I'll figure it out... Eventually. Thanks for the help. On Thu, Oct 31, 2002 at 12:19:43PM -0500, Jameson C. Burt wrote: > I spent a several days trying to do this myself. > This got me looking beyond LILO to trying GRUB, > which didn't do all I wanted either. > I never could boot the $10 (U.S.) LS-120 diskettes, > but I could eventually boot a regular 25 cent 1.44MB diskettes > through my LS-120 drive. > [I understand the LS-240 drive can extend a 1.44MB diskette to 32MB--wow] > Using LS-120 diskettes, I could not get beyond "GRUB Geom Error". > > A couple months ago, I read that Linus uses no floppy drive, > so that rather clinched that I should no longer try booting off the > floppy, and I no longer seek any resolution about booting from diskettes. > If I want to boot, I boot off my Debian CD. > If I want to repair my Debian filesystem, after booting off the Debian CD, > I believe I eventually do control-F1, then mount my problematic disk > drives and repair them. > One might consider further investigating booting from LS-120 diskettes > ONLY on otherwise diskless computers that will be thin clients, > or full-defense computers with no other disk drives and LS-120 diskettes > switched to "read-only". > [The wonderful LS-120 is the only hardware besides diskettes > and some tape cassettes that can be truly switched to read-only] > > TIME-SAVING-LINUX-RULE: > "If some administrative approach seems odd, > and takes much manipulation, you should try another approach > or abandon that task." > > If you must make many file manipulations involving hours of thought, > you can find that your next Debian upgrade requires > repeating your manipulations or manipulating a different way. > I have decided that an administrative task that requires many file changes > is best left with the Debian packagers (if possible), or abandoned. > Over-specializing without benefitting others through mass-production > seems largely futile. > The above time-saving rule has led me to abandon booting off diskettes, > abandon using a mouse in console mode, > and abandon all but trivial manipulations of a window manager. > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > ~~~Following is somewhat how I booted from a 1.44MB floppy on an LS-120 drive. > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > These notes are somewhat chaotic, > probably reflecting the chaotic Linux support of the LS-120. > There is a command "grub-floppy", but I sought finer control > with this different LS-120. > For booting off a regular floppy on an LS-120 drive, here are some > notes I wrote myself over a year ago about using grub. > My LS-120 is on /dev/hdc. > > ~~~ /boot/grub/device.map ~~~ > #I included no actual comments in this file. > #The following seemed necessary and necessary that the file > # device.map be in /boot/grub > #on the full-system; > #no effect when on floppy itself since such a device.map > #on /dev/hdc is not used during boot. > #THIS FIRST LINE WAS RATHER CRUCIAL, as I recall. > (fd0) /dev/hdc > > #I have 2 scsi drives: > (hd0) /dev/sda > (hd1) /dev/sdb > > > > > I then prepared my 1.44MB floppy, which for my LS-120 > is /dev/hdc (CAREFUL). > and copied a kernel to it, using up most of its filespace of course. > mke2fs /dev/hdc #makes block-size 1024 bytes. > mount /dev/hdc /mnt > rmdir /mnt/lost+found #This merely distracts when using grub. > mkdir /mnt/boot > mkdir /mnt/boot/grub > # Kernel images follow: > cp -p /boot/bzImage-2.4.2 /mnt/boot > ##### NOTE: THE "GRUB MANUAL: FAQ", APPENDIX A, FOR BOOT-FLOPPY SAYS > ##### "YOU MAY NOT COPY stage1.5". > cp -p /boot/grub/{menu.lst,stage1,stage2} /mnt/boot/grub > #device.map probably needn't be copied; > #alter menu.lst to point to (fd0) rather than (hd1,0). > touch /mnt/THIS-IS-THE-FLOPPY-DEVICE #I kept getting lost. > umount /mnt > > > > At one point, I entered the following "grub", > needing a /boot/grub/device.map not on the floppy > to even recognize device (fd0). > grub --device-map=/boot/grub/device.map > grub> find ( <tab> > Possible disks are: fd0 hd1 hd2 > #booting would give that choice also, I hope. > grub> find (fd0)/ #booting, I try "find (fd0)/ <tab>" > Possible files are: grub bzImage-2.4.2 floppy-no-partitions boot > grub> root (fd0) > Filesystem type is ext2fs, using whole disk > grub> setup (fd0) > Checking if "/boot/grub/stage1" exists... yes > Checking if "/boot/grub/stage2" exists... yes > Checking if "/boot/grub/e2fs_stage1_5" exists... yes > # Running "embed /boot/grub/e2fs_stage1_5 (fd0)"... > failed (this is not fatal) > #because not enough space in MBR when I made no partitions? > # Running "embed /boot/grub/e2fs_stage1_5 (fd0)"... > failed (this is not fatal) > Checking if "/boot/grub/e2fs_stage1_5" exists... no > #response when leave out e2fs_stage1_5 from floppy. > Running "install /boot/grub/stage1 d (fd0) /boot/grub/stage2 p > /boot/grub/menu.lst "... succeeded > Done. > grub> quit > > As I recall, I could then boot from this 1.44MB diskette on my LS-120 drive. > > > On Thu, Oct 31, 2002 at 03:06:20AM -0800, Michelle Storm wrote: > > I have an ls120 drive. I am still pretty new, and have looked all over, > > but can't find a way to make an LS-120 bootable. > > > > I have found a way to reformat it and all the partitions on it work. > > > > It's like having a 120mb hd. (but slower) > > > > What I want to do is get a copy of my current kernel (or a new one after > > I customize it and set it up) and put it on the ls-120 and use the > > ls-120 as a backup system disk (ie: rescue disks). > > > > Any ideas? I've already tried all the things I could find for making > > boot floppies, rescue disks.. etc.. I just don't know where to go from > > here. > > > > -- > > Michelle Alexia "Jade" Storm > > > > -- > Jameson C. Burt, NJ9L Fairfax, Virginia, USA > [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.coost.com > (202) 690-0380 (work)
-- Michelle Alexia "Jade" Storm
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