Configuring LILO - problem with Default

[yche086]

I have installed Windows XP and Knoppix 3.6 on my computer, single harddisk with two partitions, one for Windows and the other one for Knoppix, now everything works fine, and LILO works too, but when I tried to change the default booting operating system from Linux to Windows, I cannot seem to do it, and when I run Lilo, this is what I get:

Added Linux
Added Linux(2.4)-1
Added Linux(2.6)-2
Added WinXP
Fatal: Default image doesn't exist.

What do I need in my lilo.conf to fix it? As I can't remember if I've deleted anything that I shouldn't have in the file... Thanks

lba32
boot=/dev/hda
root=/dev/hda2
bitmap=/usr/share/lilo/debianlilo.bmp
bmp-colors=1,,0,2,,0
bmp-table=120p,173p,1,15,17
bmp-timer=254p,432p,1,0,0
install=bmp
delay=20
timeout=50
map=/boot/map
vga=791

default='Linux"

image=/boot/vmlinuz
label="Linux"
initrd=/boot/initrd.img
append="ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init lang=us apm=power-off nomce quiet lang=en screen=1280x800"
read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.27
label="Linux(2.4)-1"
initrd=/boot/initrd.img-2.4.27
append="ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init lang=us apm=power-off nomce quiet lang=en screen=1280x800"
read-only

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.7
label="Linux(2.6)-2"
initrd=/boot/initrd.img-2.6.7
append="ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init lang=us apm=power-off nomce quiet lang=en screen=1280x800"
read-only

other=/dev/hda1
label="WinXP"

[baldyeti]

Fatal: Default image doesn't exist.

Do you mean that you can run lilo with the above lilo.conf, but get the error when changing 'default='Linux"' to 'default='WinXP"'? This should work, though... You could try moving the windows entry firts, and comenting out the "default" line; the 1st entry will then become the default.

[yche086]

Hi again,

Actually I've just stuffed up my lilo when I was playing with it... and I found out that the problem is its not actually configuring using the lilo.conf file? Was I modifying the right file? (/etc/lilo.conf) i.e. is there a way to to Lilo which configuration file I want to use? So now neither Windows nor Linux will boot because I've done something (yes, I know, sorry that's the best I can say, I'm new to LInux...) ! I still have access to my partitions, but I'm using the Knoppix 3.6 CD to boot now because I've stuffed up my Lilo, how can I reload Lilo to my MBR?? Thanks for the help

PS:
/dev/hda1 is my Windows XP and
/dev/hda2 is my Knoppix (HDD installed version)

[baldyeti]

how can I reload Lilo to my MBR?

Assuming what you gave in the initial post is what you're seeing as /mnt/hda2/etc/lilo.conf, you can re-install via:
- boot knoppix to text mode "knoppix 2 noswap" at the boot prompt
- mount /mnt/hda2
- chroot /mnt/hda2
- lilo -v
Pay attention to possible error messages; if there are none, you can reboot and should have a working boot loader.

[yche086]

This is what I got on the screen after I did what you said:

/dev/mapper/control: open failed: Permission denied
Is device-mapper driver missing from kernel?
/dev/mapper/control: open failed: Permission denied
Is device-mapper driver missing from kernel?
Incompatible libdevmapper 1.00.19-ioctl (2004-07-03)(compat) and kernel driver
Reading boot sector from /dev/hda
Fatal: open /dev/hda: Permission denied

Any idea what this means?

Thanks

[baldyeti]

Any idea what this means?Thanks

Ouch! Sorry, no, I have never seen this mapper problem before. Maybe someone here has and could advise?

I take it you're seeing the messages when running lilo, right? Can you visualise your partition table (fdsik/cfdisk/qtparted) without problem, or should we perhaps start suspecting a corruption there?

Also you could try booting off the CD with the other kernel revision (2.4 if you had been using 2.6, and vice-versa; check the <F2> help screen at boot time for the appropriate cheat-code).

[yche086]

# mount -o dev /dev/hda1 /mnt/hda1; chroot /mnt/hda1
# lilo -v

This is what I found here: http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7532, that did the trick and its now back up and running, thanks for the help, much appreciated

[CrashedAgain]

I have installed Windows XP and Knoppix 3.6 on my computer, single harddisk with two partitions, one for Windows and the other one for Knoppix, now everything works fine, and LILO works too, but when I tried to change the default booting operating system from Linux to Windows, I cannot seem to do it, and when I run Lilo, this is what I get:

Added Linux
Added Linux(2.4)-1
Added Linux(2.6)-2
Added WinXP
Fatal: Default image doesn't exist.

What do I need in my lilo.conf to fix it? As I can't remember if I've deleted anything that I shouldn't have in the file... Thanks

lba32
boot=/dev/hda
root=/dev/hda2
bitmap=/usr/share/lilo/debianlilo.bmp
bmp-colors=1,,0,2,,0
bmp-table=120p,173p,1,15,17
bmp-timer=254p,432p,1,0,0
install=bmp
delay=20
timeout=50
map=/boot/map
vga=791

default='Linux"

image=/boot/vmlinuz
label="Linux"
initrd=/boot/initrd.img
append="ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init lang=us apm=power-off nomce quiet lang=en screen=1280x800"
read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.27
label="Linux(2.4)-1"
initrd=/boot/initrd.img-2.4.27
append="ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init lang=us apm=power-off nomce quiet lang=en screen=1280x800"
read-only

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.7
label="Linux(2.6)-2"
initrd=/boot/initrd.img-2.6.7
append="ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init lang=us apm=power-off nomce quiet lang=en screen=1280x800"
read-only

other=/dev/hda1
label="WinXP"

Is this copied from the atual lilo.conf? or typed in?

because you appear to have a typo:

default='Linux"

Single quote preceding Linux & the double quote following.

Should be both double quotes.

[yche086]

Is this copied from the atual lilo.conf? or typed in?

That was a typo when I was playing around with lilo.conf, but that was not the problem though, I think the problem was some stuff to do with root access, but I have fixed that now, THANKS!!