installed slackware linux 9.1 won't boot up

[darkhaste]

i installed slackware 9.1 linux after configuring my partitions (as to how i thought would be correct) 2 primary partitions one 4gig, and the other 2 gig (4gig for install and programs which gives me room to install more programs that i may need, and 2 gig for all my files) and the rest of the hardrive is taken up for my swapfile (being a newb at linux i thought i would give it 2 gig for swapfile, as i didnt know how much i required)

it installed fine, never gave me any problems, then at the end it told where i wanted install the boot (i think its LILO) so i told it Master Boot Record. (which i believe is correct...)

yet when i boot im greeted with the screen saying that it can't find a valid partition and asks me to supply a boot disk and press enter.

i insert my linux boot disk i created when prompted from the install, press return to boot, i login as root, and run 'startx' to load my GUI (KDE if you need this info) and all works fine. except i have no sound, i have a soundblaster card installed (although i have no idea what kind it is sorry! being new to linux i have no idea how i can find this out either) the speakers are philips mms110 (althought i don't think that matters, and i've checked whether they are plugged in, and everything is fine and dandy in that area, but no sound :confused:

can anybody help me so that my computer starts up and runs kde straight away, so i dont have to sit through my computer booting from floppy all the time. (i only have linux installed onto this computer, BUT i had windows xp installed before, i used fdisk to remove all the partitions used by windows xp before i started to install linux, and i *think* all went as planned, i didnt get errors, and i've done it plenty of times before.)

(also possibly the sound problem?)

/last second edit - My hard drive is 8gig, so falls within the 1024 cylinder limit (i think, as it didn't flag any errors up when i was setting my partitions up)

[mdwatts]

Could you please post the contents of /etc/lilo.conf, /etc/fstab and the results of

fdisk -l /dev/hda

You should repost your soundcard issues in another thread in the Hardware forum.

[darkhaste]

erm, right, remember im a linux noob here! how do i do that?

don't shout at me or flame me, we all had to learn sometime.

(wonders off looking for the things you asked for anyways)

right i worked it out for myself (i think and it came out with)

"erase is delete.
kill is control-u (^C)
Interupt is contol-C (^C).
lilo.conf: line 13: vga: command not found
lilo.conf: line 36: image: command not found
lilo.conf: line 37: root: command not found
lilo.conf: line 38: label: command not found
lilo.conf: line 39: read-only: command not found"

(goes and finds next thing)

[JamminJoeyB]

If you installed lilo to the mbr, which is what I did, you should have seen the lilo screen to select what ever you wanted to boot. Since this is a linux only system it should only say linux. Are you sure you put it in the mbr?

What did you format your particians in ext2/ext3/reiser?

Based on what you have stated you have 3 particians. Did you make one / and another /home and then swap?

Slackware's default run level is 3, so you will have to change the run level to get to run level to 5 to get it to boot to a gui. I actually prefer run level 3.

Post the output of lsmod. soundblasters usually use the emu10k1 module. If this shows in lsmod, then all you need to do is unmute and adjust the volume and you should be rocking. Also turn of pnp os in the bios. Linux doesn't use pnp and having this enabled will cause problems with linux identifying devices.

Usualy the swap is twice the amount of memory you have. So if you have 512megs of memory, you would need 1gig of swap.

Most of this is pretty much covered in the forums here over and over. The problem of lilo not showing up when you booted isn't something I have seen, but the sound and run level info is. So search here on how to change those.

Any other slackers know why Lilo didn't show up if he put it in the mbr?

[darkhaste]

here's what 'fstab' says
"fstab: line 1: /dev/hda2: Permission denied
fstab: line 2: /dev/hda1: Permission denied
fstab: line 3: /dev/hda3: Permission denied
fstab: line 4: /dev/cdrom: Permission denied
fstab: line 5: /dev/fd0: Permission denied
fstab: line 6: devpts: command not found
fstab: line 7: proc: command not found"

[darkhaste]

yes it is definately in mbr, i installed it twice to check!!

regarding the particians, one is /usr/local the other is / (i think!)
and they are in resier file system (that was what slackware had selected by default as i didnt have a clue which was which, and what the differences are i let it choose for me)

i'm rather puzzled at why it doesn't boot as i've done everything to how most people say to do! (apart from the swapfile, but i will take this in mind the next time i have to install it, but i suppose it doesn't matter as of yet)

possible cause maybe that the hardrive is *um* 6 years old? it's an old(ish) pc that i've had for ages, 256mb ram, 400mhz intel celeron.

