--- Jonathan Brandmeyer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > And permanantly broken. > > A detailed read of /usr/share/doc/lilo/Manual.txt > reveales this telling > entry: > --quote-- > Two disks, Linux on second disk, first disk has no > extended partition > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > - - - - - - - - - > > If there is neither a Linux partition nor an > extended partition on the > first disk, then there's only one place left, where > a LILO boot sector > could be stored: the master boot record. > > In this configuration, LILO is responsible for > booting all other > operating > systems too. > > FIRST DISK > SECOND DISK > +--------------------------+ > +--------------------------+ > --> | MBR /dev/hda | | MBR > /dev/hdb | > | +------------------------| | > +------------------------| > | | MS-DOS /dev/hda1 | | | Linux > /dev/hdb1 | > | |------------------------| | > |------------------------| > | | ... /dev/hda2 | | | ... > /dev/hdb2 | > +--------------------------+ > +--------------------------+ > > You should back up your old MBR before installing > LILO and verify that > LILO > is able to boot your other operating system(s) > before relying on this > approach. > > The line boot = /dev/hda2 in /etc/lilo.conf would > have to be changed to > boot = /dev/hda in this example. > --endquote-- > > A detailed explination of the workings of BR's and > MBR's precedes this > information and the reasons for it. > > I now believe that during the initial installation, > LILO was installed > on the MBR of /dev/hda. When I repartitioned the > hard drive, it > invalidated the information in the boot loader, > causing undefined > behavior. If hda had another partition, LILO could > have been installed > on that partition, with the provision that it must > be marked active. > There is only one partition on hda, and no way to > safely shrink it to > make room for another. My only option was to set > boot=/dev/hda and to > overwrite the invalid MBR. > > Lesson learned: You MUST have at least one partition > available for Linux > on the FIRST HDD to preserve the ability to cleanly > reverse the Linux > install. LILO can never be removed from my system > without reinstalling > the original OS. > Of course, if I had the forthought to B/U my > original MBR, I could have > maintained the ability to restore it. > > On the other hand, Linux is like clipless pedals on > mountain bikes, once > you go Linux, you'll never go back! > > Thanks for the help, > Jonathan. > > P.S: I did find boot-menu.b, don't know why I > couldn't before. Also, > "prompt" is the right keyword to get the menu. > Don't know why that > didn't initially work either. > Jonathan,, (hoping this gets to you b4 you trash the two drives) I have watched the thread and said little because: - I am new to Debian too - Anita DID help me in another forum - or at least I *think* it was Anita - I have never played with an NTFS drive in this way - believe, F32 is a piece of piss to get wrong and then right!
I have to say, your analysis is in error, understandably so but nonetheless not correct at all. Sleep on your HDD's for a bit - calm down and in the meanwhile I 'll get some time to put a spin on this. Hope the soupbowl isnt overflowing <G> cya SiD "unstable yet breathing" http://movies.yahoo.com.au - Yahoo! Movies - What's on at your local cinema? -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
