I can't get it to boot for anything

[FUSiON Xbetas]

When I install to the hard drive (I have 3 HD's and 5 Partitions if you need to know) I made one a Linux partition and I can't get it to boot in to knopixx when I reboot it always boots back to windows. Please help.
Thanks.
Chris.

[Stephen]

When I install to the hard drive (I have 3 HD's and 5 Partitions if you need to know) I made one a Linux partition and I can't get it to boot in to knopixx when I reboot it always boots back to windows. Please help.
Thanks.
Chris.

How are you trying to boot, from floppy, lilo screen or windows boot manager a few more details are needed. Also the layout of your drives would be helpful too.

[FUSiON Xbetas]

I install Knoppix, say use lilo, reboot from HDD and the lilo screen doesn't come up it just boots in to windows.
Thanks.

[Stephen]

Was lilo installed on the same drive as windows, if it was installed to a drive other than the boot drive it will never get accessed. You can boot from the boot floppy if you made it.

[FUSiON Xbetas]

It was. I even just reinstalled it again reformating my NTFS to a linux partition and still no go. I have no idea. Do I need to do that swap file? I tired but it wouldn't work.
Thanks.
Chris.

[Stephen]

Could you boot from the CD and open a console window ( the clam shell icon on the taskbar) and sudo fdisk -l /dev/hda and post the output and if you are going to install knoppix to a drive other than your first drive (boot) the output of fdisk -l for that drive too.

If I or anybody else is going to be able to help you, you will have to post more detail as to the steps you are using when you install. At a minimum we will need to know which HD you are installing to and the file systems and partitions on the drive. You should also post any error messages you get.

It is not necessary to have a /swap partition but it is highly recommended you can create this using cfdisk during the install along with your / partition. Or you could use Qtparted which is on the later versions (IIRC >= 2003-04-15) to divide the linux partition you created on your last attempt.

[FUSiON Xbetas]

Thanks man for your help. Here is the stuff you said you needed.
Disk /dev/hda: 100.0 GB, 100030242816 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 12161 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 1 3719 29872836 83 Linux
/dev/hda2 3720 12161 67810365 f Win95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hda5 3720 11651 63713758+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda6 11652 12161 4096543+ 83 Linux
knoppix@ttyp1[knoppix]$

I am also using 3.2 I saw somewhere where some guy said lilio was messed up in 3.2 but I don't know.
Thanks.
Chris

[Stephen]

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 1 3719 29872836 83 Linux
/dev/hda6 11652 12161 4096543+ 83 Linux
knoppix@ttyp1[knoppix]$



So you will use hda1 for / and hda6 for /swap. When you boot from the CD for the install open a console window again and sudo mkswap /dev/hda6 to make linux swap partition on hda6. which will now show when you rund fdisk -l :


Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 1 3719 29872836 83 Linux
/dev/hda6 11652 12161 4096543+ 82 Linux swap


Then run the knx-install script. When lilo gets installed you should see some output in the console window you are installing from telling you whether it succeded.


I am also using 3.2 I saw somewhere where some guy said lilio was messed up in 3.2 but I don't know.


I install every version on a spare partition to test it and have not had a problem with lilo.

I just had a idea, are you using anti-virus protection for the MBR in your system BIOS? If so turn it off it may be preventing lilo from writing to the MBR.

[FUSiON Xbetas]

Before I do this I think it would be best that I get the gay lindows off my box. I put it on there last night. Big mistake. Any ideas?

[Stephen]

Before I do this I think it would be best that I get the gay lindows off my box. I put it on there last night. Big mistake. Any ideas?

If you used the hda1 and hda6 partitions to install the lindows then they will be overwritten by the Knoppix install no need to do anything to get rid of it.

[FUSiON Xbetas]

I've tried that. Still didn't work. I can't get indows off now. I can't belive I even did that. I've tired the partion manager that comes with knppix and I still couldn't get rid of it.

[FUSiON Xbetas]

I just got it off =)
Now what dude 8)

[Stephen]

I've tried that. Still didn't work. I can't get indows off now. I can't belive I even did that. I've tired the partion manager that comes with knppix and I still couldn't get rid of it.

Have you tried boot from the cd open console window and sudo mkfs /dev/hda1 to format the hda1 if that is where you installed and then mkswap for the hda6? Then installing.

[FUSiON Xbetas]

Just did, didn't work, Think I Should install Knoppix without lilo and install lilo after I install?

[Stephen]

Just did, didn't work, Think I Should install Knoppix without lilo and install lilo after I install?

Try it but make sure you make a boot floppy during the install to be able to boot the system.

[FUSiON Xbetas]

how do I install lilo after I boot.

[garyng]

lilo -C path_to_your_lilo_conf

However, don't do it unless you know something about lilo as this is one of the few changes that can render your system totally unusable, except booting from floppy and CD-ROM. Messing around with MBR, boot sector (which is what lilo does) is very dangerous.

[Stephen]

how do I install lilo after I boot.

If you have installed on the boot drive (hda) then open a root console and /sbin/lilo will write lilo to the MBR (of hda).