Lilo setup improperly on multi-hard drive setup, how to fix?

[Kethinov]

Hi all. I did a HDD install to hdb. I created a 100mb boot partition on hdb1, a 1024mb swap partition on hdb2, and the root partition comprising the rest of the disk on hdb3. During the sudo knx-hdinstall, Lilo was auto-setup on hda's MBR. This is not a problem, but it was setup improperly. hda1, for the record, is Win2k FAT32. It boots Windows OK but not Linux. The default option, Linux, tries to boot Knoppix and fails.

How do I fix that?

[Kethinov]

Note: the exact error on boot...

Freeing unused kernel memory: 132k freed
Kernel panic: no init found. Try passing init= option to kernel

[Stephen]

Hi all. I did a HDD install to hdb. I created a 100mb boot partition on hdb1, a 1024mb swap partition on hdb2, and the root partition comprising the rest of the disk on hdb3. During the sudo knx-hdinstall, Lilo was auto-setup on hda's MBR. This is not a problem, but it was setup improperly. hda1, for the record, is Win2k FAT32. It boots Windows OK but not Linux. The default option, Linux, tries to boot Knoppix and fails.

How do I fix that?

Boot the Knoppix CD and open a console window (clam shell icon on the taskbar) then sudo mount /dev/hdb3 /mnt/hdb3 and post the /mnt/hdb3/etc/lilo.conf here so we can see it. You can also try at the lilo screen just start typing root=/dev/hdb3 then hit enter you may have to put Linux or whatever the lilo screen displays to boot knoppix in front of the root= line.

[Kethinov]

This is the lilo.conf that the sudo knx-hdinstall generated...

vga=791
# /etc/lilo.conf - See: `lilo(8)' and `lilo.conf(5)',
# ---------------       `install-mbr(8)', `/usr/share/doc/lilo/',
#                       and `/usr/share/doc/mbr/'.

# +---------------------------------------------------------------+
# |                        !! 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

# Overrides the default mapping between harddisk names and the BIOS'
# harddisk order. Use with caution.
#disk=/dev/hde
#    bios=0x81

#disk=/dev/sda
#    bios=0x80

# 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. (`/')
#
root=/dev/hdb3

# 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
# You have the choice between: bmp, compat, menu and text
# Look in /boot/ and in lilo.conf(5) manpage for details
#
install=/boot/boot-menu.b

# 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

# 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
timeout=150
#	prompt
#	single-key
#	delay=100
#	timeout=100

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

# Boot up Linux by default.
#
default=Linux

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.22-xfs
	label=Linux
	initrd=/boot/initrd.gz
	read-only
#	restricted
#	alias=1

image=/vmlinuz.old
	label=LinuxOLD
	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
other=/dev/hdc1
  label="WinNT(hdc1)"

other=/dev/hda1
  label="Windows(hda1)"

other=/dev/hdb1
  label="Linux(hdb1)"

[Kethinov]

I solved this problem and I'll post the solution in the hopes that it helps someone in the future.

If you repartition your hard drive from the Knoppix LiveCD and it tells you that you have to reboot in order to see the new table, DO NOT IGNORE IT.

I've ignored this message before when installing other Linux distros, and it's worked fine. The biggest reason I ignored it this time was because rebooting the Knoppix LiveCD is a little time consuming.

Anyway, formatting and reinstalling properly fixed the problem.