changing device and boot order - how 2?

[jpg153]

Hi all,

the BIOS of my PC was setup (unintended and unrecognized) to start first the SCSI-HD and not the SATA-SSD.
As I installed Salix on the SATA-SSD (sdb) Lilo created a boot loader in the MBR of the SCSI-HD (sda).
So the system starts the SCSI-HD which tells to boot Linux from SATA-SSD.
lilo.conf and fstab are reflecting this.

I now want to change boot order in the BIOS (to prepare for adding another SSD) (see thread in german forum).
But I cannot get it to work.
There are several issues:
Starting Live-CDs always ends up in not being able to chroot into the existing Salix to rerun lilo and so on.

The best I could get was modifying lilo.conf, fstab and rewriting the MBR with fdisk from a Live-System.
With the respective changes in the BIOS, the SSD was starting but did not find the right Salix to boot, it tried
to boot the Salix32-chroot, which is not setup to run on its own.

Probably I have, as we say, a knot in my brain and so don't get where I want to be...

Can someone guide me through this please? I don't want to add a new SSD if I cannot manage to start the system from there
(which should be a copy of the current system not to reinstall everything).

Any help is appreciated.
Thanks.

[mimosa]

Is this a 32-bit machine / Salix?

If you're booting with Lilo, there should be no problem having it on one hard disk, set to boot a Linux in a partition on the other. Perhaps it would be helpful if you posted your lilo.conf, and perhaps the output of fdisk -l, with an indication of what goes where?

If you are able to mount the partition you want to chroot into, you should be able to do so. Have you tried doing it by hand? e.g. (in Live)

Code: Select all

mkdir ~/tempmount
sudo mount /dev/sdb2/ ~/tempmount

What is not working? Please describe in detail.

[jpg153]

Hi Mimosa,

there should be no problem having it on one hard disk, set to boot a Linux in a partition on the other

Yes, I confirm - its working here for years

But I want to change that, as I am not sure how long I will keep the SCSI-HD running...

lilo.conf:

Code: Select all

# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
...
append="quiet  vt.default_utf8=1"
boot = /dev/sda
...
# Boot BMP Image.
  bmp-colors = 255,20,255,20,255,20
...
  bmp-table = 60,6,1,16
...
  bmp-timer = 65,29,0,255

# Standard menu.
# Override dangerous defaults that rewrite the partition table:
change-rules
  reset
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1280x1024x64k
vga = 794
...
# End LILO global section
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
#  root = /dev/sda1 (this was a trial)
  root = /dev/sdb1  
  label = Linux
  read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends

and fstab:

Code: Select all

/dev/sdb1        /                xfs         defaults,relatime,discard         1   1
#/dev/sda1        /                xfs         ... (my trial)
/dev/sdb5        /home            xfs         defaults,relatime,discard         1   2
#/dev/sda5        /home            xfs         ... (my trial)
#/dev/cdrom      /mnt/cdrom       auto        noauto,owner,ro,comment=x-gvfs-show 0   0
#/dev/fd0         /mnt/floppy      auto        noauto,users,rw,umask=00 0   0
devpts           /dev/pts         devpts      gid=5,mode=620   0   0
proc             /proc            proc        defaults         0   0
tmpfs            /dev/shm         tmpfs       defaults         0   0
tmpfs			/tmp  			tmpfs 	defaults,noatime,mode=1777	0 0
tmpfs			/var/tmp		tmpfs	defaults,noatime,mode=1777	0 0
#/dev/sdb5		/home2			... (my trial)
/dev/sda5		/home2			xfs         defaults,relatime         1   2
#/dev/sdb1		/5gbstore		... (my trial)
/dev/sda1		/5gbstore		ext2         defaults,noatime         1   2

Hardware as stated:
UW-SCSI-3 Hostadapter with 70GB HD
SATA-II Controller with 60GB SSD
BIOS starts the HD first which is logically then sda
and SSD becomes sdb.

I want to have that reverse!
I can change BIOS settings but then no Salix boots.

My Salix is 14.2 64bit (on sdb1).

There is a (s)chroot setup with a Salix 14.1 32bit (sda1 // 5gbstore).

I will reply on the "chroot" problems later on.

Thanks.

[mimosa]

I'm afraid I can't get my head well enough round all that to give specific instructions (and in any case, it's been a while since I used Lilo - all this is different, and easier I'd say, with UEFI). But I have two comments / suggestions.

First, don't try and get your BIOS to boot the disks in a different order. It is liable to revert to the defaults at some point. Let it do what it feels happiest with. And there is no benefit, because you can get Lilo on one disk to boot the OS on any partition you like on any disk.

Secondly, the thing to understand about Lilo is it is very literal-minded. The paths in lilo.conf should be the ones as actually mounted in the system you are running it from. It doesn't matter where that is (so there is no need to chroot into your Salix, in order to run lilo), but the target OS has to be on a currently mounted partition. So if you are doing it from Live:

Code: Select all

mkdir ~/verysillypath
mount /dev/sdc5  /home/live/verysillypath

Now edit lilo.conf:

Code: Select all

boot = /dev/sda             # this is where the bootloader will be installed, we want the BIOS to boot this disk
....
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /home/live/verysillypath/boot/vmlinuz
  root = /dev/sdc5          # here is your Salix, I have deliberately used a location that doesn't exist in your setup!!
  label = Linux
  read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends

Now install the bootloader in the MBR of /dev/sda:

Code: Select all

sudo lilo -v

Then edit fstab to mount /home correctly.

[DidierSpaier]

Not sure I understand the issue but if you want to move your devices, naming the partitions by UUID is certainly the way to go, both in /etc/fstab and in /etc/lilo.conf. The man pages will tell you how, but you could also read this article.

[mimosa]

DidierSpaier's definitely right that that is the more robust way to do it, though I haven't explored this myself. That's a helpful-looking page. I'm not sure if what it says about the need for an initrd applies, but there is no reason not to use UUIDs:

Code: Select all

ls -l /dev/disk/by-uuid

However, if it seems difficult to assimilate, I think my suggestion is likely to work. Then, once safely booting your system, you could work out how to do it properly ...

[colebaas]

I now want to change boot order in the BIOS (to prepare for adding another SSD)

Not possible (es ist net moglich weil der SCSI-3 kontroller) since the UW-SCSI-3 will always take priority over SATA.

the BIOS of my PC was setup (unintended and unrecognized) to start first the SCSI-HD and not the SATA-SSD.

That is the standard BIOS default in all cases. [If there is no extra drive.inf in EPROM then you are out of luck.)
Remove the UW-SCSI-3. [or get a different - more recent - mobo??... ] In any case, that ($4) SCSI controller might not be worth a major work-around...

[jpg153]

Thanks for all looking into.

I will stay with the setup as is and make sure that it all works after adding a new SSD

I tried UUID some time ago but with no luck. I could not get it to work at all.

The BIOS is offering me to change the boot sequence, but maybe it remains confused due to the SCSI-hostadapter...
and the trials I made suggest that it will not work as intended.

I still have issues with the "chroot" but that is a different story and I will report on this separately.


special note: yes, that PC is quite "old and worn" but it does run properly and its still ok for what I need it


Thanks again.

[jpg153]

A special "Thanks" to Didier on his remark and the link provided.

I managed to change it now to PartUUID and it seems quite convenient, although it requires some few work to be done,
as the IDs and UUIDs etc are difficult to remember

So when now changing devices (add or remove or other order) it will be much easier, I hope