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LiLo's configuration file is '/etc/lilo.conf'. You can edit it either by
loading it into an editor, or - since 7.1 - by using the 'DrakBoot' tool in
'DrakConf' ('Mandrake Control Center' - 'Boot' - 'Boot Config').
If you want to or have to do the configuration by hand, however, here's how.
LiLo's configuration file features two sections. A general section which contains options for
LiLo itself and one or more special sections for each operating system or
GNU/Linux kernel you wish to boot.
The most important thing to remember is to run the lilo
command every time after having edited 'lilo.conf' by hand! Not only
does this apply the changes made to the file to the boot sector but it also
performs some basic error checking on the configuration file.
The general section of my 'lilo.conf' looks like this:
boot=/dev/hda
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
vga=790
default=linux
keytable=/boot/de-latin1-nodeadkeys.klt
lba32
prompt
timeout=50
message=/boot/message
- boot=/dev/hda
-
This defines where the boot sector should be installed. '/dev/hda' is Linux
speak for 'the whole IDE disk connected as master to the first IDE channel'
(more on device names). This boot
sector is commonly referenced to as the Master Boot Record (MBR). The boot
loader installed in the MBR will be the first thing you see after the BIOS
messages on boot.
If you are using another boot loader and want to keep on using that as the
master loader, you have to install LiLo not into the MBR, since that
would overwrite the other loader, but into the partition where the '/boot'
directory is located. During installation this option is only available in
'expert mode'.
- map=/boot/map, install=/boot/boot.b
-
These entries tell LiLo where some files it needs are located.
'/boot/boot.b' is a symlink pointing to either of these files: boot-graphic.b
for a graphical boot screen, boot-menu.b for a text menu boot screen and
boot-text.b for a simple command line boot interface. Two switch between these
interfaces, just change the symlink: ln -sf boot.b
boot-[...].b.
- vga=790
-
You will find an entry like this usually only if you are using a
framebuffer console (i.e. when you get the blue 'Welcome' screen and the
graphical 'Aurora' screen during boot). The number defines the screen
resolution and color depth of the framebuffer.
You'll find those numbers in '/usr/src/linux/Documentation/fb/vesafb.txt'
(second table). You will have to convert them into
decimal numbers first, though.
- default=linux
-
Says which of the special entries should be booted by default if no entry
is selected from the boot menu after a specified period of time. If this entry
is missing, the first special entry is the default entry.
- keytable=/boot/de-latin1-nodeadkeys.klt
-
This defines the key table to be used when editing LiLo's boot command
line.
- lba32
-
Uses 'Large Block Addressing' and thus bypasses the BIOS' 1024 cylinder
barrier. The practical upshot of which is that you can have your boot
partition anywhere you want to.
- prompt
-
Well, you get a boot prompt ;-). You might want to remove this, if you are
booting only one operating system from LiLo.
- timeout=50
-
The interval of time in tenth/seconds (i.e. 50 = 5 sec.) after which the
default entry (see above) will be booted.
- message=/boot/message
-
Defines the file which contains the boot screen message for text-menu and
text boot screens.
The general section is followed by entries for the operating systems or
GNU/Linux kernels to boot. Entries for system kernels start with
image and entries for other operating systems or Linux
installations start with other.
An entry for the system kernel may look like this:
image=/boot/vmlinuz
label=linux
root=/dev/hda8
initrd=/boot/2.2.14-15mdk_1
append=""
read-only
- image=/boot/vmlinuz
-
Place and name of the kernel image. This file usually is a symlink to the
'real' kernel image file in '/boot', 'vmlinuz-[version]'. If more than one
kernel image file is present, this symlink will be switched dynamically
according to the kernel (boot menu entry) you select on the LiLo boot screen
or prompt.
- label=linux
-
Under which name this entry will appear in the boot menu.
- root=/dev/hda8
-
The device name of the partition where the '/boot' directory is
located.
