Re: 1FA: problem still in hamm disks
On Sat, Oct 17, 1998 at 09:49:54AM -0400, Michael Stone wrote: Quoting Tom Lees ([EMAIL PROTECTED]): While I'm at it, *PLEASE* drop the dependency of lilo on mbr. I don't want a new mbr eg if I want to install LILO to use on a floppy ONLY (I use GRUB on my HD). Change it to Recommends. mbr being a high priority and/or essential (can't remember if it is) should be enough. Can someone explain what the point of mbr is? Why not just install lilo directly to the mbr? (I always go back and do this for security reasons anyway: I've disabled floppy boot in the bios, why do I want an mbr that re-enables it?) Wow! Maybe I'm an idiot, but I just _now_ (after literally years of wondering) realized where that silly 1FA: message was coming from. I had thought it was some kind of weird debugging feature of some BIOSes! 1FA looks like a hexadecimal number. I know MBR has to be small, but can we at least put in some commas, eg. 1,F,A: ? Furthermore, I think it should be made abundantly clear, somewhere obvious, that you have to set the active partition when you install Debian. I've always been a pure-LILO user, and LILO ignores the active setting. Not understanding mbr, I've always gone through on my Debian systems and changed lilo to use /dev/hda instead of /dev/hda1, because otherwise my system wouldn't boot automatically to Linux. I know it's my own sheer incompetence, but I would have appreciated a warning message about this somewhere. Have fun, Avery
Re: 1FA: problem still in hamm disks
On Sat, Oct 17, 1998 at 09:49:54AM -0400, Michael Stone wrote: Quoting Tom Lees ([EMAIL PROTECTED]): While I'm at it, *PLEASE* drop the dependency of lilo on mbr. I don't want a new mbr eg if I want to install LILO to use on a floppy ONLY (I use GRUB on my HD). Change it to Recommends. mbr being a high priority and/or essential (can't remember if it is) should be enough. Can someone explain what the point of mbr is? Why not just install lilo directly to the mbr? (I always go back and do this for security reasons anyway: I've disabled floppy boot in the bios, why do I want an mbr that re-enables it?) Well, if you install Windows 95 after installing LILO in the mbr, LILO is gone and you'll have to get out a floppy to boot Linux. If you put LILO in the boot sector (superblock?) instead, you just have to change the active partition again using Windows FDISK. Hamish -- Hamish Moffatt VK3TYD [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED] Latest Debian packages at ftp://ftp.rising.com.au/pub/hamish. PGP#EFA6B9D5 CCs of replies from mailing lists are welcome. http://hamish.home.ml.org
Re: 1FA: problem still in hamm disks
[EMAIL PROTECTED] (Ben Gertzfield) wrote on 16.10.98 in [EMAIL PROTECTED]: Brent == Brent Fulgham [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Brent I'd like to chime in -- It's a real annoyance that the base Brent disks don't set up lilo to let you boot into multiple Brent operating systems. Couldn't it ask if you want to Brent dual-boot with windows, or whatever, and generate an Brent appropriate lilo.conf file? Sure. How about you write the script to do so? What happened to the old lilo QuickInst or however it was named? I think I used that when installing my first (Slackware) Linux, and I believe saw it under /usr/doc/lilo not so long ago. ISTR it doing a decent job of implementing this - or maybe my memory is faulty? MfG Kai
Re: 1FA: problem still in hamm disks
On Fri, Oct 16, 1998 at 12:34:09PM -0700, Ben Gertzfield wrote: Brent == Brent Fulgham [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Brent I'd like to chime in -- It's a real annoyance that the base Brent disks don't set up lilo to let you boot into multiple Brent operating systems. Couldn't it ask if you want to Brent dual-boot with windows, or whatever, and generate an Brent appropriate lilo.conf file? Sure. How about you write the script to do so? While I'm at it, *PLEASE* drop the dependency of lilo on mbr. I don't want a new mbr eg if I want to install LILO to use on a floppy ONLY (I use GRUB on my HD). Change it to Recommends. mbr being a high priority and/or essential (can't remember if it is) should be enough. Brent This is an area where RedHat has a significant lead over Brent us. One of the guys I work with is a huge RedHat fan Brent because he can just pop a RH CD into the drive, windows Brent will autorun it, and RedHat install starts. It sets up Brent almost everything for the user. If RH has released this code under the GPL, then why don't we borrow it for our use? I know that it's as simple as having an 'autorun' directory on the CD image. IIRC there is an autorun.cfg or similar too. Brent I know we support far more configurations, etc. etc. etc., Brent but for the average Joe New-User this is a large hurdle. I'm sure Enrique is always happy to accept code to do so. :) Just out of interest, how does the autorun bit work? You can't just run loadlin straight from Windoze. -- Tom Lees [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.lpsg.demon.co.uk/ PGP Key: finger [EMAIL PROTECTED], http://www.lpsg.demon.co.uk/pgpkeys.asc.
