1024 cylinder

[Asia]

Hello,

I am installing RH 7.1, and I am facing 1024 cylinder problem.

I have 36GB, and I want to create (2) paritions: "/" root & "Swap"

Can you tell me what is the problem and stp-by-step instruction to fix it. This is a SCSI hard drive and the motherboard is Intel STL2 ServerBoard.

I want to assign 35GB to "/" root partition, but it popup and says somethin about "> 1024 cylinder".

Does anyone know how I can assign the rest of hard drive space to "/" after 256MB is assigned to "Swap"?

[undef]

the problem is with lilo: the default boatloader. so what you have to do to get around this is two create three partitions:
20megs - /boot
?00megs - swap
?00gigs - /

this is good enough to install lilo and the rest of the system.

[bdg1983]

Since the '/' partition will be right at the beginning of the drive, I don't see how the 1024 cylinder limitation could be a problem.

Are you sure it's not just an informational message?

Have you tried to continue on with the install and see if all works?

[jim beam]

the bootable partition must completely reside below the 1024 cylinder inorder for lilo to boot it. thats why she is getting the message. this is an old problem . by the way does anybody know if swap files can be over 128 MB? i thought 128 mb was the max but that was 2 years ago

[bdl]

Why would RH 7.1 still have a 1024 limitation? What version of LILO does it include? Isn't there a limitation on how large a partition you can create, e.g. it can't be over 32GB or something??

[Craig McPherson]

You shouldn't have any problems with LILO. Boot partitions were annoying enough when they actually served a purpose (insurance for people who didn't know much about disk partitioning), but now that there's no need for them at all, whenever I see someone using one it's hard not to punch him in the face.

Anyway, threats of violence aside, I believe the maximum partition size at the moment is 2TB (ignoring the fact that ATA can't address disks that large). That's for the partition itself, not the filesystem, the Ext2 filesystem may have a smaller limit than that, but I don't think it has a limit that you'll have to worry about. IIRC 32GB was done away with long ago.

[bdl]

Craig, you forgot the most important part, DONT INSTALL LILO TO THE MBR!!! ;)

[Craig McPherson]

Oh, don't get me started.

That doesn't make me want to punch people in the face -- it makes me want to blast the entire universe and everyone in it into subatomic dust.

[x]

First to Jim: Old distro's has a 128 MB limitation for SWAP, but not "modern".

About the (slightly infected.. :p ) discussion about /boot:
The 1024 cyl problem is not only a former LILO problem, it also has to do with BIOS. If BIOS can't read beyond cyl 1024, then the boot-partition must reside before 1024.
Personally (excuse me, Craig!) I always create a /boot-partition, since it is very easy & I know all that's worth to know about partitioning.. ;) )
You could also, of course, install LILO in MBR. This is the best if you don't use Windows.

And Craig, be realistic! If you blast the whole universe you'll end up blasting yourself too!
Be careful! :D

[Craig McPherson]

It's an acceptable loss. I would gladly sacrifice my own life to destroy even one LILO-in-the-MBR'er. /boot'ers aren't even that bad by comparision, just misguided. LILO-in-the-MBR'ers have permanently robbed me of the ability to experience joy, hope, love, or any other emotion but seething, unending rage. The sheer wrongness of their existence torments my soul. Because of them, I can not live, and I can not die. They have corrupted humanity and corrupted the universe. The souls they have condemned cry out for vengeance. I am the agent of vengeance against their transgressions. I am the angel of death to those who have installed LILO to the MBR. The fate of my battle against them will determine the destiny of the space/time continuum.

I hear music.

I hear music.

I hear music.

[Xsecrets]

Ok I've been gone of the board for a while and just come back recently so I must have missed the whole lilo in the MBR discussion. What is the problem with lilo in the MBR? I have always used lilo in the MBR and never had any problems. so is it a security issue or what? I've just never heard this argument. please enlighten me. As a matter of fact the only time I ever had a problem with lilo is when I accidentally installed it elseware besides the mbr.

[MandK_10]

Yes, enlighten us all. I personally do not use LILO I just use a boot disk to eliminate confusion for my Wife and two stepdaughters. but I do use /boot.

Tell us what causes such an extreme reaction in your obviously testosterone rich body.

Mike

[bdg1983]

Don't get him started. You want the board to go down again? ;)

[MandK_10]

I don't wish to "get him going". I really am curious to know what his thinking is. I am still new to all of this and if I am doing something stupid I want to at least be aware of why.

Mike

[jask]

Red Hat 7.1 will warn you about the possible 1024 limit, but it will install and works just fine.

I have lilo in my mbr and am dual-booting win2k and rh.

[Big_Jeff Stud]

yeah, what's his name up there is right, there is a limit on what older BIOS's can boot to.

My God Craig you really should let the small stuff go, man.

And for crying out loud why the hell is it such a problem to do the ole /boot or install LILO to the MBR.

