[CLUE-Tech] LILO Boot Problem

Wed Feb 12 06:59:43 MST 2003

On Tuesday, 11 February 2003 at  9:17:42 -0700, Randy Arabie <randy at arabie.org> wrote:
> On Tuesday, 11 February 2003 at  7:42:17 -0700, David Anselmi <anselmi at americanisp.net> wrote:
> > Randy Arabie wrote:
> > [...]
> > >The bios detected the HD properly in NORMAL mode, not LBA.
> > >
> > >I've got debain (woody) installed.  I'm using LILO (debian's default
> > >boot loader) and I'm not sharing the disk with any other OS.  However,
> > >LILO hangs when reading the MBR and I get:
> > >
> > >L 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 (......)
> > >
> > [...]
> > 
> > Try replacing the LBA line with "linear" in lilo.conf.  Google says this 
> > is a geometry problem.  IIRC there is also a "large" option, don't know 
> > if it would help.
> 
> Thanks Dave.  I'll try that tonight.  I googled, but didn't find any
> references to the "linear" or "large" options.  I'll have to check the
> lilo manpages, explanations should be there.

I found a lot of helpful info in /usr/share/doc/lilo/Manual.txt.gz

There was no mention of a "large" option there or in the man pages.  I
tried "linear" but got the same results as with "lba32".  If you do not
specify either, lilo assumes "lba32".

I added a section on geometry, which explicitly defines my HD's
geometry.  That didn't make a difference.  I tried both the "linear" and
"lba32" options with and without the geometry.

I think my options are:

  --Repartition the disk, creating smaller partitions that the bios can
  handle. Maybe a /, /boot, and /var (in addition to my swap).

  --Upgrade the bios.  I'm not even sure one is available.  This is the
  least appealing option for me.

  --Continue to use boot floppies.  This isn't such a bad option.
  Except I was planning on using debian stock kernel-images.  The
  woody installation gives you a 2.2.x kernel, and I want to go to a
  2.4.18 kernel.  All the stock ones use initrd and I'm not sure how to
  make boot floppies for that config.

  --Create a boot CD.  My bios alleges it can boot from a cdrom, but
  I've not been able to get it to do so.  I had to create some
  installation boot floppies.  This really isn't much different from the
  boot floppy option, but it does have the luxury of 650MB, rather than
  1.44MB.

I've appended my lilo.conf to the end of this message.
-- 
Allons Rouler!

Randy
http://www.arabie.org/

-------------------------------------------------------------------

# /etc/lilo.conf - See: `lilo(8)' and `lilo.conf(5)',
# ---------------       `install-mbr(8)', `/usr/share/doc/lilo/',
#                       and `/usr/share/doc/mbr/'.

# +---------------------------------------------------------------+
# |                        !! Reminder !!                         |
# |                                                               |
# | Don't forget to run `lilo' after you make changes to this     |
# | conffile, `/boot/bootmess.txt', or install a new kernel.  The |
# | computer will most likely fail to boot if a kernel-image      |
# | post-install script or you don't remember to run `lilo'.      |
# |                                                               |
# +---------------------------------------------------------------+

# Support LBA for large hard disks.
#
linear

# Overrides the default mapping between harddisk names and the BIOS'
# harddisk order. Use with caution.
#disk=/dev/hde
#    bios=0x81

disk=/dev/hda
    bios=0x80
    sectors=63
    heads=16
    cylinders=2100

# Specifies the boot device.  This is where Lilo installs its boot
# block.  It can be either a partition, or the raw device, in which
# case it installs in the MBR, and will overwrite the current MBR.
#
boot=/dev/hda1

# Specifies the device that should be mounted as root. (`/')
#
root=/dev/hda1

# Enable map compaction:
# Tries to merge read requests for adjacent sectors into a single
# read request. This drastically reduces load time and keeps the
# map smaller.  Using `compact' is especially recommended when
# booting from a floppy disk.  It is disabled here by default
# because it doesn't always work.
#
# compact

# Installs the specified file as the new boot sector
# You have the choice between: bmp, compat, menu and text
# Look in /boot/ and in lilo.conf(5) manpage for details
#
install=/boot/boot-menu.b

# Specifies the location of the map file
#
map=/boot/map

# You can set a password here, and uncomment the `restricted' lines
# in the image definitions below to make it so that a password must
# be typed to boot anything but a default configuration.  If a
# command line is given, other than one specified by an `append'
# statement in `lilo.conf', the password will be required, but a
# standard default boot will not require one.
#
# This will, for instance, prevent anyone with access to the
# console from booting with something like `Linux init=/bin/sh',
# and thus becoming `root' without proper authorization.
#
# Note that if you really need this type of security, you will
# likely also want to use `install-mbr' to reconfigure the MBR
# program, as well as set up your BIOS to disallow booting from
# removable disk or CD-ROM, then put a password on getting into the
# BIOS configuration as well.  Please RTFM `install-mbr(8)'.
#
# password=tatercounter2000

# Specifies the number of deciseconds (0.1 seconds) LILO should
# wait before booting the first image.
#
delay=20

# You can put a customized boot message up if you like.  If you use
# `prompt', and this computer may need to reboot unattended, you
# must specify a `timeout', or it will sit there forever waiting
# for a keypress.  `single-key' goes with the `alias' lines in the
# `image' configurations below.  eg: You can press `1' to boot
# `Linux', `2' to boot `LinuxOLD', if you uncomment the `alias'.
#
# message=/boot/bootmess.txt
#	prompt
#	single-key
#	delay=100
#	timeout=100

# Specifies the VGA text mode at boot time. (normal, extended, ask, <mode>)
#
# vga=ask
# vga=9
#
vga=normal

# Kernel command line options that apply to all installed images go
# here.  See: The `boot-prompt-HOWO' and `kernel-parameters.txt' in
# the Linux kernel `Documentation' directory.
#
# append=""

# Boot up Linux by default.
#
default=Linux

image=/vmlinuz
	label=Linux
	read-only
	initrd=/initrd.img
#	restricted
#	alias=1

image=/vmlinuz.old
	label=LinuxOLD
	read-only
	optional
#	restricted
#	alias=2

# If you have another OS on this machine to boot, you can uncomment the
# following lines, changing the device name on the `other' line to
# where your other OS' partition is.
#
# other=/dev/hda4
#	label=HURD
#	restricted
#	alias=3
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