- initrd=/boot/2.2.14-15mdk_1
-
Where the initrd image is located. This entry is only necessary if you boot
off devices the drivers of which have been compiled as kernel modules (e.g.
SCSI hard disks) and not into the kernel itself. See man
mkinitrd.
- append=""
-
Optional for boot parameters which should be executed automatically on each
boot (e.g. 'hd[x]=ide-scsi' for IDE CD writers). Further options can be found
in The Linux
BootPrompt-HOWTO.
- read-only
-
How the root partition should be mounted first (it will later be remounted
read-write anyway). This entry protects data on the root partition and should
therefore not be changed.
You'll find more LiLo options in man lilo.conf.
You can create several kernel images and boot them alternatively by adding
entries for them. You can also add multiple entries for the same
kernel image, which might be useful for booting with different 'append'
settings.
The crucial thing is that you should never forget to run the
lilo command after having made changes either to 'lilo.conf' or
the partition layout on the disk.
 section index  top
Other Kernels
This feature comes in handy when you want to test a new kernel but keep
your trusty old one around in case the new one doesn't work as expected.
Edit 'lilo.conf' to create an entry for your new kernel. If you've used a
kernel-RPM, chances are that there already is an entry for the new
kernel.
The new entry looks like the old one, except for the label
parameter, of course, the name under which it will appear in LiLo's boot menu.
If you are booting from a SCSI device and SCSI support is compiled as a
module, you also have to create a new initrd image for the new kernel and
point an initrd entry to it.
Save, run lilo and reboot. The new entry should now appear on
the boot menu or after hitting the TAB key at the boot prompt.
Other Distributions
If you are installing another Linux distribution on your computer (or
another release of Mandrake), tell it to install the LiLo boot sector
not in the master boot record but to the first sectors of the
partition which will hold the '/boot' directory. Then boot your first
distribution again, edit 'lilo.conf' and add an entry like this:
other=/dev/[root partition of other distro]
label=otherlin
Of course you can replace 'otherlin' with an entry of your choice (the
distribution's name, for example).
If you've accidentally installed the new LiLo to the master boot record and
thus erased the previous entry, use a boot floppy to boot your old distro,
edit 'lilo.conf' and change the boot= line to point it to the
root partition of your old distribution (e.g. from /dev/hda to
/dev/hda1). Save and run lilo. Reboot to your new
distribution, edit its 'lilo.conf' and add an entry for your old distribution
like the one above.
This approach also works if you want to use a boot manager other than
LiLo.
Other Operating Systems
LiLo has so far been able to boot every operating system I've encountered
yet.
An entry for DOS, Windows 3.x or 9.x installed onto the first IDE disk may
look like this:
other=/dev/hda1
label=ms
table=/dev/hda
This tells LiLo:
- where the first partition of this operating label is (here the first
partition on the first IDE drive)
- which boot prompt argument will boot this entry ("win")
- where the partition table for this system is located (here on the first
IDE drive).
The 'table' entry seems to be needed by MS operating systems only. An entry
for booting BeOS installed on the second primary partition of the first SCSI
disk looks like this:
other=/dev/sda2
label=beos
Operating systems like MS NT and OS/2 come with boot managers of their own.
You can use their managers to boot Linux (have a look at the HOWTOs listed
above) but you can also boot them via LiLo. Notice however that MS NT is known
to react allergic to a non-NT boot sector sometimes, though it works just fine
here with Win98 and Win2000, YMMV. Notice also that at least NT 3.5 and 4 do
not recognize the partition types used by Linux and may try to 'repair' the
MBR on its own ...
A more esoteric feature of LiLo is that it can boot DOS and Windows 9.x
from the second hard drive. For this you have to add these lines to
the DOS / Windows entry in 'lilo.conf':
map-drive = 0x80
to = 0x81
map-drive = 0x81
to = 0x80
'LiLo' is a very versatile tool, read the User's Guide in
'/usr/share/doc/lilo-[...]/doc' for lots more.
section index top
 GNU GRUB
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