slackware-current/source/a/lilo/text.lilohelp

Slackware LILO Installation HELP file

WARNING: As they say in the LILO docs, installing boot 
loaders is inherently dangerous. Be careful out there!

These are the options you can use at the Slackware LILO
install menu:

1. Start LILO configuration with a new LILO header.

   This choice allows you to start a new configuration 
   file, /etc/lilo.conf, with no OS's entered into it 
   (yet).

   You'll first be asked if you want to use an optional
   append="...." line. If you didn't need to use extra 
   parameters at the bootkernel prompt, then you can
   probably just hit ENTER here.

   You will be asked where you want to install LILO. This
   can be your Master Boot Record, your root partition's
   superblock (for OS/2's Boot Manager), or to a 
   formatted floppy disk. 
   
   Next, you'll be asked if you want a delay before 
   booting the first OS in your lilo.conf file. This delay
   allows you to hit left-shift and boot any OS in the 
   lilo.conf file by typing in the label you've given it.

   Once you've started a new lilo.conf, you must add at 
   least one OS to it before you can install LILO.

2. Menu choices to add Linux, OS/2, and DOS to the lilo.conf.

   These all pretty much work the same way. You'll be asked 
   which partition you want to make bootable (answer 
   /dev/hda1 or whatever partition you wish to use), and 
   you'll also be asked to assign a label to the partition.
   The label can be any short word such as "Linux" or "OS/2"
   that you'll type in later to boot that partition. The boot
   prompt is not case-sensitive, so the user can type LINUX or
   os/2 later on and it will match the labels Linux and OS/2.

3. Install LILO
   
   Once you've looked at your new config file and are 
   satisfied with the way it looks, pick this choice to 
   install LILO and leave the LILO installation menu.


Other options:

  -- Recycle (Reinstall) using your original /etc/lilo.conf.

   If you already have an /etc/lilo.conf, and you just need to
   refresh lilo then you don't need to reconstruct your 
   lilo.conf.  Just use this menu choice to reinstall LILO 
   using the existing /etc/lilo.conf.


  -- View your current /etc/lilo.conf

   If you haven't begun building a new lilo.conf, this choice
   will let you take a look at the existing one in /etc on your
   root Linux partition. 

   If you have begun constructing a new lilo.conf, this option
   will let you view the progress on that.


 -- Skip LILO installation and exit this menu

  This option skips LILO installation. Use this if you don't 
  want to install LILO, or if you've already installed it and 
  don't need to reinstall. You have to reinstall LILO whenever
  you change your Linux kernel.

 -- Help - Read the Linux Loader HELP file 
 
  I hope you found it helpful! :^)


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Other LILO information:

  LILO on the Master Boot Record can be removed easily. 
  MS-DOS's fdisk has a /MBR option that restores the master
  boot record. You can actually restore your original boot 
  sector from the copy LILO makes in /boot, as well. This is
  the best way to go about it. See the LILO docs for more 
  information. There is also a '-u' flag to LILO that restores
  the boot sector from the backup copy.  Again, see the LILO
  docs for detailed info.

Good luck!

--- end of LILO help