Linux headaches...

[Tsaico]

I just tried to do a Linux install for the first time here is what I did...
partition 1=16MB /boot
partition 2=26Gigs for win2k
partition 3=2.6gigs /linux native
partition 4=150megs /swap

After I installed everything I just get the no operating system error. I am using Turbo Linux that I got free... (someone suggested using a cheap kernel so that I would be forced into learning all the little commands) Any suggestings would be great...

 

[TonyRic]

1=Win2k-24GB Fat32 (So you have a drive you can get into with a boot disk)
2=Linux Native-4GB /
3=Linux Swap-512MB
4=Linux Native Remaining space /var

I would suggect this alternative:

1=Win2k - 20GB Fat32
2=Linux Native - 4GB /
3=Linux native - 4GB /home
4=Linux Swap - 512MB
5=Linux Native Remaining space /var

 

[MGMorden]

TonyRic's setup looks better, though I like keep two linux installs, one "main" one and another 250mb stripped down one that i can use for recovery. That's your perogative though. Just one note though, there is no cheap kernel. There's not even a cheap distro (which is what I think you meant, there's only 1 Linux kernel. if it doesn't run it that it isn't linux), just better/harder/easier/ etc. ones. I like Slackware personally. Debian's good too. Mandrake's good if youre REALLY a beginner (once you've ran Mandrake for a day or two and figured out the way linux kinda works, wipe it and put in Redhat or something ).

 

[perry]

512MB swap file? No no no. 100MB is all that's needed for a desktop system, go above that and you're just wasting space. It is actually faster to have around 100MB rather than some insane amount, like 512MB.

Tsaico, what order did you install those OS's in? What I would do is install Windows first, and then Linux and let LILO handle deciding what OS you are going to boot.

 

[Tsaico]

I did mean distro. I think the idea was to get me to learn all the little codes and stuff, anyhow, had nothing installed, started with a fresh unpartitioned 30gig. And I also heard somewhere that linux handles the swap much more efficiently than Windows, so 100-150 megs is fine. But why install windows first? It shouldn't matter really should it? I mean, if I wanted to run a linux box only, then I would obviously need to install linux first... But Ok, I will try the other way when I get back from classes...

 

[MGMorden]

Windows has a habit of overwriting the MBR with it's own bootloader, which just tries to load the currently active parition. So, if you have Lilo on the MBR, and then have a Linux parition set as active, then when you install windows it will overwrite lilo and will try to boot the linux parition on the next boot. Since lilo was on the mbr and not the parition, then you'd get a no OS found error.

 

[MGMorden]

Perry: Thanks for the tip. I just changed my linux swap to 128mb from 512mb and the system is actually noticeable faster.

 

[perry]

I know that Win95 and 98 used to do this, not sure about 98SE and ME. But they would overwrite the MBR everytime they booted so that only Windows could boot. Make it messy if you had multiple OS's. The way around that is to look in the C:\MSDOS.SYS file for a line that says BootMulti=0. Change that to 1, save and you're off. I think it's hidden and read only, so you may have to attrib -r msdos.sys to be able to save.

I just prefer installing Windows first so it'll get all it's nastiness out of the way, check that MSDOS.SYS file, then go install Linux on the MBR so I can choose which OS to boot.

 

[MGMorden]

Win98 would overwrite the MBR when you installed, but not at every boot. I had LILO on the MBR w/ Win98 (never had SE) for over a year and never changed the msdos.sys, and as long as I installed windows first it worked fine. It eve worked fine if I installed it second I just had to use a rescue disk to boot my linux setup and reinstall lilo.

 

[Tsaico]

Ok, had a few days off and finally got back to it and all seemed to be good, here is the new problem. I have LILO going just fine and dandy, but when I choose linux as the boot, it goes through some loading, then asks for the user log in/password. Then after that, it tells me that the kernel is not loaded and sends meback to the command promt. What am I doing wrong now?
P.S. the only command I can get to work is the "ls" command, anything else will give me the error... (I am using the most recent redhat distro)

 

[TCool]

<< Ok, had a few days off and finally got back to it and all seemed to be good, here is the new problem. I have LILO going just fine and dandy, but when I choose linux as the boot, it goes through some loading, then asks for the user log in/password. Then after that, it tells me that the kernel is not loaded and sends meback to the command promt. What am I doing wrong now? >>



Thats Linux for you. Its not worth the hassle. Funny thing is that if Windows was doing this to someone, the Linux lovers would be all over them bitching out bad Microsoft is and calling it Winbloze, or Windoze etc. After my experiences with Linux, I refer to it as Linsux.

 

[Damaged]

<< Thats Linux for you. Its not worth the hassle. Funny thing is that if Windows was doing this to someone, the Linux lovers would be all over them bitching out bad Microsoft is and calling it Winbloze, or Windoze etc. After my experiences with Linux, I refer to it as Linsux >>



I see. Judging by your comments it's okay for Windows users to slam Linux then?

