Bug#62530: boot-floppies: Lilo only boot still not working

[Adam Di Carlo <adam@onshore.com>]

<nils@ipe.uni-stuttgart.de> writes:

> I use selfmade boot floppies from CVS (as of April 14).
> The computer is
> 
> a) with 2 SCSI disks, Root partition is first primary partition of second
>    drive.

Device name please!  It definately should *not* be fooled into
thinking that you are installing on a logical paritition.  Looking at
the code, I don't understand how it could be fooled.

Do you think you could try it again with either building out of CVS or
using 2.2.11 from Incoming?

> b) with 1 IDE disk, Root partition is a logical partition
>   
> When choosing "Make Linux Bootable Directly From Hard Disk"
> I'm now asked if I want to install Lilo in the MBR. Good, this is how I
> always did it so I say yes.
> 
> But the next question is then (in both cases!)
> 
>   The boot partition is a logical partition.
>   It can't boot from there, so you must install the MBR
>   in one of the following extended partitions.
>   Please select the partition to use.
> And I'm presented with a menu of all extended partitions.
> Result: Lilo gets installed in the extended partition, my previous MBR is
> untouched.

This is proper behavior for case (b).  From the lilo manual:

  One disk, Linux on a logical partition
  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

  If no primary partition is available for Linux, but at least one logical 
  partition of an extended partition on the first hard disk contains a Linux 
  file system, the LILO boot sector should be stored in the partition sector 
  of the extended partition and it should be booted by the original master 
  boot record or by a program like BOOTACTV.

            +--------------------------+
            | MBR            /dev/hda  |
            | +------------------------|
            | | MS-DOS       /dev/hda1 |
            | |------------------------|
        --> | | Extended     /dev/hda2 |
            | | +----------------------|
            | | | Linux      /dev/hda5 |
            | | |----------------------|
            | | | ...        /dev/hda6 |
            +--------------------------+

  Because many disk partitioning programs refuse to make an extended 
  partition (in our example /dev/hda2) active, you might have to use 
  activate, which comes with the LILO distribution.

> Examining lilo.conf shows:
> 
> boot=/dev/sda2 (a)

Bad.

> boot=/dev/hda2 (b)

Proper.

-- 
.....Adam Di Carlo....adam@onShore.com.....<URL:http://www.onShore.com/>