$%&%&%#$&
Hand-holding needed.
Thank you

[piix4]

ok why not try and edit the lilo.conf in c:\linux?

then once you get to your new install why not try to edit lilo.conf there and rerun lilo on the ext2 partition?
if the lilo you are using is reading from a file in c:\linux/etc/lilo.conf or whatever how does editing mounted drive /dev/hdax's /etc/lilo.conf make any difference if the lilo you are using is in a different drive?

or if you can get to ext2 lilo.conf why not simply edit that lilo.conf cd to /bin or is it /sbin or /usr/bin and just type ./lilo?
Does that make sense?

[BTBGuy]

Hmmm. Let me get this straight. Dos or Windows on a partition, zipslack in c:\linux on that partition. Linux partitions, but the lilo that's loaded for zipslack isn't set up to recognize them. Ok.
Can you boot into zipslack still? Or is Lilo totally messed up? If you can't boot into zipslack, but you can boot from the floppy->Install CDs, you could try switching to another virtual console (Alt+F2 to go to the 2nd virtcon, Alt+F1 to go back to the 1st, F1-F6 should work this way) and editing it from there. Idea #2: If you can boot into zipslack, try running setup as root in there. It should let you reconfigure. Idea #3: I'd take a look at my lilo.conf to show you what to add/change specifically, but I just realized that I installed Mandrake 7.2 on this box's Linux partition (dual-boot with Win98) and the old laptop from work that I'm using as a linux experimental box is running Debian potato 2.2r2, I'd swap the hard drives (Slack7.0 is on the 1gb drive, deb on a 540mb, but both use lilo, sorry I'm typing as I think right now) but I'm installing a bunch of stuff... I'll post again later.

Hope this helps, and don't give up!!!

Ok, just thought of something else after I hit the post button. When you boot with the floppy->install CD, can you get to the part where it says "create boot disk" or some such? If so, you could try making a lilo boot disk, but have it point to the right partition, OR!!! Brilliant Idea #4: You can boot the floppy->CD stuff, right? That stuff can double as your rescue disk! You'll hit a prompt somewhere that'll mention this, something about "In a pinch you can boot your system by using this: vmlinuz root=/dev/hda1" Use that but change the /dev/hda1 to whatever your new install's partition is. Once you've gotten there, you could use the setup command (in your new Slack 7.1 install) to install LILO properly.

Hope my rambling has helped some!


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BTBGuy

Bob? Bob? I know no Bob!
I'm Larry-boy! Who are you?

[This message has been edited by BTBGuy (edited 28 December 2000).]

[Cazen]

THANKS!. For Brilliant Idea #4. http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/smile.gif
Now if I can just get a non-win modem I can ditch Win98 completely. I'm not completely anti-M$, just been burned to many damn times. http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/wink.gif Thanks again.

Originally posted by BTBGuy:
Hmmm. Let me get this straight. Dos or Windows on a partition, zipslack in c:\linux on that partition. Linux partitions, but the lilo that's loaded for zipslack isn't set up to recognize them. Ok.
Can you boot into zipslack still? Or is Lilo totally messed up? If you can't boot into zipslack, but you can boot from the floppy->Install CDs, you could try switching to another virtual console (Alt+F2 to go to the 2nd virtcon, Alt+F1 to go back to the 1st, F1-F6 should work this way) and editing it from there. Idea #2: If you can boot into zipslack, try running setup as root in there. It should let you reconfigure. Idea #3: I'd take a look at my lilo.conf to show you what to add/change specifically, but I just realized that I installed Mandrake 7.2 on this box's Linux partition (dual-boot with Win98) and the old laptop from work that I'm using as a linux experimental box is running Debian potato 2.2r2, I'd swap the hard drives (Slack7.0 is on the 1gb drive, deb on a 540mb, but both use lilo, sorry I'm typing as I think right now) but I'm installing a bunch of stuff... I'll post again later.

Hope this helps, and don't give up!!!

Ok, just thought of something else after I hit the post button. When you boot with the floppy->install CD, can you get to the part where it says "create boot disk" or some such? If so, you could try making a lilo boot disk, but have it point to the right partition, OR!!! Brilliant Idea #4: You can boot the floppy->CD stuff, right? That stuff can double as your rescue disk! You'll hit a prompt somewhere that'll mention this, something about "In a pinch you can boot your system by using this: vmlinuz root=/dev/hda1" Use that but change the /dev/hda1 to whatever your new install's partition is. Once you've gotten there, you could use the setup command (in your new Slack 7.1 install) to install LILO properly.

Hope my rambling has helped some!

[BTBGuy]

Any time!