updating lilo config problem


Forum: HD Install
Topic: updating lilo config problem
started by: Yoey

Posted by Yoey on June 20 2005,16:48
Ok so I've been booting off of the DSL CD for a while with the "dsl dma" command, without which, I can't access my hard drive.  I have since done a hd-install which seemed to work ok, but after the hd install when it boots it has a kernel panic... which I'm almost certain is because it isn't in dma mode anymore... so I'm pretty sure I have to add "dma" to the append string in my lilo.conf file.
- So I boot with the cd (using "dsl dma"),
- mount /dev/hda1
- add "dma" to the append line of /mnt/hda1/etc/lilo.conf

which brings me to the run lilo "or your computer may never boot again" step... which I just can't seem to get to work...

the first time I tried to run it it said there was something wrong in the lilo.conf file on line 6 (which I hadn't changed)
so I think it was using the lilo.conf from the cd instead of the hdd.

so I do lilo -C /mnt/hda1/etc/lilo.conf (which uses the proper config file).  still no go... I think it's still trying to write the new lilo setup to the cdrom instead of the hdd.

I try lilo -r /mnt/hda1/ (which is supposed to change the root dir) then it says... fatal: permission denied or something like that

Any ideas from anyone?

Posted by hawki on June 20 2005,18:05
Hi
Are you running your lilo commands as root?

Posted by Yoey on June 20 2005,18:06
yes
Posted by hawki on June 20 2005,18:17
You might want to boot from cd using your dma option then try a frugal install to the same partition.  That will wipe out your hd-install but doesn't boot anyway.
Posted by b1ackmai1er on June 21 2005,10:04
@Yoey

I had the same problem. Try this thread to see if it helps. It works for me.

< http://damnsmalllinux.org/cgi-bin....4;st=85 >

regards b1m1

Posted by Yoey on June 21 2005,17:18
thanks b1m1,

Although that did allow me to re-install lilo, for some reason, I'm still getting the kernel panic... I'll have to look into it further... or go back to vector linux

Posted by Yoey on June 21 2005,22:34
it seems to be mounting a fat partition for some reason (there are no fat partition on the disk)

This is the last two lines it displays:

FAT: bogus logical sector size 0
kernel panic: VFS: unable to mount root fs on 03:01

I'm getting really frustrated with this... anyone have any ideas?

My disk is partitioned approximately like the following

hda1 ~ 1900 megs - primary partition - root
hda2 ~ 700 megs swap partition - primary
hda3 ~ 20 gigs - primary partition - nothing

typing this out here and seeing the word "logical" in the error above, I just realized maybe having them all as primary partitions is causing some kind of problem (though it's been fine in other distros)... anways I'll try repartitioning while I wait for help from forum users like you.

Posted by b1ackmai1er on June 22 2005,12:06
I think I have had similar problems too - unable to mount root on fs 03:01.

Im not sure what fixed it but I think it was that i changed the harddisk in the BIOS from LBA to standard/normal and then remade the partitions using fdisk in cyclinder mode. I remember all using fdisk to rewrite a dos FAT. You could also try using smaller partition sizes to eliminate any problems with the BIOS trying to access disk sizes outsize its limitations.

Sorry I can't be more help.

Oh one other thing, maybe if lilo.conf has LBA setting in it, you have to ensure your disk are formatted that way.

Oh and did you set your partition type (82/83) and format the partitions? Just checking..

Regards b1m1

Posted by b1ackmai1er on June 22 2005,12:13
BTW my harddisk hda1, hda2 and hda3 are primary partition types as well but my partition sizes are small ~200meg and total harddisk size is 2Gig.

Regards b1m1

Posted by tjm4fun on June 27 2005,06:38
B1M1 may have it. if this was a windoze fat machine, and you didn't set the type in cfdisk, you can get this error.
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