[Novalug] Replacing Grub with LILO

[James Ewing Cottrell 3rd]

Here is what you need to know about grub in a nutshell.

[1] you use grub interactively to install a boot loader. There are two 
command you need:

+ root (hdx,y)
+ setup (hdx,y)
+ quit

OK, that was three, but "quit" hardly counts. This installs the boot 
code in the same partition that you are installing Linux into. To 
install into the MBR, drop the ",y" from the setup command.

[2] Install a small "rescue linux" that owns the MBR. Chain boot all 
other systems, including Windows, from this by adding sections like:

Title HDXY
    rootnoverify (hdx,y)
    chainloader +1

Your Rescue Linux should be something small, and contain the minimal 
install. It exists only to boot, rescue, and configure the others. 
CentOS 4 works nicely. Don't bother to configure or update it.

[3] Always install other Linux boot loaders into their own partion. In 
stallers almost always do the right thing.

[4] Learn how to use a Rescue Linux. The basic idea is to boot the 
rescue system, mount the target system, chroot to it, and reinstall grub.

[5] The advantage to decomposing things the way I do is that (a) the 
rescue linux menu is always correct, (b) each linux you add is unlikely 
to host anything else, (c) it's actually pretty simple

In case y'all are wondering, every computer I own has two disks, each 
with 15 partitions and a different Linux in each one.

JIM

Subba Rao wrote:
> I have installed Slackware and Fedora on a single partitioned disk.  
> Fedora has replaced all other boot manager on the system, with grub. 
>
> Grub starts FC6 and Windows (seperate disk) fine.  But when I select 
> Slackware, grub gives the following message:
>
> *     Error* *13*: Invalid or unsupported executable format
>
> I tinkered with the grub.conf file quite a bit but grub would not find 
> Slackware.  I was beginning to lean towards learning grub.  How can I 
> replace grub with LILO on FC6.  I am more comfortable with LILO than 
> grub at this point.
>
> Subbarao
>
> PS - Is anyone have grub issues on a multi-boot system on a single 
> large disk? 
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