tohd - then run lilo

[chlor]

Hi

Today I tried the "tohd" command for the first time. One thing I was thinking about was to make a scipt which run lilo and install a boot manager on the hd.

The script could possibly be run from inside /etc/init.d/knoppix-autoinstall.

One problem is to detect if there is already is a boot manager installed. I guess this this could be done by looking for a lilo.conf or grub.conf on all the partitions but it might be better just to ask the user: "Are you sure would install a boot-loader".

The other problem is to find where the Windows installations is located. Usually they would be found at hda1.

Here is the lilo.conf I used today:


boot=/dev/hda

default=knoppix
prompt
nowarn
timeout=100
image=/mnt/hda1/knoppix/vmlinuz
label=knoppix
root=/dev/hda1 # probably not needed
initrd=/mnt/hda1/knoppix/miniroot.gz
append="lang=da quiet noscsi" # home=scan myconf=scan
vga=normal
read-only
other=/dev/hda1
label=windows
table=/dev/hda


To install the lilo I start up from the cdrom and run the following commands as root:


mount /mnt/hda1
mount -o loop /cdrom/KNOPPIX/boot.img /mnt/test
cp -f /mnt/test/vmlinuz /mnt/hda1/knoppix/
cp -f /mnt/test/miniroot.gz /mnt/hda1/knoppix/
umount /mnt/test
umount /mnt/hda1


The following commands should be run each time lilo.conf has to be changed:


mount /mnt/hda1
vi /mnt/hda1/knoppix/lilo.conf
rm -f /boot # don't know how to avoid this
ln -s /mnt/hda1/knoppix /boot # and this
lilo -v -C /mnt/hda1/knoppix/lilo.conf -b /dev/hda
umount /mnt/hda1


Would you think it is safe to write a script which does the above? I find it a bit scaring to write a boot manager to an end-user harddisk.

/hans

[probono]

Personally I prefer GRUB because it's more flexible and breaks less often :)

[mabhatter]

chlor,

I just tried your example and it worked great! I can now boot my system without the Knoppix CD....and using the "tohd" command

I ran into a few places in your script where the "knoppix" should be capital "KNOPPIX" because that's how the "tohd" command writes it to the drive... not knowing what version you used, maybe your's was different. Not a big oops, but it might really confuse some newbies.

Code:
note: change the 'da' to 'en' for all you english speakers!!
After the '#' is commented out...add those inside to use them.
I also deleted the other section because the drive only has Knoppix on it...if that's the case you'll get an error lilo tries to find windows.


boot=/dev/hda

default=knoppix
prompt
nowarn
timeout=100
image=/mnt/hda1/KNOPPIX/vmlinuz
label=knoppix
root=/dev/hda1 # probably not needed
initrd=/mnt/hda1/KNOPPIX/miniroot.gz
append="lang=da quiet noscsi" # home=scan myconf=scan
vga=normal
read-only
other=/dev/hda1
label=windows
table=/dev/hda


I created my lilo.conf on the desktop using the default editor cause I'm not good at vi yet....that may help some newbies out there. Also, for some reason, it wouldn't let me make the hda1 read/write, so I had to copy over lilo.conf from the root shell.

Code:
from the default root prompt {KNOPPIX}
to copy the lilo.conf file from the desktop

cd Desktop
cp -f lilo.conf /mnt/hda1/KNOPPIX/



To install the lilo I start up from the cdrom and run the following commands as root:
Code:


mount /mnt/hda1
mount -o loop /cdrom/KNOPPIX/boot.img /mnt/test
cp -f /mnt/test/vmlinuz /mnt/hda1/KNOPPIX/
cp -f /mnt/test/miniroot.gz /mnt/hda1/KNOPPIX/
umount /mnt/test
umount /mnt/hda1


The following commands should be run each time lilo.conf has to be changed:
Code:


mount /mnt/hda1
rm -f /boot # don't know how to avoid this
ln -s /mnt/hda1/KNOPPIX /boot # and this
lilo -v -C /mnt/hda1/KNOPPIX/lilo.conf -b /dev/hda
umount /mnt/hda1


Hope this helps somebody else out!

That 'tohd' function is GREAT!!! Thanks everybody!