Hiya,
I can't really call myself an expert, but here is what I know:
> still have some questions:when i install linux,is lilo only written to the
> primary boot sector?is it written anywhere else except for there?if i
Usually, yes. LILO would probably have installed itself on /dev/hda. (MBR of first
drive)
> install windows after linux,primary boot sector changes and in order to
> boot from linux i am obliged to use a boot disc,how do i install lilo after
> installing win without reinstalling linux?and then why can't i boot from
> linux using boot magic after i have installed win,boot magic will not detect
> linux as OS in that case and i have to define the partition where linux is
> but that has no result,what should i do in that case?
The reason you can't boot linux directly off bootmagic is because the partition linux
is installed to is not bootable (it does not have a valid boot sector). What you need
to do is install LILO on the linux partition rather than the MBR.
So you would want to change (in linuxconf) "boot mode -> lilo defaults -> install boot
sector on" to point to your linux partition rather than "/dev/hda".
If you don't have linuxconf (or like me you prefer to do things the fun way), you
could edit /etc/lilo.conf and change the "boot=/dev/hda" to "boot=/dev/hda5" or
whatever. Just make sure you point LILO to the partition you want.
If you used linuxconf, "accept" your new config, and say you don't mind if linuxconf
does stuff. (btw, you should always keep your bootdisk handy, just in case) If you
changed the config by hand, type lilo at the prompt and it should say "adding linux,
adding windows, etc...", and dump you back at the command prompt without any errors.
The all you should have to do is point bootmagic to the partition you put LILO on!
I don't actually use bootmagic, but from what I hear it can cope with this. If you
were using the NT bootloader it would be another thing - it needs you to install the
bootsecter into a file... but there is a howto for that ;)
Hope I helped,
Jeffro.
