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Grub or LILO


tyme
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Which one do you use?  

40 members have voted

  1. 1. Which one do you use?

    • Grub
      12
    • LILO
      25
    • Other (explain)
      3


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Arguing that one is better than the other is pointless, it's pure preference.

hence the reason the poll asks "which do you use" not "which is better?" ;)

I wasn't aiming that at the topic, just at the argument that was heating up. ;) I'm enjoying the discussion, but I still see both as equal.

 

gee I d/k...if starting xmms means that once a week my sys is going to lock, I guess I'm not going to start xmms and use an alternative :cheeky:

That's not a person preference. I would prefer xmms because of it's features but I don't want to screw anything up, rigth? BUT.....let me repeat that....BUT, I can see how those that have never had lilo screw everything wouldn't see it this way. In that case, IT IS person preference until the day comes, and hopefully it won't, that you boot and see

li

and can not repair. That's why many grub user do say it is better. Because lilo has screws them many times and grub never has. Lilo is perdy, but anything that has to write to the mbr with every change is just not smart and good sense IMO.

You are right, but I must add that the only times I have ever seen Lilo screw things up, was always because of user error. If you b0rk your lilo.conf and then run Lilo it's your fault, not Lilo's fault. I agree that Grub is superior when it comes to avoiding/fixing these problems though ;) (wheras Lilo looks better and has other advantages - they each have their strong points).

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Well, user error in a config file shouldn't have the possibility of borking ppl's installs, including other OS's abitily to boot. Forums are full of these post after install and don't have a thing to do with users, INITIALLY. Now, what happens thereafter is another story and yes, end user can be, and probably are at fault for not being able to fix it, BUT....like I told Gowator....they very likely wouldn't have been there if grub was used.

 

Lilo has screwed me just adding another distro and of course running lilo -v. Like you, everytime I thought "huh? /scartching my head" ...booting with a livecd to find nothing wrong. Booting to cd1 rescue mode and running lilo w/o errors. Still all fried and nothing boots. Like Steve pointed out, there's got to be something else wrong, right? Right.

 

Partitioning is always a risky thing and probs should be expected, especially when dual booting with windows and using linux partitioning tools. The way lilo reads the partition table and rewrites the mbr for everything is it's problem. It can't, and doesn't, handle it correctly. You are fine with only linux distros installed..win is another story. Does anyone use gstreamer pluggins with xmms? ...or abiword pluggins with OO?

 

I answered grub in the poll (incorrectly I guess) because grub successfully handled everything for years while lilo couldn't last 2 months. Now, I actually use Partition Magic's BootMagic in my MBR and install linux bootloaders to the /root partition. I made this switch when I once installed grub (from cli) to hd0,0 (hda1) instead of hd0 (mbr) which of course was my first primary win fat partition and never recovered from this having to reinstall everything and not having a recent bkup, so a lot of data was lost. :wall: At the same time, and previous, Partition Magic wouldn't let me touch half of my linux partitions because of the linux partition utils. I was done with that crap, and decided Partition Magic would handle ALL partitioning and BootMagic would handle the MBR. I haven't had any probs since, in over a year.

 

Linux has to be friendly for the new converts. Of course I agree that linux partitioning utils partition correctly, but the standard is windows, like it or not. Until *nix is the standard or equal it must adapt to the standard or stop whinning about it not being so when it does nothing about adapting and pushes windozers to the side with their nose turned up because the windowzers are not willing to risk their data because of non-standard linux partitioning tools and bootloaders.

 

Lilo should not be the default for any distro and should only be available in contrib sources for those that either want to risk their win dual boots or run *nix only machines. Then we wouldn't loose half our possible converts.

Edited by bvc
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if we don't get away from the idea that this is a "grub vs. lilo" thread, I'm going to have to request that it be closed. The point here is not to argue with each other, but simply to state which one you use and if there's a specific reason, not to cut down someone elses choice.

 

Everyone may consider this your first warning. If this thread doesn't return to a discussion (point / counter point) instead of an arguement (lilo sucks/grub sucks) then I'll request it be closed.

