SUSE 10.2 won't boot after a software update (I'm using LILO)

[hapcika]

I have a dual boot (XP and linux) computer with LILO as a boot loader. I use lilo for 3 reasons: because I'm used to it, because I need my XP boot password protected while the linux boot without, and I don't know whether it is possible to do it with GRUB at all and third because I don't see any advantages of GRUB.

Anyway during the software update I was warned to run lilo afterwards but I assumed that YAST will do it for me automatically so I've just rebooted. Now linux won't boot stating that the kernel is too large and overlaps lilo's second stage install. I've tried booting from the install mini CD in rescue mode, then run lilo. Until this year I was using Mandriva which in rescue mode finds my installed linux and mounts it so that I can simply run lilo. Not the same with SUSE apparently. I mounted my linux partition under /mnt and first I tried to fix the problem with YAST2 without success. So I tried running lilo with -r and when it reported it didn't find hdaX in /dev I tried it after a manual chroot. Still no hdaX. So I MKNOD-ed the hda and hdb partititons under /mnt/dev but lilo still complained about something although it has written the usual Addad linux, etc messages. But the problem remained.

So my question is: how to rescue a broken SUSE system?

[dth1]

Sorry no idea on lilo always use grub.

To repair you might want to boot from the installation cd/dvd and follow the prompts until you get to the question - do you wish to install / update etc. At this stage select the 'other' option and select the repair option. This should give you a number of options - one of which is to re-write the bootloader.

[hapcika]

Thank you! This solved my problem! But only in manual mode because automatic recovery didn't do me any good.
Why did the maintainers select to bury this option under the install menu intead of the rescue one where it would logically fit I wonder?