[asklepios]

become root and type this in a konsole window
fdisk -l
then execute this command
cat /etc/lilo.conf
you will get some output for both the commands. post both outputs separately.
lets first deal with this problem and then move to the sound as that will be easier one.

[darkhaste]

that is what it says under fdisk -l

Disk /dev/hda: 8606MB, (size in bytes)
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 1046 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 1 500 4016218+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda2 501 800 2409750 82 Linux swap
/dev/hda3 801 1046 1975995 83 Linux

[mdwatts]

As asklepios posted, use 'cat' to display those files at the commandline.

cat /etc/lilo.conf

cat /etc/fstab

[darkhaste]

ok thanks for that (comits to memory, this is quite good for learning how the system works, im quite enjoying fixing this :D )

thanks so much for the help so far you guys are excellant

bear with me while i type the info out, as im copying it from a seperate computer.

[darkhaste]

this is what returns after issuing the command "cat /etc/lilo.conf"

# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
boot = /dev/hda
message = /boot/boot_message.txt
prompt
timeout = 1200
# Overide dangerous defaults that rewrite the partition table
change-rules
reset
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x64k
vga = 788
# Normal VGA console
# vga = normal
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x64k
# vga=791
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x32k
# vga=790
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
# vga=773
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x64k
# vga=778
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x32k
# vga=788
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x256
# vga=787
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x64k
# vga=785
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x32k
# vga=784
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x256
# vga=769
# End LILO global section
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/hda1
label = Linux
read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends

[darkhaste]

this is what is returned after issuing the command "cat /etc/fstab"

/dev/hda2 swap swap defualts 0 0
/dev/hda1 / reiserfs defualts 1 1
/dev/hda3 /usr/local reiserfs defualts 1 2
/dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom iso9660 noauto, 0 0
owner, ro
/dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy auto noauto, 0 0
owner
devpts /dev/pts devpts gid=5, 0 0
mode=620
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0

[asklepios]

your /dev/hdb1 is not bootable (look in your fdisk -l report). partition containing kernel MUST be bootable.
you need to run cfdisk again and mark hdb1 bootable. i don't know whether you will be able to do without reinstalling but it won't be solved without marking hdb1 as a bootable drive.

[darkhaste]

erm, how can i do that with fdisk, i managed to stumble through fdisk and figure out how to work it, THEN went to the library on this site, and figured out what i did was pretty damn good for a first try!

so how do i do it in fdisk?

and im not bothered about reisntalling.

oh and if its possible can you tell me how you know this? as i would liek to know for future reference. thankyou.

[mdwatts]

That would be /dev/hda1 and not /dev/hdb1.

As root

fdisk /dev/hda

m - to see the menu

a - to set the bootable flag

Enter 1 for hda1

w - to write the changes

[asklepios]

Originally posted by mdwatts
That would be /dev/hda1 and not /dev/hdb1. oops sorry...typo there. just thinking about my own configuration :p
EDIT: btw i would say use cfdisk instead of fdisk. it is easier to work with.

[darkhaste]

That would be /dev/hda1 and not /dev/hdb1.

As root

fdisk /dev/hda

m - to see the menu

a - to set the bootable flag

Enter 1 for hda1

w - to write the changes



i did that just before you posted and i was met with "Warning: partition1 has empty type"

any ideas?

[Uranus]

I don't believe you have to reinstall to make the disk bootable:
fdisk /dev/hda
type a, it will prompt you which partition you want to make bootable - type 1. If everything's fine, it shows an asterisk (*) in the bootable column.
I tried to install Slackware on my computer, but failed. After that first time I decided I wanted Gentoo, since you know exactly what you're doing if you follow the manual. With Slackware at some points I didn't have a clue. I guess I would've managed if I wanted to though :D
Gentoo installation takes about 2 days, however :rolleyes:

[asklepios]

Originally posted by Uranus
since you know exactly what you're doing if you follow the manual. same holds true with Slackware ;)
i would repeat that use cfdisk as it is easier to work with, especially since you yourself admitted that you are a newbie.

[darkhaste]

i am but i like to figure things out for myself (with a little help of course ;))

ok i just did that but it still doesnt work, im gonna try again with cfdisk

[darkhaste]

i just used cfdisk, how simple that is to use!

rebooting to see if it worked....

*fingers crossed*

WOOHOOO!!! IT WORKED!!

THANKYOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP!

i am forever grateful =)

[asklepios]

great :)
now run fdisk -l again and you will know how to know that your drive what not bootable ;)

[darkhaste]

ahhhhh i see, thank you so much!! =D