lilo, dual boot with 13.0 and 13.1beta

[Akuna]

A lot of partitions I know!!!

Actually it is great! it makes for a good case study.

I'll try to clone your set-up on one of my test machines & see if I can reproduce the problem.

[Akuna]

Coud you try this?

1- Get the uuid info for your partitions:

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ls -l /dev/disk/by-uuid/

Copy the uuid number linked to ../../hda1

2-Modify your /etc/lilo.conf file the following way:

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# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /mnt/salix1/boot/vmlinuz
  root = /dev/disk/by-uuid/"paste_the_uuid_number_linked_to_hda1_without_quotation_marks"
  label = salix1
  read-only  # Partitions should be mounted read-only for checking
# Linux bootable partition config ends

To be safe, modify only the settings for the partition that gives you trouble. Also, no needs for the addappend line this way.

Don't forget to issue lilo -v & cross your fingers.

[pevsner]

Hi Akuna,
Unfortunately no go either, it's exactly the same as with the addappend entry >starts then i get> "kernel panic - not syncing vfs: unable to mount fs on unknown block (3,3).

Actually with 13.0 I had to install lilo onto a usb stick to start with , then upgrade lilo and run lilo expert.
I subsequently used the usb stick to get me back into 13.0 after installing 13.1( as 13.0 is still my main system), thinking I could boot into 13.1 off the cd. I tried boot " linux root=/dev/sda1 ro" but it doesn't work. What is the command to boot a hd off the cd please?
Salix is real good, by far the best o/s I've used. Just be nice to have the current(13.1) running side by side with a stable version to check the updates and assess when to switch up.
Regards.

[JRD]

Use grub (or grub2). Lilo is good, but a nightware in such situations.

[Akuna]

Hi Akuna,
Unfortunately no go either, it's exactly the same as with the addappend entry >starts then i get> "kernel panic - not syncing vfs: unable to mount fs on unknown block (3,3).
Actually with 13.0 I had to install lilo onto a usb stick to start with , then upgrade lilo and run lilo expert.

That is quite odd... are you setting lilo in the mbr or just in one of your partition?
What is your "boot =" line?

I subsequently used the usb stick to get me back into 13.0 after installing 13.1( as 13.0 is still my main system), thinking I could boot into 13.1 off the cd. I tried boot " linux root=/dev/sda1 ro" but it doesn't work. What is the command to boot a hd off the cd please?

Sorry I'm not familiar with this

Salix is real good, by far the best o/s I've used. Just be nice to have the current(13.1) running side by side with a stable version to check the updates and assess when to switch up.
Regards.

Well, your situation is not common. I do enjoy lilo multiboot with salix 13.1, 13.0 32 bit & 13.0 64 bit with no problem, as do many other folks. There must be a simple reason & solution to your problem & we will find it eventually. Maybe the problem lays into your lilo.conf global settings. Could we see those as well?

[pevsner]

Yes lilo is on the mbr.
lilo.conf, as is after uuid added:-

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# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
boot = /dev/hda
#compact        # faster, but won't work on all systems.
# Boot BMP Image.
# Bitmap in BMP format: 640x480x8
  bitmap = /boot/salix.bmp
# Menu colors (foreground, background, shadow, highlighted
# foreground, highlighted background, highlighted shadow):
  bmp-colors = 255,20,255,20,255,20
# Location of the option table: location x, location y, number of
# columns, lines per column (max 15), "spill" (this is how many
# entries must be in the first column before the next begins to
# be used.  We don't specify it here, as there's just one column.
  bmp-table = 60,6,1,16
# Timer location x, timer location y, foreground color,
# background color, shadow color.
  bmp-timer = 65,29,0,255
# Standard menu.
# Or, you can comment out the bitmap menu above and
# use a boot message with the standard menu:
#message = /boot/boot_message.txt

# Append any additional kernel parameters:
append="quiet  vt.default_utf8=1"
prompt
timeout = 50
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x64k
vga = 791
# Normal VGA console
# vga = normal
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x64k
# vga=791
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x32k
# vga=790
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
# vga=773
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x64k
# vga=788
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x32k
# vga=787
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x256
# vga=771
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x64k
# vga=785
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x32k
# vga=784
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x256
# vga=769
# ramdisk = 0     # paranoia setting
# End LILO global section
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
  root = /dev/hda3
  label = salix3
  read-only  # Partitions should be mounted read-only for checking
# Linux bootable partition config ends
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /mnt/salix1/boot/vmlinuz
  root = /dev/disk/by-uuid/7e6b2e6e-0a6b-429c-b1e2-1defc1f7835c
  label = salix1
  read-only  # Partitions should be mounted read-only for checking
# Linux bootable partition config ends

[Akuna]

Your configuration seems correct.

Today I was able to reproduce your problem but only with one (older) machine. What I did is update LiloSetup with some new functionality, and try it out on different setup who have both salix13.0 & salix13.1 as well as other OS both libata & non-libata. I executed LiloSetup from different partitions, some libata, some non-libata & everything worked except for this one machine.

So I'll investigate more & try to find out why.

[pevsner]

Thanks for all you efforts Akuna.
I tried to install grub2 with the sg2conf - failed haha.
I'm thinking my mbr must be scrambled with windows , grub , lilo(mint, mandriva,vector etc ) having been laid down so many times.
Perhaps I should wipe the first part of the mbr, however I don't want to scub the partition tables.

[Shador]

Could you please post your /var/log/sg2conf.log file. This should give me a starting point to analyze the problem.

Thanks
Shador

[pevsner]

sg2conf.log file:

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Received unexpected output from the DIALOG command.         Received `Fontconfig error: "local.conf", line 19: no element found
Advanced' instead of `MBR', `Root' or `Advanced'
        Probably Xdialog is outputting some unexpected error messages.
        Check that, please.

Ahah, yes found the problem, I had created a local.conf (and forgot to delete it) to try to get font hinting right in lxde which I ended up doing in ~/.Xresources.
Just ran Sg2conf and it installed grub fine, detecting 13.1&13.0.
Thank you for all your help. I guess grub is the answer.