bootloader problems [solved]

[Guest Jonasrf]

When I install mandriva with lilo as the bootloader it has this error L 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 and it has a lot of 99's then when I update my install with grub it has error 18.

 

What do I do to fix it? Note: This is my first linux distro, so I'm learning.

Is there a way to start mandriva up with the rescue disk? Any help would be very much appreciated.

 

I have tried putting it on a floppy and on the MBR.

Edited May 2, 2006 by Jonasrf

[arctic]

Welcome aboard. :)

 

There is a rescue function on the CDs. Boot from the CD, hit F1 for rescue mode and select from the advanced menu the option to reinstall the bootloader.

 

Also, check if in your BIOS plug'n'play is disabled.

 

Good luck and report back if things don't work. :)

 

edit: I did a small research on error 18 in grub. It is not so common, thus I was a bit intrigued in finding out more info on this and this might be informative for you;

Grub Error 18

 

Situation

 

Grub Output

kernel (hd1,4)/bzImage root=/dev/hdb7

 

Error 18: Selected cylinder exceeds max supported by BIOS

Solution

 

This error is returned when a read is attempted at a linear block address beyond the end of the BIOS translated area. This generally happens if your disk is larger than the BIOS can handle (512MB for (E)IDE disks on older machines or larger than 8GB in general).

 

Try an update for your BIOS and/or move your boot partition to the front (or at least into the appropriate range).

[Guest Jonasrf]

I have tried reinstalling it several times from the rescue console. There may have been an error. I'll check and if so write it down. I saw some were that grub error 18 was something to do with the hard-drive being to big. Its only 130.

I'll check for plug and play but I'm almost postive that its on.

[edit]The linux partition is like 76 for the home and like 5 or 6 another one of its partitions. The windows one is probably near 76 also.

 

[edit] It had win98 on it before I started.

Edited May 2, 2006 by Jonasrf

[arctic]

Plug N Plaay should be disabled. ;)

[Guest Jonasrf]

Plug N Plaay should be disabled. ;)

okaaaaaay.... i'll try that then. :mellow:

[pmpatrick]

Since you have a 130GB hard drive on an old win98 box, I'm guessing you had to use a drive overlay program to get around your bios hard drive size limitation. A bios from that era could typically not handle that large of a hard drive, especially in windows. Drive overlay programs are a software hack to get around that bios size limit and they are frequently a problem when installing any OS, including windows. Post back if this applies or if you have no idea what I'm talking about.

[Guest Jonasrf]

Nope I did no such thing. :unsure: it really is a 160gb hard-drive but it would only let me use 130. I have a Pentium II also. I have no clue what the machine was made for but I think it used to have windows 2000 on it. I went in and had it upgraded and they gave me a newer machine. I used to have a Pentium I before I upgraded. ;)

 

Would another Mandriva version work?

[pmpatrick]

How did you partition your install? In order to boot, the partition containing your kernel( the /boot directory) must be within the bios limit of the first 130 GB. If you just have one large root partition and a swap partition, it may not boot. If you can set up your install so you have a seperate /boot partition at the beginning of the hard drive, that should work. The good news is, once the kernel is loaded, linux kisses the bios hard drive size limit good bye and will see the entire 160 GB. However, in order to load, the kernel must be in a partition within the bios size limit. That appears to be what error 18 is telling you to do:

QUOTE

 

kernel (hd1,4)/bzImage root=/dev/hdb7

 

Error 18: Selected cylinder exceeds max supported by BIOS

 

Solution

 

This error is returned when a read is attempted at a linear block address beyond the end of the BIOS translated area. This generally happens if your disk is larger than the BIOS can handle (512MB for (E)IDE disks on older machines or larger than 8GB in general).

 

Try an update for your BIOS and/or move your boot partition to the front (or at least into the appropriate range).

Edited May 5, 2006 by pmpatrick

[Guest Jonasrf]

The default way linux does it for when windows is installed on it already by having it use the left over space. How would I tell mandriva install the /boot to a seperate partition.

[ianw1974]

You would have to go into custom disk partitioning instead, and then manually configure each of your partition types for /boot, etc, etc, etc.

 

I normally just use /home, / and swap, and that's it. It keeps things simple. Normally if you have a very small disk, you should just have / and swap since allocating disk space to various mount points can cause you problems. If you have lots of space, then typically you would have /boot, /, /home, /usr, /var and swap as a rough guide, although it can include others like /tmp too.

[Guest Jonasrf]

Ok i'm just going to get rid of it! I'll wait and put it on a newer machine when I get it. I'm saving now. :D But I'm pretty sure its the bios stupid thing! Then I have the cpu fan going out now, so I'll replace it and in a year I should have enough money to just get a new computer. I bought a 256mb ram chip the other day so it will help me with windows 98se. I might try the mandriva livecd, so I can get my taste of linux. Thank you all! I'm formating my hard-drive right now, and reinstalling windows.

[AussieJohn]

When you get a line of repeated numbers it usually means that the mbr has been trashed. Lilo is pretty good at doing that.

 

Just using grub instead of lilo will not fix the problem itself. Using grub instead of lilo AFTER fixing the mbr is a good idea.

 

Use anyone of a couple of procedures listed in Tips and Tricks to clear and restore the mbr, then go from there.

 

John

Edited May 10, 2006 by AussieJohn

[Guest Jonasrf]

You know what I think your right! I just couldn't give up, lol I got Mandriva to work!!!!!!!!!! I installed it again and chose erase entire disk. The boot loader now works. What I think was wrong is I forgot to run error scans and defrag the windows partition before I installed mandriva. ok now that its installed can I create another partition and resize ect. and install windows on it then fix the bootloader to have it too?

[ianw1974]

Usually, you're best having Windows installed on the machine first, and then installing Linux later.

 

You could try resizing it, and getting Windows on it afterwards, but it'll be more hassle and take longer than starting again and putting Windows on the machine first.

[pmpatrick]

When you wiped the drive, mandriva was able to create a partition within the 130 Gb bios limit at the beginning of the drive as I mentioned above and complete the install. That's why it's booting now. Previously, windows occupied all that space making it impossible for mandriva to create a bootable partition within the bios limit. I doubt that you will get windows to install on the back end of your hard drive as that is probably not within the bios 130 Gb limit. You can give it a try, but you may run into problems re the bios limit. Even if you are able to install windows, your bootloader will be overwritten by windows and you will not be able to boot into linux. There are ways to restore it which aren't that complicated afterwhich, you will have to edit your bootloader config file to add an entry that will boot windows.

 

Here's what I would suggest instead. Delete all your partitions. Create one primary reiserfs partition at the beginning of the drive that is 20GB in size and a second linux swap partition right after that about 1GB in size. This will be mandiriva's eventual home but don't install mandriva there just yet. Next, do your windows install on the remaining unallocated space. Windows should leave your reiserfs and swap partitions alone and create a partition for itself after your linux partitions. Finally, install mandriva on the 20 Gb reiserfs partition. This procedure should allow both windows and mandriva to have bootable partitions within the bios limit and by installing mandriva second, it will pick up your windows installation and make a boot entry for it in your bootloader.