Lilo v. Grub

**jimbaloo** · 05-11-2005

I am about to install slackware10.1 onto my system. I already have fedora and m$xp installed and I am currently using grub. Will I be able to use configure grub during the install process or will I have to install lilo to use slackware?
If lilo is the way to go can someone point out a good tutorial on configuring and using it?
Thanks

**budman7** · 05-11-2005

You should go with LiLo. I read somewhere earlier on this forum somebody saying that Grub doesn't come with Slack.
So go ahead and use LiLo.
When installing, make sure that it gives you the option to add Windows to the bootloader, and install LiLo to the MBR.
If you install LiLo to the root partition or superblock, it will not boot. Upon reboot, you will go straight to XP.
Hope this helps.

**drakebasher** · 05-11-2005

If you are using Grub and it works, you should stick with Grub, at least fro now. If for no other reason than that you don't screw up your Fedora or Windows. I think that when you install Slack, you will have the opportunity to install to the MBR (no) or to the Slack partition (yes). If not, no big deal. Grub is pretty easy to work with, especially if you already have it working for other OSs. Install Slack, create a boot disk if given the chance, and then edit grub.conf (wherever it is) to add your Slack. If you need to ask whether to use Grub or Lilo, you REALLY don't want to replace a functional Grub with an unknown if you don't want to be (possibly) locked out of your Fedora or Windows.

**budman7** · 05-11-2005

I didn't read the post fully

You don't even need to install a bootloader, you already have one.
If you do install LiLo, install it to the superblock or root partition.

***Dapper Dan*** · 05-11-2005

I've used both, and in my opinion, grub is far easier to configure and get along with. I'd install Slack and skip installing Lilo all together, then edit your /boot/grub/grub.conf to include Slackware as a boot choice. It's pretty easy...

I'm using SuSE 9.1's grub but it points to Slackware too. Here's my /boot/grub/menu.lst to give you an idea how to set yours up. (menu.lst in SuSE and grub.conf in Fedora is essentially the same...)

Code:

title Slackware at hda10, kernel 2.6.11.7 
kernel &#40;hd0,9&#41;/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.11.7 ro 
initrd &#40;hd0,9&#41;/boot/initrd.gz
savedefault 

title		Beatrix, kernel 2.6.7 
root		&#40;hd0,11&#41;
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.7 root=/dev/hda12 ro ramdisk_size=100000 lang=de apm=power-off hda=scsi hdb=scsi hdc=scsi hdd=scsi hde=scsi hdf=scsi hdg=scsi hdh=scsi nomce vga=0x317 quiet splash
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.7
savedefault
boot

title MEPIS at hda5, kernel 2.6.7
kernel &#40;hd0,4&#41;/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.7 root=/dev/hda5 nomce psmouse.proto=imps quiet splash=verbose vga=791 
initrd &#40;hd0,4&#41;/boot/initrd.splash 
savedefault

title MEPIS at hda5, kernel 2.6.9
kernel &#40;hd0,4&#41;/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.9-2-686 root=/dev/hda5 nomce psmouse.proto=imps quiet splash=verbose vga=791 
initrd &#40;hd0,4&#41;/boot/initrd.img-2.6.9-2-686 
savedefault 

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier&#58; Original name&#58; linux###
title SuSE Pro 9.1
    kernel &#40;hd0,7&#41;/boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda8 vga=0x317 splash=silent desktop resume=/dev/hda6 showopts
    initrd &#40;hd0,7&#41;/boot/initrd

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier&#58; Original name&#58; windows###
title Windows XP
    root &#40;hd0,0&#41;
    chainloader +1

**jimbaloo** · 05-11-2005

Thank you for the advice guys. I feel a little more relaxed about installing this now that I know I won't have to deal with an unknown bootloader,
Cheers

**psic** · 05-11-2005

Yeah, thanks Dapper Dan for the info on Grub, I just installed a slack based distro a few days ago, went very smooth with your help

**Wesley/g** · 05-12-2005

I uninstalled lilo, installed grub, and now.. What the, lilo is booting my system... Can someone please give me a possible idea of what in the world I could be doing so wrong?

**budman7** · 05-12-2005

To uninstall LiLo, execute the command

Code:

sbin/lilo -u

to install grub

Code:

grub-install /dev/hda

Ae you actually able to boot into the system?
Or are you getting errors?

**Wesley/g** · 05-12-2005

What you say has been completed, and yes, lilo boots the system with no problems. Grub installs to the mbr of /dev/hda just like lilo did. Im quite confused

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