Howdy!
A friend revealed this to me some time ago: the letters "LILO" actually
come up individually at boot time, each after successfully completing a
major phase of the bootstrap. Here's the official word from the LILO
README:
When LILO loads itself, it displays the word "LILO". Each letter is
printed
before or after performing some specific action. If LILO fails at some
point, the letters printed so far can be used to identify the problem.
This
is described in more detail in the technical overview.
Note that some hex digits may be inserted after the first "L" if a
transient disk problem occurs. Unless LILO stops at that point,
generating
an endless stream of error codes, such hex digits do not indicate a
severe
problem.
(<nothing>) No part of LILO has been loaded. LILO either isn't
installed
or the partition on which its boot sector is located isn't active.
L <error> ... The first stage boot loader has been loaded and
started,
but it can't load the second stage boot loader. The two-digit error
codes indicate the type of problem. (See also section "Disk error
codes".) This condition usually indicates a media failure or a
geometry
mismatch (e.g. bad disk parameters, see section "Disk geometry").
LI The first stage boot loader was able to load the second stage
boot
loader, but has failed to execute it. This can either be caused by a
geometry mismatch or by moving /boot/boot.b without running the map
installer.
LIL The second stage boot loader has been started, but it can't
load
the descriptor table from the map file. This is typically caused by
a
media failure or by a geometry mismatch.
LIL? The second stage boot loader has been loaded at an incorrect
address. This is typically caused by a subtle geometry mismatch or
by
moving /boot/boot.b without running the map installer.
LIL- The descriptor table is corrupt. This can either be caused by
a
geometry mismatch or by moving /boot/map without running the map
installer.
LILO All parts of LILO have been successfully loaded.
Cheers!
--j
Dave Meythaler wrote:
>
> The boot hanging at "LI" seems to be a "feature" of the LILO which shipped
> with RedHat 6.2.
>
> The simple workaround for it is to add a "default=" line to your lilo.conf
> file.
>
> I haven't heard of more recent versions of lilo having this problem, but
> have not tried any of them myself (or later RH versions).
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Giulio Orsero [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Saturday, May 05, 2001 1:27 AM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: booting off raid1 /dev/mdX, lilo problems
>
> System details at the end of the email.
>
> PROBLEM:
> I understand the latest lilo should allow to boot off a raid device, however
> I'm
> having trouble doing so. Booting with the complete mirror is ok, booting
> with
> the first disk (hda) is ok, booting with just the 2nd (hdc) stops at LI.
> When doing tests I power off, and disconnect the IDE cable and reboot.
> BIOS is all to auto.
>
> <cut ...>
>
> SYSTEM DETAILS:
> RedHat6.x system with 2.2.19 kernel (from RH + some minor patches not
> related to
> raid, so with 0.90 raid).
>
> == /proc/mdstat
> Personalities : [raid1]
> read_ahead 1024 sectors
> md0 : active raid1 hdc2[1] hda2[0] 819392 blocks [2/2] [UU]
> md1 : active raid1 hdc3[1] hda3[0] 205568 blocks [2/2] [UU]
> md2 : active raid1 hdc4[1] hda4[0] 177344 blocks [2/2] [UU]
> unused devices: <none>
>
> == lilo version
> LILO version 21.4-4
>
> == lilo.conf
> boot = /dev/md0
> message = /boot/message
> lba32
>
> timeout = 200
>
> image = /boot/vmlinuz
> label = linux
> root = /dev/md0
> read-only
>
> == output of lilo -v (no * for the hdc "linux")
> LILO version 21.4-4, Copyright (C) 1992-1998 Werner Almesberger
> 'lba32' extensions Copyright (C) 1999,2000 John Coffman
>
> boot = /dev/hda, map = /boot/map.0302
> Reading boot sector from /dev/hda
> Merging with /boot/boot.b
> Mapping message file /boot/message
> Boot image: /boot/vmlinuz
> Added linux *
> /boot/boot.0300 exists - no backup copy made.
> Writing boot sector.
> boot = /dev/hdc, map = /boot/map.1602
> Reading boot sector from /dev/hdc
> Merging with /boot/boot.b
> Mapping message file /boot/message
> Boot image: /boot/vmlinuz
> Added linux
> /boot/boot.1600 exists - no backup copy made.
> Writing boot sector.
>
> <cut ...>
>
> -
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--
Jim Meyer, Geek At Large [EMAIL PROTECTED]
-
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