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LILO Default problem

Guest toxy

By Guest toxy
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Guest toxy

Guest toxy

Posted
Posted

Hi,

 

I want to set windows as my default load in LILO, so as not to confuse the kids too much.

 

Anyway, when I first installed 9.1, I managed to do this just fine. Then after a temper when my modem wouldnt work I re-installed 9.1 from scratch. since then, when I try to change this it says...

 

Configuration NOT ok. LILO said:

LILO version 22.4.1 (test mode), Copyright © 1992-1998 Werner Almesberger

Development beyond version 21 Copyright © 1999-2002 John Coffman

Released 27-Jan-2003 and compiled at 11:11:26 on Feb 5 2003.

Reading boot sector from /dev/hda

Using GRAPHIC secondary loader

Calling map_insert_data

Mapping message file /boot/message -> message-graphic

Calling map_insert_file

Boot image: /boot/vmlinuz -> vmlinuz-2.4.21-0.13mdk

Mapping RAM disk /boot/initrd.img -> initrd-2.4.21-0.13mdk.img

Added linux

Boot image: /boot/vmlinuz -> vmlinuz-2.4.21-0.13mdk

Mapping RAM disk /boot/initrd.img -> initrd-2.4.21-0.13mdk.img

Added linux-nonfb

Boot image: /boot/vmlinuz -> vmlinuz-2.4.21-0.13mdk

Mapping RAM disk /boot/initrd.img -> initrd-2.4.21-0.13mdk.img

Added failsafe

Boot other: /dev/hda1, on /dev/hda, loader CHAIN

Added windows *

Boot image: /dev/hda1 -> ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/part1

Fatal: Kernel doesn't support initial RAM disks.

 

I know there is another thread with a similar problem, but there were no real answers to it, so I thought I'd hav another go.

 

Any thought from you experienced users there?

 

Tox

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Cannonfodder Mandriva Guru

Cannonfodder

Posted
Posted

You can edit your lilo file directly.

 

Open a console,..

 

1. type su and enter your root password

2. type

 

cd /etc

 

3. Use your favorite editor..

 

gedit lilo.conf

 

 

4. Here is my entire lilo.conf file

 

boot=/dev/hda

map=/boot/map

vga=normal

default="Mandrake91"

keytable=/boot/us.klt

prompt

nowarn

timeout=3000

message=/boot/message

menu-scheme=wb:bw:wb:bw

image=/boot/vmlinuz

       label="Mandrake91"

       root=/dev/hdc7

       initrd=/boot/initrd.img

       append="quiet devfs=mount hdd=ide-scsi acpi=off"

       vga=788

       read-only

other=/dev/hda1

       label="Windows2000"

       table=/dev/hda

 

Let's break it down.

 

First is the defaults. The line default="Mandrake91" points to the default entry for booting. Other defaults are here too such as timeout..

 

boot=/dev/hda

map=/boot/map

vga=normal

default="Mandrake91"

keytable=/boot/us.klt

prompt

nowarn

timeout=3000

message=/boot/message

menu-scheme=wb:bw:wb:bw

 

Following is my linux entry. This is a collection of lines that tell lilo how to boot my linux distribution. It has a label "Mandrake91". This is the same as what is listed in the defaults. This means that the default boot is Mandrake91.

 

image=/boot/vmlinuz

       label="Mandrake91"

       root=/dev/hdc7

       initrd=/boot/initrd.img

       append="quiet devfs=mount hdd=ide-scsi acpi=off"

       vga=788

       read-only

 

Following is my windows 2000 entry. Pretty much the same for all windows entries. I changed the label to Windows2000 so that it shows up in the lilo menu as that. If I change the default to equal "Windows2000", it would become the default boot.

 

other=/dev/hda1

       label="Windows2000"

       table=/dev/hda

 

I used to have other entries but I deleted them as I never used them.

 

6. After making changes, type

 

lilo

 

and it should say

 

Adding Mandrake91 (or whatever)

Adding Windows

 

If you have any errors, you need to figure it out before you reboot..