Re: 1FA: problem still in hamm disks
Quoting Tom Lees ([EMAIL PROTECTED]): While I'm at it, *PLEASE* drop the dependency of lilo on mbr. I don't want a new mbr eg if I want to install LILO to use on a floppy ONLY (I use GRUB on my HD). Change it to Recommends. mbr being a high priority and/or essential (can't remember if it is) should be enough. Can someone explain what the point of mbr is? Why not just install lilo directly to the mbr? (I always go back and do this for security reasons anyway: I've disabled floppy boot in the bios, why do I want an mbr that re-enables it?) Mike Stone
1FA: problem still in hamm disks
i've seen postings about this before, but as yet no solution (either as a message or in the boot disks). when debian is made bootable from the hard disk on certain systems, the prompt 1FA: comes up, but the system will not boot off partition 1. the disk controller is AHA-2940. any solutions to this problem? -duncan
Re: 1FA: problem still in hamm disks
On Fri, Oct 16, 1998 at 09:18:23AM +, Duncan Thomson wrote: i've seen postings about this before, but as yet no solution (either as a message or in the boot disks). when debian is made bootable from the hard disk on certain systems, the prompt 1FA: comes up, but the system will not boot off partition 1. the disk controller is AHA-2940. any solutions to this problem? Where does it stops? Does it shows the typical LI message? -- Enrique Zanardi[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: 1FA: problem still in hamm disks
Enrique Zanardi [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: On Fri, Oct 16, 1998 at 09:18:23AM +, Duncan Thomson wrote: i've seen postings about this before, but as yet no solution (either as a message or in the boot disks). when debian is made bootable from the hard disk on certain systems, the prompt 1FA: comes up, but the system will not boot off partition 1. the disk controller is AHA-2940. any solutions to this problem? Where does it stops? Does it shows the typical LI message? Enrique, the problem is that our special mbr tool *REQUIRES* that one of the partitions on your drive be marked Bootable under cfdisk or fdisk. However, the current boot-floppies do not require this; in fact, they don't even check if any partitions are marked Bootable or not. I suggest you add a test (I'm not sure how you would do it) to see if the partition LILO is to go on is marked bootable by cfdisk before you let the user leave the partitioning step. Ben -- Brought to you by the letters Y and P and the number 1. Nerd. Loser. Jerk. Moron. Worm. Scum. Idiot. Fool. -- Pkunk, SCII Debian GNU/Linux -- where do you want to go tomorrow? http://www.debian.org/ I'm on FurryMUCK as Che, and EFNet and YiffNet IRC as Che_Fox.
Re: 1FA: problem still in hamm disks
On Fri, Oct 16, 1998 at 10:11:05AM -0700, Ben Gertzfield wrote: Enrique Zanardi [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: On Fri, Oct 16, 1998 at 09:18:23AM +, Duncan Thomson wrote: i've seen postings about this before, but as yet no solution (either as a message or in the boot disks). when debian is made bootable from the hard disk on certain systems, the prompt 1FA: comes up, but the system will not boot off partition 1. the disk controller is AHA-2940. any solutions to this problem? Where does it stops? Does it shows the typical LI message? Enrique, the problem is that our special mbr tool *REQUIRES* that one of the partitions on your drive be marked Bootable under cfdisk or fdisk. However, the current boot-floppies do not require this; in fact, they don't even check if any partitions are marked Bootable or not. I suggest you add a test (I'm not sure how you would do it) to see if the partition LILO is to go on is marked bootable by cfdisk before you let the user leave the partitioning step. Currently, that partition is marked as bootable just after installing LILO and mbr (first a dialog is displayed asking the user if he wants it so, something like If you want the Debian system to boot automatically from the hard disk when you turn your system on, answer yes to the following question. If you have another operating system that you'd prefer to be the one that boots automatically, answer no.). -- Enrique Zanardi[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: 1FA: problem still in hamm disks