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If this thread doesn't return to a discussion (point / counter point) instead of an arguement (lilo sucks/grub sucks) then I'll request it be closed.

too late....again

Well, user error in a config file shouldn't have the possibility of borking ppl's installs, including other OS's abitily to boot. Forums are full of these post after install and don't have a thing to do with users, INITIALLY. Now, what happens thereafter is another story and yes, end user can be, and probably are at fault for not being able to fix it, BUT....like I told Gowator....they very likely wouldn't have been there if grub was used.

 

Lilo has screwed me just adding another distro and of course running lilo -v. Like you, everytime I thought "huh? /scartching my head" ...booting with a livecd to find nothing wrong. Booting to cd1 rescue mode and running lilo w/o errors. Still all fried and nothing boots. Like Steve pointed out, there's got to be something else wrong, right? Right.

 

Partitioning is always a risky thing and probs should be expected, especially when dual booting with windows and using linux partitioning tools. The way lilo reads the partition table and rewrites the mbr for everything is it's problem. It can't, and doesn't, handle it correctly. You are fine with only linux distros installed..win is another story. Does anyone use gstreamer pluggins with xmms? ...or abiword pluggins with OO?

 

I answered grub in the poll (incorrectly I guess) because grub successfully handled everything for years while lilo couldn't last 2 months. Now, I actually use Partition Magic's BootMagic in my MBR and install linux bootloaders to the /root partition. I made this switch when I once installed grub (from cli) to hd0,0 (hda1) instead of hd0 (mbr) which of course was my first primary win fat partition and never recovered from this having to reinstall everything and not having a recent bkup, so a lot of data was lost. wall.gif At the same time, and previous, Partition Magic wouldn't let me touch half of my linux partitions because of the linux partition utils. I was done with that crap, and decided Partition Magic would handle ALL partitioning and BootMagic would handle the MBR. I haven't had any probs since, in over a year.

 

Linux has to be friendly for the new converts. Of course I agree that linux partitioning utils partition correctly, but the standard is windows, like it or not. Until *nix is the standard or equal it must adapt to the standard or stop whinning about it not being so when it does nothing about adapting and pushes windozers to the side with their nose turned up because the windowzers are not willing to risk their data because of non-standard linux partitioning tools and bootloaders.

 

Lilo should not be the default for any distro and should only be available in contrib sources for those that either want to risk their win dual boots or run *nix only machines. Then we wouldn't loose half our possible converts.

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The point here is not to argue with each other, but simply to state which one you use and if there's a specific reason, not to cut down someone elses choice.

Agreed. :thumbs:

If we have to close this thread we have reached a sorry state of affairs.

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Come to think of it, the fact that I am a Linux-only user is probably part of the reason I prefer to use Lilo. I've never worked with Windows partitions, so I've never been in the position to have them b0rked.

 

Never thought of that... It seems like a lot of the people who prefer Grub are dual booting and a lot of the people who prefer Lilo are only using 'nix (just a little generalisation within this thread).

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Although I am dual-booting with windows, my reason for using grub was because of linux distro's ;) - it's really just dependant on what you need. if you ned a wrench, you don't grab a screwdriver ;)

 

 

bvc: my post was a result of this thread going off track from my original intentions. had that not occured, my post would have been unnecessary. I already stated, at the beginning of this thread, that this was not intended to start a war between grub users and lilo users - although not in so many words. Let's get back on track.

Edited by tymark
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I was never offtrack, except in an attempt to get false accusations ontrack, which I did. Other than that I've been completely ontopic> I use grub because it's better for dual boots and I've stated all the reasons, facts, and undeniable reasons why. That is why, pure and simple. You can not manipulate the answer to the question. Anyway, I've said all that can be said concerning bootloaders, so close it, don't close it...it hasn't made a diff to me since your first post, so, enjoy!

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people *cough

/points finger

don't seem to care or listen to the thread starters anymore. Didn't in my recent poll/thread, now you expect me to do what you and others (also in this thread) don't? Lame try Steve...try again.

-root

 

You already admitted in this post that you were off track. Which one is it?

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