Lilo, Grub, linux, and XP

[gearheadgeek]

First, please forgive me if this is the wrong forum, but it looked like the best choice.

A user had to have XP, so we loaded it over Mandrake on hda. We had already installed Slackware on hdb because the product uses Slack. Of course, the box now booted to XP, so I booted with a Slack CD, added the recommended lines to lilo.conf, ran lilo, and rebooted. Choosing XP brings up the "We apologize for the inconveninece, ..." screen, which is a bit disconcerting. "Start Windows Normally" is highlighted, so I hit return. I see an XP splash screen for a second or two and it reboots. Next pass, I try "Save Boot" and see many things loading from 0,0,0,1 as one would expect. Then it reboots. Since I know lilo is brain dead, I figure it must be the problem and install grub. No joy. It acts the same. Note that the only change made was to replace the mbr with lilo (and add stuff to the unused first cylinder). No change to ntldr, no reloation of anything, nada. No change to the XP drive except to replace the mbr.

The question: Has anyone a clue what is going on here?

[devils casper]

Note that the only change made was to replace the mbr with lilo (and add stuff to the unused first cylinder). No change to ntldr, no reloation of anything, nada. No change to the XP drive except to replace the mbr.

how are you adding anything in first cylinder ? did you try to fix MBR through FIXMBR command?





casper

[gearheadgeek]

how are you adding anything in first cylinder ? did you try to fix MBR through FIXMBR command?

I don't add - lilo puts code and it's block list there and grub puts code there too. This is safe because Windows does not use this area of the disk.

No, I haven't put the XP MBR back yet because that will prevent linux from booting.

[devils casper]

it seems that something is wrong in MBR. windows is not booting up. right?
fix MBR first and then install GRUB/LILO again.




casper

[gearheadgeek]

it seems that something is wrong in MBR. windows is not booting up. right?
fix MBR first and then install GRUB/LILO again.

No, the MBR is ok because both lilo and grub load ntldr. That is all the XP MBR does. Windows starts to boot and then causes the box to reboot.

installing grub/lilo will overwrite the MBR erasing any changes I might make by "fixing" it.

[devils casper]

you wrote that LILO/GRUB are installed in first cylinder. fixing MBR wont change anything there. its to fix Windows Xp only.





casper

[gearheadgeek]

you wrote that LILO/GRUB are installed in first cylinder. fixing MBR wont change anything there. its to fix Windows Xp only.

Sorry for the confusion. lilo/grub also replace the MBR.

[devils casper]

you have two disks. one has XP and other has Slackware. for dual boot, best way is, connect Slackware HD as Primary and Windows HD as secondry. add an entry for Windows in LILO/GRUB of Slackware HD. you will get dual boot. in this method, windows MBR is intact.
right now, you have to fix windows MBR. install GRUB/LILO in Slackware HD and add an entry for wondows. i prefer GRUB coz its easy to handle it




casper

[gearheadgeek]

you have two disks. one has XP and other has Slackware. for dual boot, best way is, connect Slackware HD as Primary and Windows HD as secondry. add an entry for Windows in LILO/GRUB of Slackware HD. you will get dual boot. in this method, windows MBR is intact.
right now, you have to fix windows MBR. install GRUB/LILO in Slackware HD and add an entry for wondows. i prefer GRUB coz its easy to handle it

Understand. However, linux is already on secondary and XP is already on primary. IIRC, windows did not take kindly to merrily swapping between primary and secondary. I know linux doesn't (fstab). But in any case, I don't want to boot through XP to get to linux. This box will spend 98% if it's time in linux. It should work as set up. It is has been set up per the lilo and grub instructions. It starts to boot XP and then XP reboots the box. It is not an issue of XP not even attempting to boot. Not only is the install per the lilo/grub instructions, but I have done this several times in the past this way, and it has worked.

[devils casper]

However, linux is already on secondary and XP is already on primary.

i wrote Linux disk should be primary.

IIRC, windows did not take kindly to merrily swapping between primary and secondary.

in setup i suggested, windows wont know if its primary or secondry. through disk mapping in grub.conf file, we can load windows installed in Secondry Disk.

But in any case, I don't want to boot through XP to get to linux. This box will spend 98% if it's time in linux. It should work as set up.

i didnt understand. boot loader (GRUB/LILO) is in Linux disk and at startup you will access Linux Disk only. if you select Windows in GRUB screen, only then windows disk will be accessed.





casper