Missing Operating System

[digiSal]

I tried doing an HD install on the lap top a few times and everytime i get the Missing OS error.

I was having trouble with LilO, i had to comment out Line 20, the "Please edit lilo" line. and now i am getting a /proc/partitions error. i dont think that Lilo is getting written to the MBR.

i am using knoppix 3.3 as a single boot.

i tried my best searching and researching here on the forums, and now i am wasted and will try again tomorrow.

Will post my Lilo.conf tomorrow if need be.

any ideas?'

[rickenbacherus]

Boot the Knoppix cd, mount your /root partition and reinstall lilo. This post may clarify the process further. There are several posts like this one that may explain it further.

[digiSal]

this is my lilo.conf as it is created by the knoppix-installer

# /etc/lilo.conf - See: `lilo(8)' and `lilo.conf(5)',
# ---------------       `install-mbr(8)', `/usr/share/doc/lilo/',
#                       and `/usr/share/doc/mbr/'.

# Remove this line when you are done configuring. -KK
"! Please edit /etc/lilo.conf before running lilo!"

# +---------------------------------------------------------------+
# |                        !! Reminder !!                         |
# |                                                               |
# | Don't forget to run `lilo' after you make changes to this     |
# | conffile, `/boot/bootmess.txt', or install a new kernel.  The |
# | computer will most likely fail to boot if a kernel-image      |
# | post-install script or you don't remember to run `lilo'.      |
# |                                                               |
# +---------------------------------------------------------------+

# Support LBA for large hard disks.
#
lba32

# Specifies the boot device.  This is where Lilo installs its boot
# block.  It can be either a partition, or the raw device, in which
# case it installs in the MBR, and will overwrite the current MBR.
#
boot=/dev/hda

# Specifies the device that should be mounted as root. (`/')
#

# Enable map compaction:
# Tries to merge read requests for adjacent sectors into a single
# read request. This drastically reduces load time and keeps the
# map smaller.  Using `compact' is especially recommended when
# booting from a floppy disk.  It is disabled here by default
# because it doesn't always work.
#
# compact

# Installs the specified file as the new boot sector
#
install=/boot/boot-menu.b
backup=/dev/null

# Specifies the location of the map file
#
map=/boot/map

# You can set a password here, and uncomment the `restricted' lines
# in the image definitions below to make it so that a password must
# be typed to boot anything but a default configuration.  If a
# command line is given, other than one specified by an `append'
# statement in `lilo.conf', the password will be required, but a
# standard default boot will not require one.
#
# This will, for instance, prevent anyone with access to the
# console from booting with something like `Linux init=/bin/sh',
# and thus becoming `root' without proper authorization.
#
# Note that if you really need this type of security, you will
# likely also want to use `install-mbr' to reconfigure the MBR
# program, as well as set up your BIOS to disallow booting from
# removable disk or CD-ROM, then put a password on getting into the
# BIOS configuration as well.  Please RTFM `install-mbr(8)'.
#
# password=tatercounter2000

# Specifies the number of deciseconds (0.1 seconds) LILO should
# wait before booting the first image.
#
# delay=20
timeout=100

# You can put a customized boot message up if you like.  If you use
# `prompt', and this computer may need to reboot unattended, you
# must specify a `timeout', or it will sit there forever waiting
# for a keypress.  `single-key' goes with the `alias' lines in the
# `image' configurations below.  eg: You can press `1' to boot
# `Linux', `2' to boot `LinuxOLD', if you uncomment the `alias'.
#
# message=/boot/bootmess.txt
#	prompt
#	single-key
#	delay=100
#	timeout=100

# Specifies the VGA text mode at boot time. (normal, extended, ask, <mode>)
#
# vga=ask
# vga=9
#
vga=normal

# Kernel command line options that apply to all installed images go
# here.  See: The `boot-prompt-HOWO' and `kernel-parameters.txt' in
# the Linux kernel `Documentation' directory.
#
# append=""

