i have windows xp and mandrake 9.2 installed on my computer.
and boot loader lilo.
is there any way to edit mbr to hide lilo and directly load xp and at times get it back.

or
instead.customize lilo so that i dont see
LILO 22.4.1
boot :

but still take argments say 1 to enter windows and 2 for linux........

Did you install Linux on a computer you weren't supposed to and are now trying to hide it?

I don't know if this will work but if you make a linux boot disk, then fdisk /mbr to rebuild the mbr and then use the linux disk to boot into linux?

Then again that could totally hose your system and you have to do a repair of linux so do that at your own risk.

fdisk /mbr is not for xp. fixmbr and fixboot are. fdisk /mbr also can not hose a sys and cause one to have to reinstall linux.

no way to hide and get it back. well i say no way......if your were enough of an expert to do so you wouldn't be asking....put it that way, so i really don't know IF possible, but I've never heard of it. Programer? re-write the lilo code.....it needs improvement hehehe (i use grub)

you will see lilo...sorta (flash), but you can make xp the default boot and give it a 0 waiting period but I'd go with at least 1 waiting period.

In a word, No. You have two choices, either use lilo to dual boot between XP and Linux or use the NT loader to load XP and a boot floppy to load Linux. There is no way to arbitrarily use lilo.

If you want to remove lilo then follow these easy steps:

1. Create a boot floppy first. Make sure you test it to ensure that it can load Linux. (hopefully your computer still has a floppy drive)

2. Issue the following command as root:

# lilo -u

This should remove lilo and reinstate the NT boot loader

3. Use the boot floppy whenever you want to boot into Linux. However, keep in mind that it will probably take about 4 times as long to boot up.

i meant..
after bios ishud not see anything say a timeout of 1 sec..
now i've config lilo to just display.....
LILO 22.5.1
boot: (and here i enter the arguments...)
say 1 for windows (default)
say 2 for linux.

but i also want to remove LILO 22.5.1
boot :
but still send arguments in a span of 1 minute

sorry in a span of 1 sec not minte

so you just want a blank/black screen?

If so, you'll have to write your own code into the source and make your own lilo.

Why not set the system up to boot from floppy before booting from harddisk?
Then you can put lilo on a floppy (first line in /etc/lilo.conf must read /dev/fd0 instead of /dev/hda -- then run the command 'lilo') --- floppy in the drive: linux (or bootloader choice), no floppy: standard system (well you have to do fdisk /mbr).

Is it possible to put Lilo onto a cd and boot from that? If so, how? is it as straight forward as creating a bootable cd and copying the Lilo.conf file onto it?

there is alwasy linload.exe

google it