Guest olunic Posted August 3, 2003 Report Share Posted August 3, 2003 I am trying to dual boot my system with windows 2000 and mandrake linux 9.1. The problem is that after more than 4 installations, the bootloader does not seem to work. Instead, I get a set of 40s on the screen then it says to press andy key to reboot. Someone please help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Germ Posted August 3, 2003 Report Share Posted August 3, 2003 Did you make a boot disk during installation? If not, boot the first install CD and when you get to the splash screen hit F1 and you will will get a boot prompt. boot: root=/dev/hda? Then hit "Enter" That's assuming you only have one HDD and Mandrake is installed to a partition on it. Replace the ? with the partition number. When you get Mandrake booted, post the contents of /etc/lilo.conf That's where your boot loader configuration lives. /germ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ixthusdan Posted August 4, 2003 Report Share Posted August 4, 2003 Or you can also boot with the first cd and hit F1, type "rescue" and reinstall the boot loader, either lilo or grub. If needed, restore the windows mbr and then install the boot loader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest olunic Posted August 4, 2003 Report Share Posted August 4, 2003 Thank you Germ the contents of the loader are: boot=/dev/hda5 map=/boot/map vga=normal default="linux" keytable=/boot/us.kit prompt nowarn timeout=100 message=/boot/message menu-scheme=wb:bw:wb:bw image=/boot/vmlinuz label="linux" root=/dev/hda5 initrd=/boot/initrd.img append="devfs=mount acpi=off" read-only image=/boot/vmlinuz label="failsafe" root=/dev/hda5 initrd=/boot/initrd.img other=/dev/hda1 label="windows" table=/dev/hda other=/dev/fd0 label="floppy" unsafe I have been able to boot using the floppy for linux and using mbr for windows 2000. I also have another problem. Linux is not detecting my sound card or modem. Hope you can help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Germ Posted August 5, 2003 Report Share Posted August 5, 2003 Your lilo.conf looks like it should work. Did you try re-installing lilo as Ixthusdan suggested? You also might try changing this: other=/dev/hda1 label="windows" table=/dev/hda to this: other=/dev/hda1 optional label="windows" Although that should not keep Linux from booting. It really sounds like your bootloader is not installed properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pmpatrick Posted August 5, 2003 Report Share Posted August 5, 2003 It looks to me like you didn't install lilo to the mbr but rather to your linux partition(hda5). When installed to the mbr, this line: boot=/dev/hda5 looks like this: boot=/dev/hda Are you choosing some particular option not to install lilo to the mbr? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest olunic Posted August 5, 2003 Report Share Posted August 5, 2003 On this occasion, I did'nt install the boot loader to the mbr because on my previous mare than four attempts, the system could not boot at all. I tried reinstalling the bootloader on lots of occasions but nothing helped and I had to roll back to the windows boot loader but linux did not install it correctly so I had to wipe my HD clean and start over. I reinstalled the bootloader on about 6 or more times excluding the loader that would have been installed during the installation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pmpatrick Posted August 5, 2003 Report Share Posted August 5, 2003 I guess the simplest advice is that if your having trouble with the default boot loader, lilo, try reinstalling and using grub, an alternative boot loader, instead. Also, install to the mbr. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ixthusdan Posted August 5, 2003 Report Share Posted August 5, 2003 You need to utilize the mbr. While I have not dual booted 2k, I have dual booted 98, me, and xppro. There are no problems doing this, contrary to the windex fud. It is possible that you are having a problem with the lilo program (on the cd) or the mandrake installer. (common occurance) Since you said you can boot linux with the floppy, my guess is the lilo program. So, install grub, as suggested, and see if that works. Do it in "rescue" mode with the first cd. The only trouble I have personally had with linux/windex has been windex issues, rather than linux. Since ms is now actively studyinf linux, I anticipate the problems to get worse. Windex does not want anyone using linux! :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest olunic Posted August 5, 2003 Report Share Posted August 5, 2003 Ixthusdan, could you please give me instructions on how to do this in rescue mode? I am very new to linux. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ixthusdan Posted August 5, 2003 Report Share Posted August 5, 2003 OK, tell me what state the computer is currently in (os's installed, any bootloaders) and I'll give you explicit instructions. :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest olunic Posted August 5, 2003 Report Share Posted August 5, 2003 I am running Windows 2000 and Mandrake 9.1. I have LILO installed on the boot sector of the linux partition and the Windows bootloader on the MBR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ixthusdan Posted August 6, 2003 Report Share Posted August 6, 2003 Just to be careful, could you also post the content /etc/fstab? It will tell me everytning I need to know about your system without asking 20 questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest olunic Posted August 6, 2003 Report Share Posted August 6, 2003 The contents of /etc/fstab are: /dev/hda5 / ext3 defaults 1 1 none /dev/pts devpts mode=0620 0 0 /dev/hda7 /home ext3 defaults 1 2 none /mnt/cdrom supermount dev=/dev/hdb,fs=auto,ro,--,iocharset=iso8859-1,codepage=850,umask=0 0 0 none /mnt/floppy supermount dev=/dev/fd0,fs=auto,--,iocharset=iso8859-1,sync,codepage=850,umask=0 0 0 /dev/hda1 /mnt/windows ntfs iocharset=iso8859-1,ro,umask=0 0 0 none /proc proc defaults 0 0 /dev/hda6 swap swap defaults 0 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ixthusdan Posted August 6, 2003 Report Share Posted August 6, 2003 There has been some discussion in the past about this problem you're having associated with ntfs. So this might be the actual cause of the problem. On the other hand, there are also users who do not have any problems with linux and ntfs. But, it does look like grub should be used rather than lilo. WARNING:I have destroyed my computer so many times, that the risk you are about to take is all yours!! :wink: 1) Boot your computer with the mandrake install cd1. 2) At the splash screen hit F1. 3)At the prompt, type "rescue" and press enter. You will be presented with a menu of options. Look them over because they are common sense choices. 4) Choose to remove boot loader first, remembering that it is installed in hda5 rather than the default mbr of hda. rescue should automatically find it. 5) Reinstall boot loader (grub) at the default place, the mbr of hda. grub should identify and set up booting to either linux or windex. 6) reboot by the given menu option, take the cd out of the drive, and you're done! Upon boot up, grub should offer a choice. I would boot windows first, in order to verify the operation. I already know that linux will be fine! Note, if something goes wrong, boot with the cd1 and restore the windows mbr. But it should be fine. lilo is a nicer gui, but I have seen more trouble with lilo in conjunction with ntfs. You can try lilo like this, if you want to be up all night! :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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