Can't Boot Lycoris

[Saptech]

I have a problem I need help with. First I will say I'm currently running Win98se, WinXP Pro and Slackware 8.0, kernel 4.2.18. I've got it pretty much running smooth & all.

My hardware is a custom built AMD Athlon 1700, with 256mb memory and a 40gb Maxtor HD.

I currently use XP bootloader to choose which OS I want to start and if I choose Slack, then I get Lilo choices with the Win OSes listed.

Well I heard that Lycoris was more windows style linux and I wanted to install it for the family to give linux a try. After installing it, which I told it to put Grub in the Lycoris root directory (/dev/hda4) instead of MBR, I didn't want to mess up the other OSes. Now when I turn on the computer I get Grub screen on which OS to start, but If i choose Lycoris, I get the Kernel Panic error message. I forgot what exactly the message is but it display the VFS something about the kernel not found message and stops. Using Grub to choose which OS to run works fine if I choose Windows, since it will take me to XP bootloader and I can then choose Windows or Slack to run without any problems.

Is there a way to fix this problem? What if I added Lycoris to Slackware's Lilo configuration, do you think it may work from there? Or should I have loaded Grub to the MBR instead of /dev/hda4?

Thnx.

[Timothy L. Miller]

Slackware 8.0, kernel 4.2.18
WOW, what'd you do, go into the future?? :D

Well, I'm going to have to go personal opinion here. Yes, you should have put grub into the MBR. I think it's the most logical and simplest boot loader I've ever used. This includes the ntloader, LILO, Bootmagic, xosl, and the bootloader that is included with Ranish Partition manager. This is, as I said though, only my opinion.

[tahrizi]

I got that kernel panic message when i fist install my Lycoris, but after the second installation, my lycoris works fine, i'm using grub to enter lycoris, and i'm not using lycoris own boot utilities.

[Saptech]

Hmmm @ 4.2.18...duhhh. Make that kernel 2.4.18! :D

Now if I reinstall and put Grub in MBR, how would that affect Slack and Lilo as far as booting it, and the XP bootloader?

I'm thinking of trying reinstalling Lycoris, I just hope it don't mess up the other OSes.

Thnx for the replies.

[Timothy L. Miller]

It would overwrite the xp bootloader that is currently in the mbr. Lilo is apparently installed on the drives boot partition, so it wouldn't be affected in the least.

[mdwatts]

There would not be a XP bootloader in the mbr. The XP bootloader is installed in the XP system partition.

The mbr only points to the XP partition of which will be set as the active partition when you install XP.

[Saptech]

If install Grub into the MBR, it will overwrite XP loader, then I won't be able to use XP loader to boot with. I understand this part.

Then I should manually edit Grub to add XP to it's boot choices?

As the way it is now, when I get the Grub boot screen, I have three options to choose from:
1) Lycoris, which should boot into Lycoris but I'm getting the Kernel panic error.

2) Windows, which brings up the XP bootloader screen, where I can choose to boot 98, XP or Slack.

3) Linux, this brings up Slack's Lilo screen, which I can choose to run Windows and Slackware.

Only choices 2 & 3 works!

[ccom2]

I not sure but I think you can not run slack and Lycoris on the same drives or two of any other linux distro's .
one or the other.

[RudeCat7]

You can run several distros on one drive.

But if you insist on only running one...then run SuSe!:D

[Saptech]

Slack is were it's at! :cool:

I was just trying to install Lycoris so the family could have an easier time with Linux and get that Windoze monkey off their backs. :D

[rustskull]

if you're going to pay for a linux distro, try elx linux (http://www.elxlinux.com/elx/index.php), it's supposed to have some proprietary stuff developed that more closely mimics windows. Otherwise corel linux (http://linux.corel.com/) is very mature ahd has great apps (wordperfect!) and is supposed to be really stable and friendly, I haven't used the os myself, but I have used the applications before, many times. IF it's as good as those, it should be wonderful.

for recovery try toms boot disk (http://www.toms.net/rb/), and another great tool I found was the "smart boot manager" (http://btmgr.sourceforge.net/) it will go through and allow you to boot anything, even non-bootable cd-rom hardware. I'm using it on my crappy old pentium systems that have the crusty old cdroms so I don't have to load from flops then change to cdr, I can just boot the cdr (as long as the cd has a boot sector, I think, havn't tried a non-bootable disc yet). It was on the first disc of deb 3.0, that's where I found it.

if you know what you're doing, rock linux (http://www.rocklinux.org/) is supposed to be kickass and hella stable, but you have to do a lot of it manually. mandrake is veyr user friendly until it crashes. You see so many stability complaints on the boards.

personally, for the fam...I would recommend v 3.0 debian (http://www.debian.org/) because there is a debian jr meta-package that has a buttload of games and stuff for kids and teens. There is also a lot of .deb packaged games that aren't in the distro, but everyone seems to be making deb pkgs these days. try
http://www.linuxforkids.org/
http://www.tux4kids.org/tux4kids/
http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-jr/

plenty of family entertainment there...!

(and the cool bonus is the debian updates are soooooo easy)

Deb's also been committed to making releases more often...so no more of the wait 2 years for the next upgrade. Although, there is something to be said for the stability. Once I get through the installs, I haven't had any of the problems that I hear other people complain about...and I'm an idiot.

-rust

PS I fail to see the attachment to the xp bootloader when lilo and grub do so well without complaint or argument. m$ bootloaders have always been cryptic and funky and downright hostile. fsck that.

PSS I know I left out a few, suse, slack, caldera, etc, but these are what I see people having the easiest time with. Theonly people who get too mad at debian are the ones who don't go to deb-users and ask questions. I had to do my first install 3 times before I got it right, but then I never used linux before, so it's really not any worse than what we went through back in the good ol win 3.11 days...

[Saptech]

I've never been able to get Lilo to boot with NT installed on a machine with a NTFS format. I've always had to do the dd to get the first 512 boot sector and use NT Bootloader.

Well I've got Slackware working very nice and the family can use it, but I just like trying different flavors of Linux myself.

I'm working on a solution to get Lycoris working and will post back after I know that it works.

I actually don't have alot of time to fiddle around with stuff as much as I would like lately since I work 3rd shift hours. So I get to do it when I find the time.

Thanks for the links, I will check some of them out though.