installing lili or grub

**Superstoned** · 09-15-2003, 10:53 PM

hi! I just blew up my mbr, and I want to use knoppix to reinstall lilo. but I get loads of permission denied and unable to open-errors. I can mount /dev/hda7, (my reiserfs linux root partition) but cant change hda's mbr... help??? how can I clean the mbr, and install a new one, using knoppix?

btw: using lilo, it tells me: Fatal: unable to open /dev/hda: permission denied.
all disks are set writable...

please help!

**Stephen** · 09-15-2003, 11:03 PM

Originally Posted by Superstoned

hi! I just blew up my mbr, and I want to use knoppix to reinstall lilo. but I get loads of permission denied and unable to open-errors. I can mount /dev/hda7, (my reiserfs linux root partition) but cant change hda's mbr... help??? how can I clean the mbr, and install a new one, using knoppix?

btw: using lilo, it tells me: Fatal: unable to open /dev/hda: permission denied.
all disks are set writable...

please help!

What command are you using it should be something like sudo chroot /mnt/hda7 /sbin/lilo -v after having mounted the /dev/hda7 as /mnt/hda7.

**Superstoned** · 09-15-2003, 11:07 PM

I'll try your command... (but I worked from a root shell, so sudo shouldnt be needed?)

**Superstoned** · 09-15-2003, 11:18 PM

yep yep: (using your command, all disks writable and mounted)

Reading boot sector from /dev/hda
Fatal: open /dev/hda: Permission denied

**Superstoned** · 09-15-2003, 11:19 PM

btw tnx for the reply

**Superstoned** · 09-15-2003, 11:24 PM

liloconf gives almost the same error:

(...)
Checking your /etc/lilo.conf for incompatible options...

Install a boot block using your current LILO configuration? [Yes] y

(...)
Running lilo...
(...)

Reading boot sector from /dev/hda
Fatal: open /dev/hda: Permission denied

ERROR: correct /etc/lilo.conf manually and rerun /sbin/lilo

(i use the lilo.conf that still was on my hd, which should work!?!?)

**Superstoned** · 09-15-2003, 11:31 PM

I've just tried lilo -M /dev/hda /mnt/hda7/etc/lilo.conf
and this worked - at least, lilo told me: MBR updated. I hope this is enough... I'm goin' to reboot, hope it works. If not, I first get some sleep, work tomorow, and I'll be back next night...

tnx for reply's

**Fabianx** · 09-16-2003, 10:12 AM

Originally Posted by Superstoned

yep yep: (using your command, all disks writable and mounted)

Reading boot sector from /dev/hda
Fatal: open /dev/hda: Permission denied

sorry, just saw that.

The trick is that things are mounted with nodev as default ...

so you have to do as root:

mount /dev/hdaX /mnt/hdaX
chroot /mnt/hdaX
lilo

And it does work.

Did not only me cost me nerves to find this out.

cu

Fabian

**Superstoned** · 09-16-2003, 01:43 PM

tnx! pitty I just formatted the disk, and am reinstalling... btw the new knoppix-iso is still giving troubles, a friend of mine told me he had to convert the file to a .bin, then back to iso - before he was able to burn it. there IS something wrong with the iso...

**Arthas** · 09-16-2003, 04:31 PM

hi superstoned

check this http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtop...?p=22656#22656
I hope they see there is something wrong.
or else we have a very strange problem which can fake md5