First try......noob cant boot_help!
Forum: Other Help Topics
Topic: First try......noob cant boot_help!
started by: Phinger
Posted by Phinger on Feb. 28 2005,23:20
OK, I got the DSL 9.3 iso......burned it to disk (4x). Grabbed the "boot-0.8.0" file and RAR'D it to a floppy(the system has no boot from cd-rom option, its an OLD box). Now I start the system and get this after it reads the floppy " SYSLINUX 2.04 (DEBIAN, 2003-06-06) BOOT FAILED. Or I get a plain old "boot failed". HELP.
Posted by cbagger01 on Feb. 28 2005,23:54
This is not a good sign.Try re-downloading the boot floppy image and write it to a brand new different floppy disk using the rawrite32 program:
< http://www.duskware.com/download/rawrite.zip >
If this doesn't work, then it means that the version of SYSLINUX that comes with DSL does not work with your system which is a harder problem to overcome.
You can either try to upgrade the version of SYSLINUX on the floppy disk using the tools from the syslinux web site, OR you can try an older version of syslinux.
My solution was to make an old version of the DSL boot floppy (version 0.5.3.1 or older boot floppy) and then replace the non-system files (linux24, minirt24.gz syslinux.cfg, etc) on the floppy with the files from the DSL 0.8.0 boot floppy. Get rid of the old vmlinuz and miniroot.gz files. Just don't copy over the ldlinux.sys file.
To make a boot floppy from DSL version 0.5.x you need to grab the boot.img file from the newly burned DSL version 0.5.x CD disk and then write it to the floppy drive using rawrite32
If you can boot MSDOS / FREEDOS on the computer, you can also get DSL up and running by using the loadlin program and using the linux24 and minirt24.gz files on the boot floppy. Search the forums for keyword loadlin* and then search ALL FORUMS and FROM THE BEGINNING or NEWER.
Posted by Phinger on Mar. 05 2005,22:49
Here's an update: My next try was to install win98.....get "loadlin", and put that along with the "linux24" and "minirt24.gz" files on the hardrive. I booted into DOS, and ran it. Well, I got DSL to run, but only in ram. I started messing with CFDISK, and fragged the MBR. Nothing would run.I then had to run the maxtor utility from their website to start fresh and write zeros to the HDD, because I couldnt get it recognized by windows. Next to start it as a slave in my XP box, and set the partitions from Partition Magic (did it as linux and linux swap right off the bat). THEN.....use it as master in my new box ( the one I'm trying to use as a DSL box has no boot from cd.......been through that already), and did a HDD install.
It prompted me to restart after installation, and I shut it down before it could start.
Remove hdd.........install in old box.............turn on............WHOOT!!!! DSL up and running!
System: Pentium 90mhz/32mb ram/1mb onboard video/850mb hdd