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Cannonfodder Mandriva Guru

Cannonfodder

Posted
Posted

BTW, when I run

 

lilo -v

 

This is what I get..

 

LILO version 22.4.1, Copyright © 1992-1998 Werner Almesberger

Development beyond version 21 Copyright © 1999-2002 John Coffman

Released 27-Jan-2003 and compiled at 11:11:26 on Feb  5 2003.

 

Reading boot sector from /dev/hda

Using GRAPHIC secondary loader

Calling map_insert_data

Mapping message file /boot/message -> message-graphic

Calling map_insert_file

 

Boot image: /boot/vmlinuz -> vmlinuz-2.4.21-0.13mdk

Mapping RAM disk /boot/initrd.img -> initrd-2.4.21-0.13mdk.img

Added Mandrake91 *

 

Boot other: /dev/hda1, on /dev/hda, loader CHAIN

Added Windows2000

 

/boot/boot.0300 exists - no backup copy made.

Writing boot sector.

 

You need to make sure your lilo.conf info points to the correct partition locations and that all is accurate. You can actually look for the files.

 

Also, make sure any partition mentioned in the lilo.conf (such as your windows partition) actually is listed and mounted by

 

/etc/fstab

 

file.. Otherwise, it won't work..

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Steve Scrimpshire Mandriva Guru

Steve Scrimpshire

Posted
Posted

It just hit me, I think. 

Boot image: /dev/hda1 -> ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/part1 

Fatal: Kernel doesn't support initial RAM disks.

 

It looks like lilo thinks Windows needs a initrd.img when you make it the default, but the 'kernel' doesn't support it. Does anyone have Windows successfully set up as the default boot in 9.1?

 

Solution (I think):

 

It comes from this section in your lilo.conf:

image="/dev/hda1" 

root="/dev/hda6" 

initrd="/boot/initrd.img" 

append="devfs=mount hdc=ide-scsi acpi=off quiet"

 

Or something similar. Where did that come from? Do you have some other 3rd party bootloader installed? I saw something like this in the other topic you are referring to, but just passed over it because at first glance, it looks like a normal section.

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Guest toxy

Guest toxy

Posted
Posted

Thanks again for your help gentlemen.

 

To answer the question, no, I have never had any other distibution installed, and to reitereate, windows was the default load when I had installed 9.1 for the first time.

 

So its definately possible.

 

This seems to have started after I reinstalled, to ease my modem angst.

 

Does this help at all?

 

Thanks again,

 

Tox

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Steve Scrimpshire Mandriva Guru

Steve Scrimpshire

Posted
Posted

Doesn't really help. I'm not sure why that section gets put in there. Could be that if Windows is the default when you reinstall, it gets put in there because the install script thinks it is a Linux. I hesitate to say this, because you may have to reinstall after trying this, but I don't think so, since I don't have a section like that, but try commenting out the whole section that looks similar to this (just the one that starts with 'image="/dev/hda1"...no others...lol):

image="/dev/hda1" 

root="/dev/hda6" 

initrd="/boot/initrd.img" 

append="devfs=mount hdc=ide-scsi acpi=off quiet"

 

Save it and then run

 

lilo -v

 

I bet that solves your problems.

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Guest toxy

Guest toxy

Posted
Posted

Thanks Steve et al, but I can now 'close' this one as well.

 

Baiscally, I edited the lilo.conf in Vi, to change the default to windows. Then I did

 

lilo -v to check it had no problems. And it checked out.

 

HAve re-started in both Win and Lin and Win is now the default. Cool. My 6 year old daugher will be delighted. She's ok with windows, but hasnt got used to KDE yet.

 

It turned out to be really simple sorry to have impacted on anyones time. It was that darned KDE control panel that confused me by saying that there was a problem. A manual editing did the trick.

 

Once again thanks, I couldnt have done Linux without you guys

 

Cheers,

 

Tox.

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