ffi Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 I just wanted to try a different distro of linux so I installed on a unused partition. Anyway, the install put it´s boot loader on the wrong harddisk I guess, so I tried ¨probing¨ for the new partition. Now I´ve lost my XP and still don´t have the new distro. How can I change Lilo so I can boot the 3 different systems? I tried putting in the mandriva cd but then I get an error.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw1974 Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 What happens when you boot from the Mandriva CD? When you boot, press F1, then type "linux rescue" without the quotes. Then a menu will appear, and you can choose restore bootloader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffi Posted February 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 I get an error message something with a file called bootloader.pm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw1974 Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 Can you post exactly what the error message is? Can you boot from another linux cd and type linux rescue? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffi Posted February 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 I more or less get the following error: run program can not output in /root/tmp/.drakx-stderr.1290 (mode ´>´) lilo failed at /usr/lib/libdrakx/bootloader.pm line 1238 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AussieJohn Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 Please do not make the common assumption that your WinXP has been busted because you have lilo boot problems. All that has happened is that your MBR (Master Boot Record) has been broken, this time by lilo. To gain access to your XP just insert your XP install disk and select Repair MBR or put in your Mandriva disc1 and select repair lilo or whateveror whatever the commands are. All I generally do is shove in the Mandriva disc1 and do a "pretend" upgrade and when it gets to the last part of settings etc then you can select lilo (or preferably Grub this time) setting up. It only takes about 10mins and its done plus it also gives you a second chance to check other settings as well. It is a lot easier than trying the command Line stuff if you are not used to it or its commands. Cheers. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw1974 Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 Your system doesn't look like it's configured to boot from the CD, since it's always attempting to load lilo. Make sure the boot order in the BIOS has the CDROM before the hard disk drive, else we'll have problem booting from it. You should never get the lilo error if you're booting from CD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffi Posted February 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 Problem is the upgrade just hangs there with an error message.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw1974 Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 Upgrade? We don't need to do upgrade. When you boot, you get some options to press F1. When you press F1, you can then type "linux rescue" to get rescue mode. You must be missing the point on the CD and pressing enter or something to continue as if a normal installation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffi Posted February 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 I tried both, anyway my previous post was a reply to John's post to which you crossposted. I did fixmbr with windows and xp is working but now I don't have linux.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw1974 Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 Ah, a case of the cross-posting :P I thought I was missing something! At least Windows is working. It seems a little odd you can't boot a Linux CD to get to a rescue mode to fix it. Do you have a Linux Live CD? Knoppix Live by any chance? Maybe this might boot and allow you to get the system back. Or at least mount the drives to see if data is there. Maybe now LILO is gone, that booting from a Linux CD might allow rescue mode. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ixthusdan Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 Please tells us specifically what the error message is. Windows has mindless error messages, but linux does not. The error will enable us to help you. "an error message" is not helpful. It sounds like the bootloader failed to install properly, perhaps a bad burn or bad download. Not being able to boot into the rescue console is also a problem, which leads me to believe you have bad disks. Did you check the md5sum of your isos? Burn using good media at 24X or slower? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffi Posted February 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 I can boot into the CD fine, LILO just won't install, you can see the error in my post from 6:56. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarecrow Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 (edited) LILO cannot overwrite Grub, as well as a few other boot managers. Solution number one: install LILO at / or /boot instead of the MBR, and use a third party bootmanager (e.g. Smart Boot Manager or GaG) as primary- both work great. I was using GaG since a few months ago, now not anymore. Reason: no Windoze present on my box, they got the booty forever. Solution number two: Use Grub instead- factly I do not know why LILO still exists (maybe because it has pretty framebuffer bootscreens... BAH). For fixing the XP boot issue: Use your XP boot CD, pick the recovery console mode, and there type "fixmbr", or alternatievely, "fixboot". But you have already found out about the latter. Edited February 27, 2006 by scarecrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ixthusdan Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 For all the lilo bashing folk, just wanted to say that I have been using lilo multiboot (3 or 4 os) without any problems for 6 or 7 years. I always load it to the mbr and have upgraded windows twice in that time on 4 to 5 different computers. I also have it for dual booting my laptop. I have nothing against grub, but lilo is not nearly so bad as it is being portrayed in this thread. B) The cd's are highest on my list of issues here. Not being able to enter rescue is a big red flag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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