[svlug] Boot problems after powerout

[Alvin Oga]

hi ya karsten...

if you can run lilo...

- another test would be to run lilo to be writting boot=/dev/hda1
  instead of hda3  and see if it'll boot
	you can write the lilo boot records to any disk/any partition
	to boot the other root fs

- other option ( donno if its gonna work )  is to set the boot flag on hda3

c ya
alvin

> kmself at ix.netcom.com wrote:
> 
> 
> --pvezYHf7grwyp3Bc
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> I'm having boot problems on my aging desktop system following system
> crash while I was travelling, followed by multiple cold boots I'd
> instructed my housesitter to make.  I believe there may have been
> lightening strikes in the area, not sure if this is related.  The box is
> behind a UPS (APC BackUPS), which should moderate most line surges.
> 
> Currently, I can boot the system on a CDROM occasionally (LinuxCare
> BBC), and am booting it for live work with a boot floppy -- kernel image
> dd'd to floppy.  This was done after booting the system with the BBC.
> 
> Booting from hard disk results in the infamous 'LI' lilo prompt.  This
> tends to indicate an inability to locate the second-stage boot loader,
> which is on the same physical disk as the LILO MBR.  I'm a bit confuzzed
> over this.
> 
> I've checked and re-run lilo several times, currently my /etc/lilo.conf
> is:
> 
>     boot=3D/dev/hda3
>     root=3D/dev/hda3
>     linear
>     install=3D/boot/boot.b
>     delay=3D20
>     map=3D/boot/map
>     append=3D""
>     read-only
>     image=3D/vmlinuz
> 	label=3DLinux
> 
> Partition table:
> 
>     Disk /dev/hda: 128 heads, 63 sectors, 620 cylinders
>     Units =3D cylinders of 8064 * 512 bytes
> 
>        Device Boot    Start       End    Blocks   Id  System
>     /dev/hda1   *         1        39    157216+   6  FAT16
>     /dev/hda2            40       293   1024128   83  Linux
>     /dev/hda3           294       332    157248   83  Linux
>     /dev/hda4           333       620   1161216    5  Extended
>     /dev/hda5           333       459    512032+  83  Linux
>     /dev/hda6           460       523    258016+  83  Linux
>     /dev/hda7           524       555    128992+  83  Linux
>     /dev/hda8           556       620    262048+  83  Linux
> 
> I've checked my BIOS boot settings.  1st is CDROM, 2nd is floppy, 3rd is
> HD.  Booting with a CDROM in the drive generally results in getting the
> 'LI' prompt -- e.g.:  the CDR doesn't appear to be visible to the
> system. =20
> 
> Currently, trying to mount the CDROM, I get:
> 
>     [karsten at navel:karsten]$ mount /mnt/cdrom/
>     mount: No medium found
> 
> Audio CDs _do_ play.
> 
> There are /proc entries under /proc/ide/ide[01] which appear to suggest
> that both the cdrom and HD are being recognized.  Not sure what
> specifically from these trees is useful, I find the following files
> 
>     /proc/ide:
>     drivers  hda@  hdc@  ide0/  ide1/
>       _____________________/      /
>      /   ________________________/
>     /   /=20
>    |   '- channel  config  hdc/  mate  model
>    |     _________________/
>    |    /
>    |   '- capacity  driver  identify  media  model  settings
>    |=20
>    +--- channel  config  hda/  mate  model
>         __________________/
>        /
>       '- cache	  driver    identify  model	smart_thresholds
>       '- capacity  geometry  media     settings	smart_values
> 
> I've checked cabling and everything _seems_ to be plugged in correctly,
> though I should probably recheck.  Anyone have any ideas as to what's
> wrong or anything I might be missing?
>