I'd like to chime in -- It's a real annoyance that the base disks don't set up lilo to let you boot into multiple operating systems. Couldn't it ask if you want to dual-boot with windows, or whatever, and generate an appropriate lilo.conf file? This is an area where RedHat has a significant lead over us. One of the guys I work with is a huge RedHat fan because he can just pop a RH CD into the drive, windows will autorun it, and RedHat install starts. It sets up almost everything for the user. I know we support far more configurations, etc. etc. etc., but for the average Joe New-User this is a large hurdle. -Brent -Original Message- From: Ben Gertzfield [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Enrique Zanardi [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: Duncan Thomson [EMAIL PROTECTED]; debian-devel@lists.debian.org debian-devel@lists.debian.org Date: Friday, October 16, 1998 10:31 AM Subject: Re: 1FA: problem still in hamm disks Enrique Zanardi [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: On Fri, Oct 16, 1998 at 09:18:23AM +, Duncan Thomson wrote: i've seen postings about this before, but as yet no solution (either as a message or in the boot disks). when debian is made bootable from the hard disk on certain systems, the prompt 1FA: comes up, but the system will not boot off partition 1. the disk controller is AHA-2940. any solutions to this problem? Where does it stops? Does it shows the typical LI message? Enrique, the problem is that our special mbr tool *REQUIRES* that one of the partitions on your drive be marked Bootable under cfdisk or fdisk. However, the current boot-floppies do not require this; in fact, they don't even check if any partitions are marked Bootable or not. I suggest you add a test (I'm not sure how you would do it) to see if the partition LILO is to go on is marked bootable by cfdisk before you let the user leave the partitioning step. Ben -- Brought to you by the letters Y and P and the number 1. Nerd. Loser. Jerk. Moron. Worm. Scum. Idiot. Fool. -- Pkunk, SCII Debian GNU/Linux -- where do you want to go tomorrow? http://www.debian.org/ I'm on FurryMUCK as Che, and EFNet and YiffNet IRC as Che_Fox. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: 1FA: problem still in hamm disks
Brent Fulgham wrote: I'd like to chime in -- It's a real annoyance that the base disks don't set up lilo to let you boot into multiple operating systems. Couldn't it ask if you want to dual-boot with windows, or whatever, and generate an appropriate lilo.conf file? This would be nice. Brent, could you checkout the boot disks and try to implement it? Regards, Joey -- The MS-DOS filesystem is nice for removable media. -- H. Peter Anvin
Re: 1FA: problem still in hamm disks
Enrique == Enrique Zanardi [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Enrique Currently, that partition is marked as bootable just Enrique after installing LILO and mbr (first a dialog is Enrique displayed asking the user if he wants it so, something Enrique like If you want the Debian system to boot automatically Enrique from the hard disk when you turn your system on, answer Enrique yes to the following question. If you have another Enrique operating system that you'd prefer to be the one that Enrique boots automatically, answer no.). Please, make this warning much, much stronger. If mbr is installed at all, their system will become unusable if they do not say yes at this point. So, if the user does select 'yes' for installing mbr, please tell them that if they say no at this point, they will be rendering their system pretty much unbootable (unless they can figure out the cryptic MBR prompts.) Either that, or tell the truth at this point: At this point, the Debian installer must mark one of your partitions as 'bootable' so that the MBR tool you selected to install can know which partition to boot by default. Ben -- Brought to you by the letters Y and M and the number 3. It's cold.. and there are wolves.. -- Grampa Simpson Debian GNU/Linux -- where do you want to go tomorrow? http://www.debian.org/ I'm on FurryMUCK as Che, and EFNet and YiffNet IRC as Che_Fox.
Re: 1FA: problem still in hamm disks
Brent == Brent Fulgham [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Brent I'd like to chime in -- It's a real annoyance that the base Brent disks don't set up lilo to let you boot into multiple Brent operating systems. Couldn't it ask if you want to Brent dual-boot with windows, or whatever, and generate an Brent appropriate lilo.conf file? Sure. How about you write the script to do so? Brent This is an area where RedHat has a significant lead over Brent us. One of the guys I work with is a huge RedHat fan Brent because he can just pop a RH CD into the drive, windows Brent will autorun it, and RedHat install starts. It sets up Brent almost everything for the user. If RH has released this code under the GPL, then why don't we borrow it for our use? I know that it's as simple as having an 'autorun' directory on the CD image. Brent I know we support far more configurations, etc. etc. etc., Brent but for the average Joe New-User this is a large hurdle. I'm sure Enrique is always happy to accept code to do so. :) Ben -- Brought to you by the letters R and V and the number 12. Moshimoshi. Kikoemasu ka? Kakenaoshimasu kara ne! 1-do kitte kudasai. Debian GNU/Linux -- where do you want to go tomorrow? http://www.debian.org/ I'm on FurryMUCK as Che, and EFNet and YiffNet IRC as Che_Fox.
