Re: Getting LILO right

[Tom Pfeifer <tplists@optonline.net>]

The problem is that you are using the same kernel to boot all 4
installations. Each one of your 4 boot menu choices specifies
'image=/boot/vmlinuz'

You have to specify the path to each kernel that you want to run 
for each installation in /etc/lilo.conf. There's a few ways to do 
that. For example, you could copy the other 3 kernels to your /boot 
directory on /dev/hda1, renaming them appropriately - so that you 
have something like this:

# Mandrake stable
image=/boot/vmlinuz
    label=ML7.2_stable
    root=/dev/hda1
    read-only
# Debian
image=/boot/vmlinuz-from-hda5
    label=Debian_stable
    root=/dev/hda5
    read-only
# Mandrake 8.0 beta
image=/boot/vmlinuz-from-hda6
    label=ML8.0_test
    root=/dev/hda6
    read-only
# Debian sandbox
image=/boot/vmlinuz-from-hda7
    label=Debian_test
    root=/dev/hda7
    read-only

Instead of copying the kernels, it's probably better to just mount each 
of the other 3 partitions from MH 7.2, and then specify the path to each
of the other kernels in /etc/lilo.conf.

Another approach would be to install a separate Lilo in each of the
other 3 partition's boot sectors, and then use the Lilo in the MBR 
(installed from MH 7.2) to chain to the others. Your /etc/lilo.conf 
for MH 7.2 would look like this:

# Mandrake stable
image=/boot/vmlinuz
    label=ML7.2_stable
    root=/dev/hda1
    read-only
# Debian
other=/dev/hda5
    label=Debian_stable
# Mandrake 8.0 beta
other=/dev/hda6
    label=ML8.0_test
# Debian sandbox
other=/dev/hda7
    label=Debian_test

For each of the other 3 installs, you would need to install a separate
Lilo from that partition in the boot sector of that partition
(specify 'boot=/dev/hda5' for Debian-stable etc.). Your boot sequence 
for the 4 installations would look like this:

Mandrake stable:  Lilo MBR -> kernel /dev/hda1
Debian_stable:    Lilo MBR -> Lilo /dev/hda5 -> kernel /dev/hda5
Mandrake 8.0:     Lilo MBR -> Lilo /dev/hda6 -> kernel /dev/hda6
Debian sandbox:   Lilo MBR -> Lilo /dev/hda7 -> kernel /dev/hda7

Tom

Rick Commo wrote:
> 
> Partitions:
>    hda1 => Mandrake Linux 7.2 (installed first)
>    hda5 => Debian potato (stable - don't play with it)
>    hda6 => Mandrake 8.0 beta1
>    hda7 => Debian potato (sandbox - play here and then move to stable)
> 
> Problem:
> During boot, on any Linux version except ML 7.2, there are dependency errors
> listed where the error message contains a reference to the kernel in ML 7.2.
> In order to get a clean boot I have to sue a floppy that was created when
> the OS in a partition was installed.
> 
> I've read three O'Reilly books, the LILO HOW-TOs and a lot of posts and
> replies regarding LILO.  In fact one of the O'Reilly books, Linux In A
> Nutshell, seems flat out wrong in their example.  When I try to adapt my
> lilo.conf to look like theirs it produces LILO syntax errors.
> 
> Does grub get around these problems?  Can (and how do) you install it from
> binaries?
> What am I missing?  Can anyone give me some pointers?
> 
> My current lilo.conf file follows the signature.
> 
> Thanks,
> -rick
> 
> boot=/dev/hda
> map=/boot/map
> install=/boot/boot.b
> vga=normal
> default=ML7.2_stable
> keytable=/boot/us.klt
> lba32
> prompt
> timeout=50
> message=/boot/message
> menu-scheme=wb:bw:wb:bw
> # Mandrake stable
> image=/boot/vmlinuz
>         label=ML7.2_stable
>         root=/dev/hda1
>         read-only
> # Debian
> image=/boot/vmlinuz
>         label=Debian_stable
>         root=/dev/hda5
>         read-only
> # Mandrake 8.0 beta
> image=/boot/vmlinuz
>         label=ML8.0_test
>         root=/dev/hda6
>         read-only
> # Debian sandbox
> image=/boot/vmlinuz
>         label=Debian_test
>         root=/dev/hda7
>         read-only
> #
> image=/boot/vmlinuz
>         label=failsafe
>         root=/dev/hda1
>         append=" failsafe"
>         read-only
> #
> other=/dev/fd0
>         label=floppy
>         unsafe