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BootLoader > Lilo
Lilo is the Linux Loader, a BootLoader for x86 systems.
How LILO Works
LILO can be thought of as consisting of two parts: an installer and a runtime module.
The installer resides somewhere in your Linux file system and is run from a command prompt. The installer will place the runtime on the disk Master Boot Record or on the Partition Boot Record, whichever you choose. The runtime module is binary code that will run to boot the system.
Installation
This section is about installing LILO on a disk or Partition boot record, not how to install the LILO package on your system (for that check Synaptic or apt-get).
To install LILO, at a root command prompt enter:
lilo
The above command will use the default configuration file /etc/lilo.conf. To specify another configuration file enter:
lilo -C lilo.conf
In the above command, you can change the file name to any LILO configuration file. The configuration file is a text file that you can edit to change LILO options as needed. See LILO Configuration.
Other Installation Information
Any partition that has a Linux Kernel that you want to boot must be mounted so that the installer will be able to map the location of the kernel.
Configuration
Or, how to build a LILO configuration file.
Installer Operation Options
verbose=2 # increase information displayed when lilo runs
Installation Target Options
These options control where the LILO runtime files are installed.
Installing on the Master Boot Record
boot=/dev/hda # the target drive or partition map=/mnt/hda2/boot/map # sector address map file to be created by lilo (mount dependent) lba32 # allows addressing the disk above the 1024th cylinder
Installing on the Partition Boot Record
boot=/dev/hda2 # the target drive or partition map=/mnt/hda2/boot/map # sector address map file to be created by lilo (mount dependent) lba32 # allows addressing the disk above the 1024th cylinder
Installing on a Floppy Disk
You must mount the floppy: mount /dev/fd0 /floppy
boot=/dev/fd0 map=/floppy/boot/map
Display Options
These options control what is displayed to the user at runtime
Text Menu
install=text # selects menu presentation mode
prompt # show a prompt
timeout=100 # timeout in tenths of a second (150 = 15 sec)
message="message.hdb5" # A file containing the choices to be displayed
default=linux # default to boot after timeout, the word corresponds
# to a __label__ in the OS options section (below)
Graphic Menu
(Put an example here)
OS Options
These control individual operating systems options
Linux
image=/mnt/hda2/vmlinuz # kernel image location (mount dependent) initrd=/mnt/hda2/initrd.img # initrd image location (mount dependent) root=/dev/hda2 # root for this kernel label=linux # menu entry for this OS read-only # initially mount filesystems read-only
Non-Linux (Windows)
other=/dev/hda1 # boot from specified partition boot record label=["OtherOS"] # menu entry for this OS
Change Options
These options make changes to the partition table when an OS is booted.
change
partition=/dev/hda1
set=["FAT32"]_hidden # hide hda1 so windows will boot on hda2or
change
partition=/dev/hda1
set=["FAT32"]_normal-
automatic # (what does this do?)
More Options
optional # ignore this option if it does not exist unsafe # don't do any checks to see if it is bootable
Example Configuration File
lilo.conf:
verbose=2 # increase information displayed when lilo runs
#*******''' Installation Target Options '''******#
boot=/dev/hda # the target drive or partition
map=/mnt/hda3/boot/map # sector address map file to be created by lilo (mount dependent)
lba32 # allows addressing the disk above the 1024th cylinder
# For floppy installation:
# you must mount floppy: mount /dev/fd0 /floppy
# boot=/dev/fd0
# map=/floppy/boot/map
#********''' Menu Presentation Options '''*******#
install=text # selects menu presentation mode
prompt # show a prompt
timeout=150 # timeout in tenths of a second (150 = 15 sec)
message="message.hda" # A file containing the choices to be displayed
default=3 # default to boot after timeout
#***************''' OS Options '''***************#
# generic 1
other=/dev/hda6 # boot from specified partition boot record
label=1 # menu entry for this OS
# generic 2
other=/dev/hda11 # boot from specified partition boot record
label=2 # menu entry for this OS
# kernel 1
image=/mnt/hda6/vmlinuz # kernel image location (mount dependent)
initrd=/mnt/hda6/initrd.img # initrd image location (mount dependent)
root=/dev/hda6 # root for this kernel
label=k1 # menu entry for this OS
read-only # initially mount filesystems read-only
# optional # ignore this option if it does not exist
# kernel 2
image=/mnt/hda11/vmlinu # kernel image location (mount dependent)
initrd=/mnt/hda11/initrd.img # initrd image location (mount dependent)
root=/dev/hda11 # root for this kernel
label=k2 # menu entry for this OS
read-only # initially mount filesystems read-only
# optional # ignore this option if it does not exist
# Boot from Floppy
other=/dev/fd0
label=fd
unsafe # don't do any checks to see if it is bootable
#--------------------------------------------
# Windows 1
other=/dev/hda1
label=3
table=/dev/hda
change
# automatic
partition=/dev/hda1
set=["FAT32"]_normal
# Windows 2
other=/dev/hda2
label=4
table=/dev/hda
change
# automatic
partition=/dev/hda1
set=["FAT32"]_hidden # hide hda1 so windows will boot on hda2
# Hard Disk #2 (hdb)
other=/dev/hdb # boot from specified partition boot record
label=b # menu entry for this OS
# generic 11
other=/dev/hdb5 # boot from specified partition boot record
label=11 # menu entry for this OS
# generic 12
other=/dev/hdb11 # boot from specified partition boot record
label=12 # menu entry for this OSmessage.hda:
************************************************
* *
* Larry's Computer *
* Start Menu *
* *
************************************************
1 Linux 1
2 Linux 2
3 Windows 1 (Default)
4 Windows 2
Please enter a number from the list.
Or wait 15 seconds for default.
Error Messages
Wikipedia LILO page has the list of error messages.
See Also
Other BootLoaders :
Grub boot loader (From LILO to GRUB Howto).