Configuration of LILO
In most of the cases the LILO automatically gets installed into your system. But sometimes the installation fails due to some reasons. The reason may be not enabling the LBA mode during the installation or exceeding the limit of 1024 cylinders or some other reason.
Now a days most of the hard disks are of capacity more than 8GB. To allow these disks in your system, you have to give the lba support by adding a word ' lba32 ' in your lilo.conf file. lba stands for Large Block Accessing which allow you to access the disk more than 1024 cylinders.
Also if your boot partition is beyond 1024 cylinders, your boot loader fails to load lilo. To avoid all these conflicts & install lilo on your system follow these simple steps. Before following these steps, I assume that your Linux system is properly installed on your hard disk. Also I assume that, you have a Linux bootable floppy with you.
So if you are sure about them, follow these simple steps bellow.
1. Boot into the Linux by using your Linux Bootable Floppy Disk & login as root.
2. Open any text editor which you think is suitable for you.
3. Open the lilo.conf file in it. The path for lilo.conf file is /etc/lilo.conf
4. Make sure that you have added a line 'lba32' in it. If it is not available, add it as your 1st statement in your lilo.conf file. This ensures that you have enabled lba32 mode.
5. Next you check for the path of boot loader. It should be 'boot=/dev/had'. This will install lilo on MBR (Master Boot Record) of your hard disk.
6. Next check for following lines. You most probably don't have to change them. But have a look on them.
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
prompttimeout=100
The default timeout time is 50. Increase it to 100 so that you will have a boot message for a little longer time.
message=/boot/message
default=windows
Give the default label which OS you want to boot after the time limit is over. Here the default OS chosen is windows. You can change it to linux if you want.
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.2-2
This is a kernel you have. The number indicates the kernel version you have. To confirm the file name look into your boot directory for a file with similar name.
label=linux
This is a label given to your Linux. Either this label or the label of windows should be in defaults place.
read-only
root=/dev/hda9
This is the path for your root partition. The number changes accourding to your root partition no.
other=/dev/hda1
This is path for your windows C:\ drive
optional
label=windows
This is the label for your windows
------------------------------------------------------------------
Given below is the sample lilo.conf file for your reference.
---------- The file starts here ------------------------------------
lba32
boot=/dev/hda
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
prompt
timeout=100
message=/boot/message
default=windows
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.2-2
label=linux
read-only
root=/dev/hda9
other=/dev/hda1
optional
label=windows
------------- The file ends here ------------------------------------
After you have edited the file according to your requirements, Save it & Run the 'lilo' command.
you will find a message:
linux added
windows added
If you get this message or a message similar to this, You have done it!
Your lilo is now properly installed.
Reboot your computer & boot from the lilo prompt. & Enjoy the Linux.-------------------- STANDARD DISCLIMINAR APPLY ----------------------------