# Boot up Linux by default.
#
default=Knoppix

image=/vmlinuz
	append="lang=de apm=power-off hda=scsi hdb=scsi hdc=scsi hdd=scsi hde=scsi hdf=scsi hdg=scsi hdh=scsi vga=791 quiet BOOT_IMAGE=knoppix"
	root=/dev/hda5
	label=Knoppix
	read-write
#	restricted
#	alias=1

#image=/vmlinuz.old
#	label=Linux-OLD
#	read-only
#	optional
#	restricted
#	alias=2

# If you have another OS on this machine to boot, you can uncomment the
# following lines, changing the device name on the `other' line to
# where your other OS' partition is.
#
# other=/dev/hda4
#	label=HURD
#	restricted
#	alias=3

i was first getting an error that required me to comment out this line:

"! Please edit /etc/lilo.conf before running lilo!"

after fixing that and try to reinstall lilo i get the following error:

 reading boot sector from /dev/hda
Warning: 'proc/partitions' does not exist, disk scan bypassed
Using MENU secondary loader
Calling map_insert_data

Fatal: APPEND or LITERAL may not contain "vga="

i noticed in this line:

default=Knoppix

image=/vmlinuz
	append="lang=de apm=power-off hda=scsi hdb=scsi hdc=scsi hdd=scsi hde=scsi hdf=scsi hdg=scsi hdh=scsi vga=791 quiet BOOT_IMAGE=knoppix"
	root=/dev/hda5
	label=Knoppix
	read-write

its pointing root to /dev/hda5 but i dont have an hda5, just an hda1(root 83) and hda2(swap 82)

also the lang=de.

any help would be highly appreciated!

thanks..

--Sal-

[digiSal]

when i posted this i noticed these lines:

append="lang=de apm=power-off hda=scsi hdb=scsi hdc=scsi hdd=scsi hde=scsi hdf=scsi hdg=scsi hdh=scsi vga=791 quiet

now it looks like this:

append="lang=en apm=power-off vga=791 quiet BOOT_IMAGE=knoppix"

now it is trying to boot it but i am getting

The superblock could not be read or does not describe a correct ext2 filesystem......

fsck failed. Please repair manually and reboot.

i am using ext3 as the filesystem.

Should i use ext2? or can this be fixed.

i will research some...

--Sal-

[rickenbacherus]

That lilo.conf you posted will never work. It looks as though it's the one from the cd and not your hdd install. No matter. Here's mine. As you can see you need an entry for boot. If you have only 1 drive or Knoppix installed to the first drive it will be /dev/hda. Secondly you will need an entry for /root. This is the partition that you actually installed Knoppix to. The bitmap entries are for a lilo splash screen. Not necessary but it looks good. Use the post I linked earlier to reinstall lilo.


vga=791
lba32
boot=/dev/hda
root=/dev/hda3
#install=/boot/boot-menu.b
bitmap=/usr/share/lilo/contrib/sid.bmp
bmp-colors=1,,0,2,,0
bmp-table=120p,173p,1,15,17
bmp-timer=254p,432p,1,0,0
install=/boot/boot-bmp.b
map=/boot/map

delay=200
# message=/boot/bootmess.txt
prompt
# single-key
# delay=100
timeout=100

append="hda=scsi hdb=scsi hdc=scsi hdd=scsi hde=scsi hdf=scsi hdg=scsi hdh=scsi
apm=power-off nomce"
default=Debian

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.20-xfs
label=Debian
initrd=/boot/initrd.gz
read-only

[digiSal]

it appears to be working a little better now with your lilo but i am getting fsck failed. I am also getting error that my /etc/fstab does not contain trhe fsck passno field

I got this before and i deleted the root partition and recreated, with qtparted thinking that would fix it. But I am still getting it.

I got once before i used ricks lilo and now i am getting it again.

i used ext2 as the file system this time around.

i am so close i believe! i have learned a lot so far.....

error says to fix manually but not to sure how. Off to read more...

any ideas?