[bdl]

This is too funny....the saga of LILO vs MBR continues.... :D

[Craig McPherson]

I will not murder. Murder is wrong. I will not murder. Murder is wrong. I will not murder. Murder is wrong. I will not murder. Murder is wrong. I will not murder. Murder is wrong. They'll all die eventually anyway. They'll all die eventually anyway. They'll all die eventually anyway. I will not murder. Murder is wrong. They'll all die eventually anyway. I will not murder. I will not murder. They'll all die eventually. I just have to wait. I just have to wait. I just have to wait. Murder is wrong. Murder is wrong. Murder is wrong. I will not murder. I will not murder. Happy thoughts. I'm in my happy place. I'm in my happy place. I'm in my happy place. I'm in my happy place. I'm in my happy place. Murder is wrong. I'm in my happy place. Murder is wrong. I'm in my happy place. Murder is wrong. They'll all die eventually anyway. I just have to wait. I just have to wait. I just have to wait. I hear music. I hear music. I hear music.

I HEAR MUSIC.

I'm in my happy place.

I HEAR MUSIC.

I'm iN

I HEAR MUSIC I HEAR MUSIC I HEAR MUSIC I HEAR MUSIC I HEAR MUSIC

happy thoughts
happy thoughts
happy thoughts
happy thoughts
happy thoughts
happy thoughts
happy thoughts
happy thoughts
happy thoughts

[x]

I'm a bit worried about Craig. Maybe some dark evening he'll come crawling out of my phone jacket to "correct" me...
Anyway, I'd like to tell you my opinion:
Put LILO in MBR only if you're sure you never install any MS system.
If you run WinNT let NT take care of booting - it can boot Linux too.
Use a /boot if you have more than one Linux, same for all.
With just one Linux you could use / too.

Do whatever you like, as long as it works! now put down that chainsaw, Craig!

MandK_10 wrote: I personally do not use LILO I just use a boot disk to eliminate confusion for my Wife and two stepdaughters
Not really necessary, my kids have to use Windows too, but I have LILO waiting 4 seconds then start Windows.

[MandK_10]

I am begining to become a little worried about Craig myself...and I don't really know the guy.
Dude, you are in a BBS for newbies. As newbies we do not have anything to go by except your advice. If you approach us with vicious cynicism you will scare us off. We are learning from our mistakes, but it will take time.

I don't know how old you are but I would guess by your level of cynicism that you are pretty old. It takes many years to hate people as much as you seem to.

Mike

[jon787]

Originally posted by x:
<STRONG>Put LILO in MBR only if you're sure you never install any MS system.
If you run WinNT let NT take care of booting - it can boot Linux too.
</STRONG>
What about if your other OS is Win98 and you are now going to install Linux to dual-boot?

[ 04 July 2001: Message edited by: jon787 ]

[Rob 'Feztaa' Park]

I'm double booting Win98 and Linux at the moment... I don't know a single thing about what you guys are talking about, though.

All I know is that my computer turns on with the same old BIOS info, then LILO comes up and asks me if I'd like to boot windows or linux, and after 5 seconds it automatically chooses linux. It works fine for me, but I'm trying to ween myself off Windows. I haven't booted win in over a month :)

If it means anything, I have two drives: one with windows and one with linux. the linux one is 10 GBs and has a 7 GB partition at the end for /home. just before that is a 409 MB swap partition (jim beam - that answer your question? :)), and whatever's left at the beginning there got assigned to /.

I liked the Mandrake 8.0 installation. It was incredibly intuitive, almost as easy as the Win95 install. I'd say linux has a long way to go before it can be considered "user friendly", but it's getting there :)

Anyway, I'm rambling a bit... lol :)

[Psycho]

Hi Asia,

Looks like Craig is off his meds again ;).

Welcome to Linux! I've been putting lilo in the mbr with dual boot for a couple of years (yeah, shame on me Craig, don't hurt me ;-). And making a 35-40meg /boot partition until it's just habit. Never had a problem.

Just make sure you have a boot floppy, (two is better). If lilo gets hammered you can boot off the floppy and re-run lilo to fix it.

If you need to remove it lilo /u will probably do it. fdisk /mbr from dos will do it too.

If Craig would calm down and tell us why I may resonsider, but whatever works well is just fine imho.

Enjoy Linux & welcome to the board ;)

RH7.1 rocks, it works real well and you don't have to get real hardcore to be able to get everything working.

--glenn

[ 04 July 2001: Message edited by: Psycho ]

[Asia]

I created a new partition, /boot, and assigned 20MB. Now, the 1024 cylinder problem is gone.

Thanks!

[scott_R]

Been using lilo in the MBR for years, and recommend people use it even with windows NT/2000. Sure, it won't boot it, but you're guaranteed to avoid problems with it. :)

As far as 1024 is concerned, I'd wouldn't think it'd be a problem on a MB capable of handling a 36GB drive...would it?