🚀 go-pugleaf

On Tue, 19 Jan 1999, Damien Ercole wrote:

> * When I start the RedHat 5.2 installation ..it detects
>   only 1024 cylinders (out of the 1232) and thus I only
>   have 8Go. To solve this problem I start the
>   installation with the parameter hda=1232,255,63 and
>   that works fine ....but can anyone tell me why I have
>   to pass this argument ?

In some rare cases Linux can't detect the correct geometry of your disk.
I'll get back to this later on...

> * After I have finished the installation, the system
>   ask me where I want to put Lilo ... and I answer on
>   the MBR of hda. When I reboot to start ..... LILO
>   stops right after the first L without any error code
>   ... so I don't know what's happening .....

Stopping after the first L usually means a problem with the hard drive
geometry. Be sure to read the LILO-documentation: it might not always be
too interesting, it sure contains a lot of useful information. In
Slackware it's located in /usr/doc/lilo/README.


>   Do I put the LILO at the wrong place ? Is there a
>   compatibility problem with my Hard Drive ?

Big chance. In some cases (especially when using an "old" BIOS), LILO
can't boot the kernel if it's beyond the first 1024 cylinders. You can
work around this problem by specifying a wrong geometry: divide the number
of cylinders with such a factor that it's 1024 or lower, then multiply the
number of heads by the same factor.


> * The only way I can start is to boot from a floppy..
>   then I can access to the partition table :
> 
>  Part  | Type               |  Size   | Mounted as
> -------------------------------------------
>  hda1 | Fat32             |   5Go   | /DosC
>  hda3 | Linux Native |   3Go   | /usr/local
>  hda5 | Linux Native |   2Go   | /
>  hda6 | Swap             | 127Mo |
> 
> - Why isn't there a hda2 ?

That's rather strange indeed... It should be hda1 for DOS, hda2 for Linux
native and hda3 for Linux swap.


> - I use Disk Druid and I can't make a big Linux Native
>   partition of 5Go. I have to split in smaller

Try to use fdisk. It's spartan, but it works. Use "h" to find out which
commands you can use. Press "n" to create a new partition. You should now
be asked to create a primary of extended partition. Choose the primary.
Now enter a partition number and the size ("+5000M" would be a reasonable
option). Do the same for the swap partition, but after that, use "t" to
change it to type swap (type 82, if I'm not mistaken). Don't forget to use
"w" to write the new partition table before quitting. And... if everything
else fails, read the manual :)

Good luck.

--
Hans "Woefdram" van Zijst
woefdram@svi.ptf.hro.nl
ICQ#:14212695

[posted - not emailed]
[much snipped...] 
> 
> > * The only way I can start is to boot from a floppy..
> >   then I can access to the partition table :
> > 
> >  Part  | Type               |  Size   | Mounted as
> > -------------------------------------------
> >  hda1 | Fat32             |   5Go   | /DosC
> >  hda3 | Linux Native |   3Go   | /usr/local
> >  hda5 | Linux Native |   2Go   | /
> >  hda6 | Swap             | 127Mo |
> > 
> > - Why isn't there a hda2 ?
> 
> That's rather strange indeed... It should be hda1 for DOS, hda2 for Linux
> native and hda3 for Linux swap.

Most likely hda2 is an extended partition, which contains 
two logical partitions (hda5 and hda6).

Also - I believe the LILO limit is that the entire kernel
must be below cylinder 1024.  You might want to see if you
can make hda3 / and hda5 /usr/local.  (I know, it might mean
a lot of work, but it might mean that LILO will work...)

Good luck

Jack Ostroff wrote:

> [posted - not emailed]
> [much snipped...]
> >
> > > * The only way I can start is to boot from a floppy..
> > >   then I can access to the partition table :
> > >
> > >  Part  | Type               |  Size   | Mounted as
> > > -------------------------------------------
> > >  hda1 | Fat32             |   5Go   | /DosC
> > >  hda3 | Linux Native |   3Go   | /usr/local
> > >  hda5 | Linux Native |   2Go   | /
> > >  hda6 | Swap             | 127Mo |
> > >
> > > - Why isn't there a hda2 ?
> >
> > That's rather strange indeed... It should be hda1 for DOS, hda2 for Linux
> > native and hda3 for Linux swap.
>
> Most likely hda2 is an extended partition, which contains
> two logical partitions (hda5 and hda6).
>
> Also - I believe the LILO limit is that the entire kernel
> must be below cylinder 1024.  You might want to see if you
> can make hda3 / and hda5 /usr/local.  (I know, it might mean
> a lot of work, but it might mean that LILO will work...)
>
> Good luck

In that setup, assuming primary partitions 1, 2 and 3 are laid out in order,
then 3 is the last one on the disk.... they go 1,2=(5,6),3
so all of / should be below the 1023 cylinder  watermark

--
David Crooke, Department of Computer Science, University of Edinburgh
JCMB Rm 1408, King's Bldgs, W. Mains Rd., Edinburgh EH9 3JZ.
Edinburgh University Motor Sport Club - http://www.ed.ac.uk/~eumsc/

Damien Ercole wrote:
> 
> Hi all,
> 
> I've been trying to get LILO to work on my Hard Drive
> for 2 days now without any success ..so maybe someone
> can  help me ...Here is my problem ...

<snip>

> * After I have finished the installation, the system
>   ask me where I want to put Lilo ... and I answer on
>   the MBR of hda. When I reboot to start ..... LILO
>   stops right after the first L without any error code
>   ... so I don't know what's happening .....
>   Do I put the LILO at the wrong place ? Is there a
>   compatibility problem with my Hard Drive ?

<snip>

from my experience, I can only suggest, that you toggle the
"linear"-option in /etc/lilo.conf .
I've seen this problem quite some times, and so far this has always
helped.
I hope it works for you, too.

btw.: don't forget running lilo after editing its configuration-file.
I keep forgetting this all the time...

Greetings,

Andreas  
 andi7418@cip.e-technik.uni-erlangen.de

Who is General Failure and why is he reading my hard disk ?