 

[Tsaico]

OK, ok you two... My roomate has the exact same copy... er distro and version... as I do, and his works great. He is a linux demi-god, so I will presume that th error lies to me... the inexperiened Linux wanna be... So if there are constructive suggestions on what went wrong...
P.S. I tried it again with the exact same results...

 

[Damaged]

If you have a command prompt you are running some Linux kernel, and hence, the kernel is loaded. Are you sure that's the exact error message you're getting?

Are you logging in as root or what here? Sounds like you've got it installed and working correctly and that you may just have a path problem for some commands, or you didn't install some packages. As I recall Turbo is based on RH.

 

[GeneW]

Could it be that you are past the 1024 cylinder limit for booting?
Is your HD controller supported natively?

 

[Tsaico]

OK, I agree that it sounds like I do not have something setup right, but That is the exact error it gives me. &quot;Kernel not loaded&quot;. So should I try installing again? (Third times the charm) or am I missing something basic? And no, the 1st partition is the 1st 16mb on the disk and it is native... Another question, this one was a free cd, would I get better luck with a retail boxed version?

 

[Damaged]

Okay, now you've confused me. First you say it boots and gives you a command prompt, now you're saying that it says kernel not loaded? I don't understand how you can get a command prompt without a kernel being loaded, unless it's some odd sort of rescue kernel thing.

 

[MGMorden]

Or maybe he's really getting a LILO prompt and not a command prompt? Just a thought.

 

[Damaged]

I was thinking maybe that was the case as well, but he usename/password prompt and ls works.

 

[Tsaico]

Yes, It was my understanding thatif I was able to get ls to work that I was in LInux, after I had logged in.. and it turns out that I had been loading a trouble shooting version of linux... so many of the commands were not available, just the base ones that would let you &quot;fix&quot; linux... Thanks for the tip, never would have thought of that....

 

[Damaged]

So...it's working?

 

[fivepesos]

i havent used your distro, ive stuck to suse and slackware but the knowledge should be applicable.

depending on your lilo setup, lilo should be loaded from the superblock (this is like the MBR but for the one partition?) of the the partition you loaded linux on (/dev/hda3, for example). from my hands-on experience, a computer looks for a boot device on a hard drive in the following order: master boot record, first partition superblock, second partition superblock, 3rd etc. if you have windows 2000 installed it attempts to write over the MBR with what i believe is called NTLOADER. this may not be the exact program name but it allows u select OSes to load that are in the win2k's win.ini file. so therefore, you should be booting your system by the ntloader in the mbr before it looks for lilo in the superblocks of your partitions.

in order to boot your linux system you either need a lilo boot disk (what i suspect youre using) or tell ntloader to load your system from a superblock (point it to lilo). if you havent installed win2k than you should still have a clean MBR (unless you installed LILO there). then your computer will bypass the MBR and load from a superblock (the general lilo installation type). if youre getting a lilo prompt then u either erased your MBR (rendering win2k unbootable, but we can fix this later), or havent installed win2k yet.

remember, win2k uses ntloader stored in the MBR to load itself, win9x uses a mechanism stored in the superblock, and linux uses lilo stored in either. to have both win2k (which needs the MBR), and lilo which needs a superblock in your case, you must tell the ntloader (in the MBR) to look in a superblock. this can be done by a program called bootpart. i suggest a very good howto available at tweak3d.net.

i use the term superblock to refer to the boot location in a partition. this may in inaccurate but i do mean the boot area of a partition. superblock may in fact be the same thing as an MBR, im not to certain on some of my partition terminology.

 

[fivepesos]

for you particular problem i believe you are loading linux with a linux boot disk. do not confuse a linux boot disk with a LILO boot disk. a linux boot disk loads the kernel stored on the floppy to enter a linux system. when loading via the linux boot disk, you have to enter the partition your want to boot to (/dev/hda4, for example). a lilo bootdisk should have the lilo boot prompt at which you enter linux to point it to your linux kernel (usually in your linux partition).

so when u get a kernel not loaded message, you may not be loading your kernel from your hard drive rather your linux boot disk.

please clarify your boot process for us. do you boot from a floppy? if so is it a linux boot disk or lilo boot disk? do you boot from your harddrive? if so, did u install LILO in the MBR or in a superblock? have you installed win2k yet? did u install it before or after u installed linux? can windows boot fine? how do u load windows, from lilo?

if i have some mistakes about the linux boot process please correct me, i dont want to be giving out incorrect information.

does anyone know if windows 2000 can be loaded from a superblock or only the MBR?

 

[Tsaico]

Nope, I had installed some sort of bare bones kinda of linux, where the base commands are there... I off handedly commented how it took like fifteen minutes or so to install and he said that was way too short. Went back and installed it again, using the commands he told me to put in and it worked... But After all this, I must say, so far I am not all that wowed by linux... seems cool though... I guess only time will tell if it is for me...