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Thread ID: 12294	2001-10-22 23:24:00	LILO on Linux	Guest (0)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
22320	2001-10-22 23:24:00	Hi, thanks to all those who have helped with linux in the past couple of days. I still am lost, but am learning fast. Upon reinstall my /proc/bus/usb problem disappeared. Also thanks to all the fs mounting instructions - I was able to piece them all together to come up with a solution that worked for me. Now I have another prob. I thought that I could save alot of agony by forgetting about LILO and just booting off a floppy if I wanted linux. So for my new installation I unchecked install lilo. No worries, except it was still there from a previous installation. Now I have evn more probs. Sometimes lilo doesn't appear and linux boots automatically - to get to windows I have to 'reboot to windows', or boot from a windows boot floppy. Other times lilo appears with three choices - 2.4.2-2 (Linux); Linux Compiled; and Windows 95 (Even though I am running ME - although I understand this is just a label.) What I would really appreciate is either a) instructions on how to uninstall lilo. or, (b) Instructions on how to configure lilo so that it shows two options called linux and Windows. Cheers G P P.S. Can anyone recommend a specific book[s] on linux for a looooong time windows user like myself. RRP's and location of supplier would be good too. I have seen heaps out there and just would like some opinions from people who have used them and discovered their strengths or failings.	Guest (0)
22321	2001-10-23 01:36:00	You can't uninstall a boot manager, because its the first thing loaded by your BIOS. To restore the DOS boot loader, boot into DOS. Then type FDISK /MBR. The reason you don't always see LILO is because it has a timeout (default 5 seconds) before choosing the default entry. Yes, 'Windows 95' is just a label, they can be edited in '/etc/lilo.conf', along which entry to use as default. Remember to run 'lilo' after you edit it to update the bootloader.	Guest (0)
22322	2001-10-23 01:39:00	It's great to see you persevering, Graham. When you mention 'removing LILO', I assume that you want to restore your boot sectors to the state where Windows is booted whenever you boot off the hard drive. To do this, you need to boot into Windows and issue a command to tell it to restore its own boot record. I don't remember what that command is, but someone who is familiar with Windows will be able to enlighten us. If you could post an exact copy of your /etc/lilo.conf file here, I can let you know what changes you need to make to get your desired boot options. To do this, you'll probably have to log in as root and open it with a text editor. Let us know if you're not sure how to do this, and we'll guide you through it. There is another boot manager called GRUB. I don't know much about it, but I understand that it is much easier to use than LILO (it actually comes with Mandrake, but you should be able to use it with Redhat). I wouldn't encourage you to use it right now, because you need to have an understanding of how to install applications first. When you get back on your feet, it might be worth looking into, though. As for books, I imagine Linux for Dummies would be a good place to start. However, if you want to save yourself some money, there are plenty of great online resources for Linux beginners. I would suggest you start your journey at http://www.linuxnewbie.org.	Guest (0)
22323	2001-10-23 03:45:00	yes fdisk /mbr. I am running RH7.1 on a Compaq Deskpro, which has some Compaq cleverness on the disk. I could not be bothered to get LILO working, so I am using loadlin.exe. This is a DOS programme, started with a batch file. It comes with RH7.1, in the dos utilities section of the CD -- Mandrake might have it, otherwise you can get it easily. You need a copy of the kernel in a DOS partition. It's much quicker than booting from a floppy. In fact since W95 is my token windows on that machine, I use a multiboot menu in CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT.	Guest (0)
22324	2001-10-23 09:04:00	Cheers guys - I would appreciate learning how to fix lilo before I remove it so if I decide to go back to it I can. below is the contents of my lilo.conf file which I saved to my windows partition and then opened in wordpad as I don't have internet running on linux yet. Sorry if it is hard to read. message=/boot/message root=/dev/hda7 default=2.4.2-2 lock image='/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.2-2' label='2.4.2-2' root='/dev/hda7' read-only image='/usr/src/linux/arch/i386/boot/bzImage' label='Linux_Compiled' root='/dev/hda7' read-only optional other=/dev/hda1 label='Windows95' image='/dev/hda1' root='/dev/hda7' At the moment the lilo screen doesn't even show up, and it just boots to the last used OS, which is a pain. Also if I get it to boot to windows, it goes heaps slower than normal. Its almost like things are slowly grinding to a halt. If you have anymore queries about my configuration of linux, don't hesitate to ask. Cheers G P	Guest (0)
22325	2001-10-23 11:06:00	Hi, Thanx for the Linux info. I'm interested in opinions on which Linux distributions are best for a newbie. I've had a play with some Slakware distributed with a book called Linux Unleashed (released ~1998 I think)but am looking for a modern release. I note that Red Hat and Mandrake have been mentioned. Suggestions & comments to grant.upchurch@family.net.nz I have a 350MHz machine with 48MB RAM and a 5GB HDD. Thanx for your help. Grant Upchurch 23/10/2001 @ 2315 NZDT	Guest (0)
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