Re: Dual booting XP machine

From: Michael C. (mcsuper5_at_usol.com)
Date: 10/06/04 

Date: 5 Oct 2004 22:05:04 GMT

On Tue, 05 Oct 2004 12:19:01 -0700,
Paul Lutus <nospam@nosite.zzz> wrote:
> Dave Uhring wrote:
>
> > On Tue, 05 Oct 2004 11:46:17 -0700, Jason Zheng wrote:
> >
> >> Dave Uhring wrote:
> >
> >>> Fix your /etc/lilo.conf, then execute /sbin/lilo.
> >
> >> I'm using grub, it correctly shows the windows boot option.
> >> The problem is that when you choose to boot windows, windows
> >> complains operating error.
> >
> > Then quit using grub.
>
> Please do not offer this advice. LILO is being phased out for
> some very good reasons. Grub has many advantages over LILO,
> such that it is scarcely possible to imagine a situation in
> which LILO is to be preferred.

I don't reinstall frequently anymore, as I seldom boot Windows,
but where did the idea come from that anyone is phasing out LILO,
and what are good reasons for it to be phased out?

The last argument I heard in favor of LILO was the funstionality
of /sbin/lilo -R windows, which would cause windows to boot next
time wasn't available in grub. I don't use grub so I'm uncertain
if that has changed.

> Grub can certainly launch a Windows installation, with very
> little difficulty. It also is very easy to install on an
> existing HDD.

And LILO can't? For those of us who use it, LILO isn't that
difficult. Though part of it for me is "Why learn the new way,
if the old way still works."

Grub may have benefits, but they require you to have a clue, or
documentation to make use of its unique features, which AFAICT is
that you can modify how the machine boots from within grub
instead of requiring a boot disk. Just how often is this ability
required?

The biggest problem I've had with LILO is the the fact that RH
shipped with an ancient version, and to play around I needed to
compile the latest version. A beginner will lose a lot of hair
without sample config files for either.

YMMV,

Michael C. 

-- 
mcsuper5@usol.com http://mcsuper5.freeshell.org/
"I go online sometimes, but everyone's spelling is really bad, it's
depressing."  - Tara MacClay (BtVS)

Relevant Pages

  • [opensuse] Re: how do I boot to a text console in 12.2?
    ... This is because lilo a lilo booted kernel doesn't need ... This is the most efficient type of boot though it can have problems. ... Grub needs to know how to read a file system -- and how to read those ... file sectors off disk. ...
    (SuSE)
  • RE: Two OS - boot?
    ... It doesn't sound like you have choosen to use LILO or GRUB. ... linux disk if you want....the linux vmlinuz boot up will not be in the ... your BIOS to point to that disk to boot and leave it. ...
    (RedHat)
  • Re: Dual booting XP machine
    ... able to change the boot parameters in detail -- Grub can do this, LILO ... > doesn't it also store information on the MBR? ...
    (comp.os.linux.setup)
  • Re: Debian Rescue Floppy
    ... >> still using LILO? ... if you know all your grub and lilo options for its config file, ... boot info off the scsi disk which it can't until it has the scsi ... other kernel if the default failed, but how many peple use those ...
    (Debian-User)
  • Re: Updating lilo win 2000 boot.ini SOLUTION
    ... turns out LILO resides in the bootsect and when I ... Make /hda2 the boot partition via cfdisk. ... Here is my Windows boot.ini: ...
    (comp.os.linux.setup)