Re: Problem Booting After Install
----- Original Message -----
From: "Kent West" <westk@acu.edu>
To: <debian-user@lists.debian.org>
Sent: Saturday, May 24, 2003 6:41 PM
Subject: Re: Problem Booting After Install
> >
> >
> >On Sat, 24 May 2003 17:20:03 -0400
> >"Scott MacMaster" <me@scottmacmaster.com> wrote:
> >
> >
> >>>On Sat, 24 May 2003 10:24:16 -0400
> >>>"Scott MacMaster" <me@scottmacmaster.com> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>>I'm attempting to install Debian as my third os on my computer.
> >>>>The installation went fine up to the point where it asks if I want
> >>>>to install a boot loader or create a boot disk.
> >>>>
> >>>>Since I had problems with boot loaders in the past (trying to boot
> >>>>Windows 2000 or XP with a boot loader usual caused 2000 or XP to
> >>>>fail to boot) I didn't want to install a boot loader. So I used
> >>>>to create boot disk option(an option I used with another os). I
> >>>>then rebooted the computer with the boot disk. Debian started up
> >>>>and then went into the configuration sequence where I select the
> >>>>packages I want to install. I did that and rebooted. However, it
> >>>>goes into that configuration sequence everytime I boot with the
> >>>>boot disk.
> >>>>
> >>>>After that I decided to try the boot loader. I figured that since
> >>>>I have Debian on my 2nd hard drive I can just install the boot
> >>>>loader to just the 2nd hd and tell bios to use it as the boot
> >>>>device (an option I used with another os). That way the boot
> >>>>loader won't effect my installation of XP. After I installed the
> >>>>boot loader I rebooted. I think it was about to boot Debian but
> >>>>it just started printed 48 over and over again on my screen.
> >>>>
> >>>>Well, my question is probably obvious by now. How do I get Debian
> >>>>to bootup?
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>Well, the questions most people will have are pretty obvious:
> >>>1. what boot loader?
> >>>
> >>>
> >>I don't know. Whatever the default is that comes with the 3.0 r1
> >>distribution.
> >>
> >>
> Almost certainly, well, certainly, lilo.
>
> >>>2. what did you put in its configuration file?
> >>>
> >>>
> >>I didn't configure it. It said it would automatically setup Debian as
> >>the default os. It asked if I wanted to setup other os's but I
> >>selected no.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> This is where you'll want to start looking: /etc/lilo.conf. After it's
> configured properly, re-run "lilo".
>
> Basically, you'll need a stanza (group of lines) for each OS you want to
> boot. There should be a couple of examples within the file itself to
> give you a fair idea of what's needed. You might want to post it to the
> list for other eyes to take a look at.
Accuse my ignorance but how can I edit the configuration file if Debian
won't bootup?
> >>>3. How did you install it?
> >>>
> >>>
> >>First partition on my second hd. I didn't create a swap partition.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> Unless you have oodles of RAM (like 1GB or so), you probably want a swap
> partition. Even with oodles of RAM, I'd still keep a swap partition
> around if I had the drive space for it. But that's just me.
>
> I would suspect that grub will become the standard boot loader in the
> future. lilo has been the standard, but grub has a lot more capability,
> especially when it comes to repairing misconfigured boot loader setups.
> If you don't have success with lilo after a try or two, you might want
> to give up on learning the ins and outs of lilo and spend your
> educational brain cells on grub instead. Then again, you might not.
Ok, although I have no idea how I would go about changing this since the
install program doesn't appear to give me the option to use a different boot
loader. Is there a windows program that would install the boot loader?
Thanks,
Scott MacMaster
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