Mike/ Lawson, .... it's tough
RH 5.0 (EZSTART.bat) installs LILO, always. There is a choice of LILO on
hda1 (WIN active boot partition) or on hdb2 (Linux root). I put it on hdb2.
For a newbie LOADLIN (called from a batchfile) is much easier to visualize
(and to install) than LILO (bootsector).
Just run LOADLIN, load the KERNEL, point to Linux root.
I can re-install WINxx. Linux is not affected.
I can re-install Linux. WINxx is not affected.
Booting is also easier:
Stick IN floppy: Linux.
Floppy OUT (NO floppy): WINxx.
No waiting for (often missing) the 5 sec LILO window.
No LIN (3-letter) on screen. No WINxx that does not boot anymore.
>> > [MSDOS FS Rel. 12,FAT 12,check=n,conv=b,uid=0,gid=0,umask-022,bmap]
>> > [me=0x17,cs=3976,#f=107,fs41600,fl=46936,ds=17480,de31608,data=19496
>> > ,se=45738,ts=-1123718558,ls=29157]
>> > Transaction block size = 512
>> > Kernel panic: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on 03:42
>> >
>> That looks like it is trying to mount / as msdos, which, although
>> possible, is very unlikely to be what you wanted...
>>
>> > Lilo is on hdb2 (my /root partition)
>> >
>> > This is my autoexec.bat on a:\
>> > -------
>> > Loadlin vmlinuz root=/dev/hdb2 ro
>> > -------
>>
>> Hangon. If you have lilo on hdb2, what are you using the floppy for?
>>
>> You need to use either loadlin or lilo, but not both. If you have lilo
>> installed, you should be booting from the harddrive and not from the
>> floppy drive.
>You can install lilo into an ext2 partition without confusing anybody.
>It just takes over the partition boot record, which ext2 doesn't use.
>If the BIOS can boot hdb, and hdb2 is the active partition, that should
>work. It would probably be easier to install it into /dev/hda :-).
>
>Herman, what _are_ you trying to do?? If you are booting with the
>floppy, why not install the kernel and lilo on the floppy? Did it
>reboot successfully with the floppy still in? Maybe the floppy is near
>the end of its usable life.
>
>Lawson
>< Microsoft free environment
Floppy works. After re-installing Linux.
Let's close that subject.... (it must have been a bad file or similar)
I do not know yet how to install LILO yet. EZSTART.bat did LILO
install for me.
LINLOAD and vmlinuz needed no configuring. (see autoexec.bat up).
Great idea to put LILO on floppy. I try it NOW.
Oh, boy I have read 6 pages (of maybe 20 or 30) LILO README.
'Normal, first time installation' seems to have what I need. I can give it
a try but I dont think I can handle that yet.
I read this :
/sbin/mke2fs /dev/fd0 < formatting a floppy, ext2fs? ... (looks like it).
[ -d /fd ] || mkdir /fd < what is || ? Looks like 'double-piping' to me.
Can only blindly apply it ...
[ ] options? switches? What the brackets do?
mount /dev/fd0 /fd < mount? I learned :
'mount -t ext2 /dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy'
mount dir /fd I guess ....
cp /boot/boot.b /fd <cp ... I can also do that with MC...
Yes! /boot/boot.d is in my system .....
cp /zImage /fd <I use my vmlinuz instead of 'zImage' OK?
echo image=/fd/zImage label=linux |
/sbin/lilo -C - -b /dev/fd0 -i /fd/boot.b -c -m /fd/map
< 'echo' a few things to LILO who will put it on
the floppy.... magic, magic to me.
What's a map? similar to directory-tree?
umount /fd < is /fd a dir of a device? (makes no difference,
I presume. Devices are mapped as files ...... So does this stand
for /fd0 or for a dir on fd0?)
-------- Chances on succeeded with the above are still small....
I could blindly apply the above. A tiny typing error in the example,
or in my typing, and I get stuck (and have to leave it for 'later').
I have a book coming.... 'Running Linux ...'. Should be here 1nov99.
Will there be enough info in the book to answer these details?
(Piping /redirection, error-msg trapping, essential bag-of-tricks,
list of basic commands, backup & disaster-recovery... etc )?
Do I have to order more books? (High shipping costs make Linux more
expensive than WINxx here. WINxx is widely available.)
There are no Linux books in the store here yet. Found some old Unix
books.
Is there a structured course available on Internet perhaps?
Linux will be even more fun than ol' MSDOS. I can see that much. But I
have to start from the beginning. The above example demonstrates my
problems.
Herman Aa.
>From a mountaintop on Cebu island, Philippines.
List: Direct copies (extra copy) welcome.
