How to edit Lilo?

[JoanRC]

I installed Salix on a machine that currently has Vista Home Edition and Paardus 2009.1. The Lilo configuration tool during install recognized both Vista and Paardus, but failed to include Paardus in the boot choices available at bootup. I need a working OS, preferrably Linux, so I can troubleshoot the numerous post install issues with Salix. My most pressing problem is that I can't find drivers for my Nvidia graphics card and am stuck with a screen resolution of 800x600. The package manager doesn't recognize any of the repositories; so, I can't look for drivers there. If there is a nouveaux driver (the open source driver for nvidia) for Slackware, I would install it because I've had good results for it in Mandriva, Mint, and Paardus. (The proprietary driver does give better results; but, I'm not that picky.)

Also, Firefox won't "go anywhere". It can't find any servers anywhere - not google, not the mozilla homepage, not my ISP. The network connection wizard indicates I am connected and gives the signal strength, the network icon indicates a working connection, and the signal strength icon indicates good signal. But Firefox won't go anywhere. I have downloaded Opera for Slackware; because that is my preferred browser, but don't know how to install it.

My biggest problem right now is how to include Paardus in the Lilo boot screen.

Any assistance would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[gapan]

You can edit /etc/lilo.conf to add other distributions. Don't forget to run lilo -v after you make your changes, or they won't be applied.

My most pressing problem is that I can't find drivers for my Nvidia graphics card and am stuck with a screen resolution of 800x600.

You're probably using the nv driver now. You can get the proprietary drivers for your card from nvidia's website. You will need to have the kernel-source package installed to install them. You can just download it from a slackware repository with your browser and then install it with installpkg from a root terminal (or look in the wiki, if you get a working network connection).

Also, Firefox won't "go anywhere". It can't find any servers anywhere - not google, not the mozilla homepage, not my ISP. The network connection wizard indicates I am connected and gives the signal strength, the network icon indicates a working connection, and the signal strength icon indicates good signal. But Firefox won't go anywhere. I have downloaded Opera for Slackware; because that is my preferred browser, but don't know how to install it.

It's not a problem with your browser, it's probably a problem with your network settings. What IP do you have assigned? It's probably that DHCP in your router is not working properly and assigns you a bad IP. Try using a valid static IP instead.

The package manager doesn't recognize any of the repositories; so, I can't look for drivers there.

This is related with the previous problem. You don't have a working network connection, so you can't connect to any repositories.

If there is a nouveaux driver (the open source driver for nvidia) for Slackware, I would install it because I've had good results for it in Mandriva, Mint, and Paardus. (The proprietary driver does give better results; but, I'm not that picky.)

There isn't, but you can probably compile it on your own if you want it.

[JoanRC]

Thanks for the response.

DHCP is the method I use for all my other OSs and it seems to work. We have a block of IP numbers for this home network. I thought our router was assigning them dynamically when we connect. However, my brother has been trying to set up a network in house between a Vista machine (wireless), my Paardus machine (wireless) and his Ubuntu machine (ethernet) and says our machine numbers are static. I've used Belarc Advisor in Vista to find my machine address. So, I'll try that.

This may sound odd, but I never feel I know what's going on with the wireless connections. When I first started computing, there were a half dozen switches on the dial up modem and another dozen in the connection software that you had to set by hand. When I was done, I knew the connection was done right. In Mandriva, Mint, and Paardus, it just works when you put in your password; and, I never know what I've done.

I'm curious to know why LILO was chosen as the default bootloader. I usually go with the default options in a new install unless I am certain I need something else. Up to now, that's always been GRUB.

Thanks.

[Shador]

I'm curious to know why LILO was chosen as the default bootloader. I usually go with the default options in a new install unless I am certain I need something else. Up to now, that's always been GRUB.

As far a Salix is concerned, the main reason is that Slackware uses it and it works well.
For the Slackware part, I guess, lilo works and worked fast an reliably for ages, so Pat didn't change it.