lilo + raid1

From: Roger (grunky_at_rockriver.net)
Date: 09/30/03


Date: 29 Sep 2003 19:57:49 -0700

I have several systems with identical hardware that all have software
raid1 running on RH9 on hot-swappable serial ata drives.

One of our machines has developed a problem recently. Running 'lilo
-v' used to write out boot sectors info for both drivers - now it only
does one drive.

lilo -v
LILO version 21.4-4, Copyright (C) 1992-1998 Werner Almesberger
'lba32' extensions Copyright (C) 1999,2000 John Coffman

boot = /dev/hda, map = /boot/map.0301
Reading boot sector from /dev/hda
Merging with /boot/boot.b
Mapping message file /boot/message
Boot image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.20-20.9smp
Mapping RAM disk /boot/initrd-2.4.20-20.9smp.img
Added 2.4.20-20.9smp *
Boot image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.20-20.9
Mapping RAM disk /boot/initrd-2.4.20-20.9.img
Added 2.4.20-20.9
/boot/boot.0300 exists - no backup copy made.
Writing boot sector.

On other machines 'lilo -v' writes info to BOTH disks.

LILO version 21.4-4, Copyright (C) 1992-1998 Werner Almesberger
'lba32' extensions Copyright (C) 1999,2000 John Coffman

boot = /dev/hda, map = /boot/map.0301
Reading boot sector from /dev/hda
Merging with /boot/boot.b
Mapping message file /boot/message
Boot image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.20-20.9smp
Mapping RAM disk /boot/initrd-2.4.20-20.9smp.img
Added 2.4.20-20.9smp *
Boot image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.20-20.9
Mapping RAM disk /boot/initrd-2.4.20-20.9.img
Added 2.4.20-20.9
/boot/boot.0300 exists - no backup copy made.
Writing boot sector.
boot = /dev/hdb, map = /boot/map.0341
Reading boot sector from /dev/hdb
Merging with /boot/boot.b
Mapping message file /boot/message
Boot image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.20-20.9smp
Mapping RAM disk /boot/initrd-2.4.20-20.9smp.img
Added 2.4.20-20.9smp *
Boot image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.20-20.9
Mapping RAM disk /boot/initrd-2.4.20-20.9.img
Added 2.4.20-20.9
/boot/boot.0340 exists - no backup copy made.
Writing boot sector.

Since a number of machines have identical hardware+setup I took the
lilo.conf file from another system and put it in.

Still like just runs on on drive..

Below I have the output of several setup files all take from other
systems. Keep in mind the systems, partitions /proc/md5stat
/etc/raidtab are EXACTLY the same. I've double and tripled checked -
diff to..

Basically lilo isn't writing its info to /dev/hdb anymore - for what
reason is beyond me.

Fdisk on BOTH /dev/hda and /dev/hdb looks as following. Partitions
are the same size, hdX1 is bootable, with the same types of partitions

Disk /dev/hda: 120.0 GB, 120034123776 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14593 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 1 2677 21502971 fd Linux raid
autodetect
/dev/hda2 2678 12355 77738535 fd Linux raid
autodetect
/dev/hda3 12356 14331 15872220 fd Linux raid
autodetect
/dev/hda4 14332 14593 2104515 f Win95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hda5 14332 14592 2096451 fd Linux raid
autodetect

/proc/mdstat
Personalities : [raid1]
read_ahead 1024 sectors
md5 : active raid1 hda5[0] hdb5[1]
      2096384 blocks [2/2] [UU]

md3 : active raid1 hda3[0] hdb3[1]
      15872128 blocks [2/2] [UU]

md2 : active raid1 hda2[0] hdb2[1]
      77738432 blocks [2/2] [UU]

md1 : active raid1 hda1[0] hdb1[1]
      21502848 blocks [2/2] [UU]

unused devices: <none>

/etc/lilo.conf
prompt
timeout=50
default=2.4.20-20.9smp
boot=/dev/md1
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
message=/boot/message
#linear
lba32

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.20-20.9smp
        label=2.4.20-20.9smp
        initrd=/boot/initrd-2.4.20-20.9smp.img
        read-only
        root=/dev/md1

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.20-20.9
        label=2.4.20-20.9
        initrd=/boot/initrd-2.4.20-20.9.img
        read-only
        root=/dev/md1

/etc/raidtab
raiddev /dev/md1
raid-level 1
nr-raid-disks 2
chunk-size 64k
persistent-superblock 1
nr-spare-disks 0
    device /dev/hda1
    raid-disk 0
    device /dev/hdb1
    raid-disk 1
raiddev /dev/md2
raid-level 1
nr-raid-disks 2
chunk-size 64k
persistent-superblock 1
nr-spare-disks 0
    device /dev/hda2
    raid-disk 0
    device /dev/hdb2
    raid-disk 1
raiddev /dev/md3
raid-level 1
nr-raid-disks 2
chunk-size 64k
persistent-superblock 1
nr-spare-disks 0
    device /dev/hda3
    raid-disk 0
    device /dev/hdb3
    raid-disk 1
raiddev /dev/md5
raid-level 1
nr-raid-disks 2
chunk-size 64k
persistent-superblock 1
nr-spare-disks 0
    device /dev/hda5
    raid-disk 0
    device /dev/hdb5
    raid-disk 1



Relevant Pages

  • Re: LILO Boot error
    ... Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System ... Reading boot sector from /dev/sda ... Boot image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.18-3smp ... Mapping RAM disk /boot/initrd-2.4.18-3smp.img ...
    (comp.os.linux.misc)
  • Re: ANOTHER Fedora upgrade tale of woe...
    ... to fix the problem after consulting the LILO man page. ... Mapping message file /boot/message ... Boot image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.22-1.2163.nptlsmp ... Mapping RAM disk /boot/initrd-2.4.22-1.2163.nptlsmp.img ...
    (Fedora)
  • Re: cannot boot from floppy
    ... then it can't contain a boot sector. ... Show us your floppy boot sector. ... > a boot image, provided by Slackware, ... Then lilo IS installed on the floppy! ...
    (comp.os.linux.setup)