Topic: LILO error after upgrading 4.1 to 5.1.2

[mongolito404]

Hoi,

I've posted this message on the general forum two days ago i get no answer, i hope it doesn't hurt posting it here.

I had a e-smith 4.1 running fine for months. I just upgraded it with VME 5.1.2. The upgrade process went without any problem. But now my server doesn't boot anymore without using the rescue floppy created at the end of the upgrade process.

When I try to boot from the hd lilo displays only LI and hangs.
I've read in the FAQ that it's a hd geometry problem but i didn't change my hd config during the upgrade and my system ran fine until I upgraded. I tried re-running LILO but it doesn't change anything.

I'm using software RAID1.
Here is my /etc/lilo.conf
---start of /etc/lilo.conf---
boot=/dev/md0
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
prompt
timeout=50
message=/boot/mitel.pcx
linear
default=esmith
---end of /etc/lilo.conf---

Here is the output when running lilo.
---start of output---
boot = /dev/hdc, map = /boot/map.1605
Added esmith *
boot = /dev/hda, map = /boot/map.0305
Added esmith *
---end of output---

[Charlie Brady]

mongolito404 wrote:

> I had a e-smith 4.1 running fine for months. I just upgraded
> it with VME 5.1.2. The upgrade process went without any
> problem.

Apparently not.

> ---start of /etc/lilo.conf---
> boot=/dev/md0
> map=/boot/map
> install=/boot/boot.b
> prompt
> timeout=50
> message=/boot/mitel.pcx
> linear
> default=esmith
> ---end of /etc/lilo.conf---

This should appear below the "default" line:

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.2.19-7.0.8
   label=esmith
   read-only
   root=/dev/hda6
   initrd=/boot/initrd-2.2.19-7.0.8.img
#------------------------------------------------------------
# TEMPLATE END
#------------------------------------------------------------

Add that back, then re-run lilo, and I think you will be up and running.

Make sure that you send a detailed report to bugs@e-smith.com.

Charlie

[mongolito404]

Ok
I've run /sbin/e-smith/expand-template /etc/lilo and now my /etc/lilo.conf ends with

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.2.19-7.0.8
label = esmith
read-only
root=/dev/md1
initrd=/boot/initrd-2.2.19-7.0.8

I rerun lilo and it gave me the same output as before. The problem is still the same, my server doesn't boot on HD but boot fine when using rescue floppy.

I don't know if it change anyting but I use software RAID1 oh hda and hdc.

[DaveW]

I appear to be having the same problem with my test server.

I have an AMD K6 450 with 256Mb RAM and two new 20Gb IDE drives.

I am getting the LILO hanging at "LI", but will boot from a floppy.  I am also getting the RAID showing only 10Gb once I boot up.  Yet installing to  either of the drives on it's own works fine, booting with 20Gb...

The size issue is refered to in a bug report but the fix does not appear to work for me.  It may be a BIOS issue but I will need another PC to test it on, and if it is BIOS why will is only fail on software RAID?

Has anyone had these problems and fixed them?

Thanks

Dave

[Bob Jenner]

I have a similar issue on a NEW install.
(2) 18GB Software mirrored SCSI drives.
lilo.conf looks fine, just no go.
All I get is an "operating system not found"
like it did not even load lilo. If I boot form the floppy,
life is grand. Server preforms very well.

[DaveW]

Bob

I did get my system running, but I am using IDE drives.

My problem related to the BIOS settings for the drives.  When installing drives for mirroring the geometry needs to be the same (there is a bug report on this) but although I had two identical drives and had configured the drive types as "normal" I had left the geometry as 'Auto'.  So the RAID was showing as only 10Gb not 20Gb and LILO would not boot.

Once I had set the BIOS to 'user' and entered the Heads, Cylinders, and Sectors, then reinstalled SME 5.1.2 all worked fine.

So if you are using SCSI this will not help you.  However I would suggest looking at the basics as this is what caught me out. ie SCSI termination, is the controller supported fully, can you install correctly on a single drive, SCSI ID numbers, etc

Sorry I can't be of more help.

Dave