🚀 go-pugleaf

We all feel your pain.  The first install of linux is the hardest.

It sounds like the kernel on the boot floppy is unable to find the 
linux partition and its filesystem when it boots.  Look carefully 
at the text output during the linux kernel's boot to see what errors 
are occurring.  In all likelihood, there's an error message just 
before the kernel panic indicating that no filesystem is being found.

Unfortunately, I don't know why that might be happening unless your
hard drive or linux partition is not being recognized by the kernel.
And that's odd.  Especially after a successful installation.

You're saying that the entire install works OK, but on reboot the
linux boot record doesn't engage, or the boot floppy can't find
your linux filesystem?  That's very strange, since the boot kernel
should be basically identical to the one that's installed as base.
If the install kernel works, so should the base kernel.

What linux distribution and version are you using?
What's your processor?  (P3, P4, Athlon, etc)
What type hard drive(s) are you using?  (IDE, SCSI, firewire, etc)
Are your disk drives ATA?  Such as ATA 33, ATA 66 or ATA 100?
Is the linux drive primary or secondary, IDE0 or IDE1?

You didn't mention what version of windblows you were using.  Win 95
and 98 work pretty well with lilo, so overwriting the master boot 
record should work fine.  (You did elect to write lilo's config info 
into the MBR of your boot drive, right?)

Windows NT or Win2000 can cause problems like what you're experiencing.
But generally, if you use a linux boot floppy, it'll find your linux 
partition.

Your CMOS *is* setup to boot off a floppy first, right?

Try using a different (brand new) boot floppy.

Before you reboot after installing linux, type "df".  What does it 
report?  My output (with two disks) looks like:

# df
Filesystem           1k-blocks      Used Available Use% Mounted on
/dev/hda6              5335248   2468224   2596000  49% /
/dev/hda5                21929      5750     15047  28% /boot
/dev/hde2             14705984   6959244   6999720  50% /linux1
/dev/hda1              4496924   2484932   2011992  56% /dos1
/dev/hde1             14925816   1878184  13047632  13% /dos2

The easiest ways to install Linux are:

1) In the presence of someone who's done it before with the same distro
   on similar hardware.

2) In the presence of a second working computer that's hooked to the net.
   This way you can search for help during the install.

3) In the presence of a good Linux guidebook that describes many of the
   ways things can go wrong.


There are a lot of possible problems when installing Linux:

- Your hard drive (or controller) may not be supported by the distro
  (sometimes true of SCSI drives or newer ATA 100/66/33 IDE drives).
  Red Hat 7.1 should be OK with newer drives, but there were problems
  with Red Hat 6.X with ATA drives.

- You did not write the LILO config info onto the Master Boot Record of
  your primary boot drive (although the install *should* have done this).

  Before you reboot the machine after the install, look carefully at the 
  contents of /etc/lilo.conf, and run "lilo" as root at least once before 
  you reboot.  The file should look something like this, (I have linux on 
  /dev/hda and /dev/hde, and windows on /dev/hde only):

"
boot=/dev/hda
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
prompt
timeout=50
message=/boot/message
linear
default=linux

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.5
	label=linux
	read-only
	root=/dev/hda6

other=/dev/hda1
	optional
	label=dos
"

When you run lilo, you should see something like this:

"
# lilo
Added linux *
Added dos
"

My last suggestion is that you carefully write down your error messages
when the kernel boots, then go to www.google.com and search for exactly
those words, perhaps combined with "linux boot errors".  Consider 
searching their newsgroups as well, or posting to comp.os.linux.setup.

Also check the website of your distribution for common install errors and
installation FAQs.  Also check: 

    http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/Installation-HOWTO/

  Randy


itsmewhoelse wrote:
> 
> I am so d#*m frustrated right now I could a 10 pack of CD's.
> 
> First I d/l the iso and burned it, made a boot floppy and installed to the
> same drive as windo$e, but diff part. Install appeared to go good. At
> reboot, nothing but windoze. I tried to use the floppy the install directed
> me to make, but no-o-o, it just gave me a red box that said "LILO Boot Menu"
> and a "boot" prompt under that. I entered linux and it said loading, but
> came up with an error ( 0x10 ).
> So I thought I did something wrong on the install, and did it again, this
> time reading everything on the screen. Still the same error. So I thought I
> did bad on the d/l 'cause I only d/l the inst not the ext, so I went out and
> bought the damn  power pack. Did the install again, same o same o. So I
> chunked in a new hard drive ( D on winblows ) and installed it to that. I
> get the same crazy error msg. What? What? Am I so damned brainwashed by
> microsissy that I can't even see the nose on my face? Oh, Lord, please don't
> let the microencephalitic goblins eat my brain anymore! I promise I won't
> buy anymore of their stuff ( for my use ) if only you help me with this. I
> promise.
> 
> BTW, the "manual" leaves a whole lot to be desired. The troubleshooting
> section starts out assuming you have a good install. Hah!
> 
> Any one feel my pain?
> 
> Wesley

--
Randy Crawford
crwfrd@umich.edu
http://www.engin.umich.edu/labs/cpc
http://www-personal.engin.umich.edu/~crwfrd