HD Install :: DSL with existing boot manager?
Hi
Just tried installing to hard-drive yesterday, I already have Mandrake9.0 on my drive plus WinME, so I didn't run the LILO setup 'cause I thought it would stuff my current boot manager.
When I tried editing the boot manager in Mandrake, I can't get the thing to work, it gives all these options for a Linux boot in the manager setup, tried copying what existed and changing the partition to point to my DSL install, I think it attempts to boot, but not sure if it is half booting part of mandrake, then it stalls with the capslock and scrolllock lights flashing?
When I tried configuring as a non-linux boot, it simply said the partition didn't contain anything that was bootable?
Any thoughts? Obviously I don't have a clue how the boot managers work...
The flashing lights means a kernel hang (bad sign). Give us lilo.conf from mandrake and DSL, and tell us what partition each OS is installed on - I'll try to help!
Wrayal
Here's my mandrake lilo.conf:
boot=/dev/hda
map=/boot/map
vga=normal
default=windows
keytable=/boot/us-latin1.klt
prompt
nowarn
timeout=10
message=/boot/message
menu-scheme=wb:bw:wb:bw
image=/boot/vmlinuz
label=linux
root=/dev/hda5
initrd=/boot/initrd.img
append="quiet devfs=mount hdd=ide-scsi"
vga=788
read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz
label=linux-nonfb
root=/dev/hda5
initrd=/boot/initrd.img
append="devfs=mount hdd=ide-scsi"
read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz
label=failsafe
root=/dev/hda5
initrd=/boot/initrd.img
append="failsafe devfs=nomount hdd=ide-scsi"
read-only
other=/dev/hda1
label=windows
table=/dev/hda
other=/dev/fd0
label=floppy
unsafe
image=/boot/vmlinuz
label=DamnSmallLinux
root=/dev/hda8
initrd=/boot/initrd-2.4.19-16mdk.img
read-only
as you can see, the last one is my attempt at adding a DSL boot. Looking at it in the text form, it's probably pretty easy to see where I've stuffed up - I was just using the quick gui tool to set it up. I'm guessing the "image" and "initrd" are completely wrong?
If I recall correctly, hda1 is windows, hda5 is mandrake, hda6 is mandrake swap(?), hda7 is my data partition (D drive), and hda8 is the partition I made for DSL
On a vaguely similar note, I had copied the CD files to a dos partition on my old (486 50MHz, 8MB, 200MB) laptop, and tried following what someone else had said on how to set it up from there, but when I try using the boot disk it stalls, basically flashing what I assume are the same errors - any clues on this?
Thanks heaps
Okay, here's how I think you do it:
Firstly, don't use the gui, edit lilo.conf.
Secondly, try mounting the damnsmall partition. Try:
mount /dev/hda8 /home/*insert your home here*/mnt/hda8
Now, try accessing that partition. If you can, all is well, otherwise u will have to use the DSL boot manager.
Now, for the last bit do this:
In the last section change /boot/vmlinuz to /home/myhome/mnt/hda8/boot/vmlinuz
change initrd=/boot/initrd-2.4.19-16mdk.img to initrd=/home/myhome/mnt/hda8/boot/*insert boot image in /boot folder of DSL here*
and finally check the "append" section in your DSL lilo.conf and add that in after the initrd line.
Then become super user and just type "lilo"
That should work. I think.
Try it and tell me what hapens!
Wrayal
Thanks, I've gotten it to work, though not sure if it's the standard way of how it's supposed to boot of hard-drive? Do you normally need to type in user "damnsmall" and a password to start x?
I couldn't find an .img file in the /boot folder, so I copied the floppy-boot image there - is this right, or was I supposed to use one of the existing files that isn't named .img?
Can't remember what the append bits were, forgot to check before I botted windoze to go online ;) (still haven't tried dialing-in with linux...)
OK, so it's operational, and I've managed to change some themes, now is there an easy way to remove the progs I don't use and add different ones?
Also, any way to give the "damnsmall" style access to "root"? whan I log in as root, I get about 3 menu items, and when I'm in "damnsmall" I don't have the permissions to change any of the files!
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