Linux and lilo and partitions :/

Slydice

OK
heres the story (starieee for all ye northsiders j/k)

i have 20gb hard drive, lots of mp3 an such so i got partition magic and bootmagic.

gave 2gb for linux, installed linux

i thought bootmagic would do the bussiness for getting me into windows or linux but i dont know how to or what to do with it.

All i can boot is windows using bootmagic, ne1 know howto configure it to add a linux option which will boot using my linux partition thing
so confused

PiE

This is how I do it, I'm sure theres other ways though.

System is prolly like this:

/dev/hda1 = dos
/dev/hda2 = linux

don't touch or add anything else that u see. # are comments...

#edit lilo.conf with a program like
# gnotepad, lilo.conf should be in /etc/lil.conf

#it'll look like this:

# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
boot = /dev/hda
message = /boot/boot_message.txt
prompt
timeout = 1200
# Normal VGA console
vga = normal
# End LILO global section

# there might be lots of other stuff, dont bother about it.
# "add this" starts... THIS IS THE IMPORTANT ADDITION YOU HAVE TO MAKE

# DOS bootable partition config begins
other = /dev/hda1
label = DOS
table = /dev/hda
# DOS bootable partition config ends

# "add this" stops... HERE IT STOPS

Just ADD that on to the end of what IS THERE ALREADY, do NOT delete/change anything thats already in the file, just add that!

# You probably have SIMILAR LIKE THIS, DONT TOUCH

# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /vmlinuz
root = /dev/hda2
label = Linux
read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends

---

ok save that

reboot, you should get a screen that just says:

LILO:

type either "linux" to load linux or "dos" to load Windows and hit enter. ta-da!

hope thats clear enough...

[This message has been edited by PiE (edited 02-04-2001).]

[This message has been edited by PiE (edited 02-04-2001).]

quozl

The above probably wont work for you.
Lilo can only boot a disk partition that is totally within the first 1024 cylinders on your disk. This isnt lilo's fault, its a bios limitation.
Hence make sure you create a boot partition for linux that is under this limit. Its sensible anyway to create a /boot partition of around 20 megs seperate from your / partition. Anyway it will mean youcan put / anywhere on your disk without worries about it being bootable.
Also it'd be a good idea to create a /usr and /home partition. That way if one partition gets trashed its a much smaller problem.
If you're useing redhat, which i'd say is likely as you're new to linux you can try logging in as root and typing
linuxconf
(or if you're su'd, /sbin/linuxconf)
This has a lilo configuration menu which will make and install your lilo for you. Letting you pick which one is default and all that junk.
quozl

Snaga

afaik lilo doesnt have the 1024 cylinder limitation anymore....with the newest distributions at least.

I _think_ RedHat 7 has the new one, but mandrake 7 doesnt.

I could be totally wrong though

Skeptic1

First thing:

Which do you want to use: lilo or boot magic. They both do the same job although bootmagic is more flexible and recommended for the beginner.

I would imagine that if you reinstall bootmagic, it will detect your linux boot partition and you will be prompted to create a boot option for it.

Lenny

is there a demo version of bootmagic around?
or is it shareware

Slydice

tnx skeptic

oj it's shareware and comes with the partition magic download option on their website,

but mines not sharewaree nemore if ye know what i mean

quozl

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Snaga:
afaik lilo doesnt have the 1024 cylinder limitation anymore....with the newest distributions at least.

I _think_ RedHat 7 has the new one, but mandrake 7 doesnt.
I could be totally wrong though
</font>

You are
I just installed rh 7.0 last week on an office machine. (well fixed someones attempted install, which was failing exactly because of this reason).
Once again. It is NOT lilo's fault. It is a bios limitation.
quozl

PiE

*shrugs.

works fine 'n dandy pour moi.

quozl

Well of course it does IF your bootable partitions are entirely under the 1024 cylinder limit. I'm just trying to point out why it probably wont work for someone going from windows on a 20 gig hard drive to a dual boot system. As he's unlikely to be creating his linux boot partition at the start of the disk (where his windows partitions are already existing).
quozl