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LILO
!!!LILO
NAME
SYNOPSIS
DESCRIPTION
BOOT OPTIONS
INCOMPATIBILITIES
BUGS
SEE ALSO
AUTHORS
----
!!NAME


lilo - install boot loader
!!SYNOPSIS


Main function:


__/sbin/lilo__ - install boot loader


Auxiliary uses:


__/sbin/lilo -q__ - query map__
/sbin/lilo -R__ - set default command line for next
reboot__
/sbin/lilo -I__ - inquire path name of current
kernel__
/sbin/lilo -A__ - activate a partition / show active
partition__
/sbin/lilo -M [[-z]__ - write a Master Boot Record on a
device - or clear the device serial number__
/sbin/lilo -T__ - tell more about specified topic__
/sbin/lilo {-u|-U}__ - uninstall lilo
!!DESCRIPTION


__lilo__ installs a boot loader that will be activated
next time you boot. It has lots of options.


__-A__ ''master-device [[ N ]''


Inquire of active partition on device ''master-device'';
e.g.,
''


__-b__ ''bootdev''


Specify the boot device; i.e., where the boot loader will be
installed.


__-c__


Enable map compaction. This will merge read requests from
adjacent sectors. Speeds up the booting (especially from
floppy).


__-C__ ''config-file''


__lilo__ reads its instructions about what files to map
from the specified configuration file. This option overrides
the use of the default config file,
''/etc/lilo.conf''.


__-d__ ''delay''


Specifies the delay time in tenths of a second (20 = 2 sec)
before automatically booting the first image. Gives you time
to interrupt the automatic boot process with Shift, Alt,
Ctrl, !ScrollLock, or !CapsLock. If interrupted, the `boot:'
prompt is displayed. This switch is overriden by the
appearance of ''prompt'' in the config-file.


__-D__ ''label''


Use the kernel with the given label, instead of the first
one in the list, as the default kernel to boot.


__-f__ ''disk-tab''


Specify disk geometry parameter file. (The default is
''/etc/disktab''.)


__-g__


Generate sector/head/cylinder (geometric) disk addresses.
Limited to cylinders up to 1023. Forces compatibility with
older versions of LILO.


__-i__ ''boot-loader''


Specify a file to be used as the new boot loader. (The
default is ''/boot/boot.b''.)


__-I__ ''label''


The label of the running kernel can be found in the
environment variable BOOT_IMAGE after startup, or in the
pseudo-file `/proc/cmdline'. This command will print path
name of the corresponding kernel file, or of any initial
ramdisk file (


__-l__


Generate 24-bit linear sector addresses instead of
sector/head/cylinder addresses.


__-L__


Generate 32-bit Logical Block Addresses instead of C:H:S
addresses, allowing access to all partitions on disks with
more than 1024 cylinders.


__-m__ ''map-file''


Use specified map file instead of the default.


__-M__ ''master-device [[ mbr-file ]''


Install a Master Boot Record on the device specified as
''master-device''. The new MBR is copied by default from
''master-device'' is undistrubed. If no device serial
number is present, then generate one and write it to the
MBR.


__-p__


Require interactive entry of all passwords specified as
____ in the configuration file.


__-P__ ''{fix|ignore}''


Fix (or ignore) `corrupt' partition tables, i.e., partition
tables with linear and sector/head/cylinder addresses that
do not correspond.


__-q__


List the currently mapped files. __lilo__ maintains a
file, by default ''/boot/map'', containing the name and
location of the kernel(s) to boot. This option will list the
names therein. Use with __-v__ for more detailed
information about the installed boot loader.


__-r__ ''root-directory''


Before doing anything else, do a ''chroot'' to the
indicated directory. The new root directory must contain a
''/dev'' directory, and may need a ''/boot''
directory. It may also need an ''/etc/lilo.conf''
file.


Used by the ''mkbootdisk'' shell script for creating a
bootable floppy.


__-R__ ''command line''


This option sets the default command for the boot loader the
next time it executes. The boot loader will then erase this
line: this is a once-only command. It is typically used in
reboot scripts, just before calling `shutdown -r'. Used
without any arguments, it will cancel a ''lock''-ed or
''fallback'' command line.


__-s__ ''save-file''


When __lilo__ overwrites the boot sector, it preserves
the old contents in a file, by default
''/boot/boot.NNNN'' where NNNN depends on the device.
This option specifies an alternate save file for the boot
sector. (Or, together with the __-u__ option, specifies
from where to restore the boot sector.)


__-S__ ''save-file''


Normally, __lilo__ will not overwrite an existing save
file. This options says that overwriting is
allowed.


__-t__


Test only. Do not really write a new boot sector or map
file. Use together with __-v__ to find out what
__lilo__ is about to do.


__-T__ ''option''


Print out system information, some of it extracted from the
system bios. This is more convenient than booting the LILO
diagnostic floppy on problem systems. ''option'' may be
any one of the following:


   help  - print a list of available diagnostics
!ChRul - list the partition types subject to
Change-Rules
EBDA  - list Extended BIOS Data Area information
geom=


__-u__ ''[[device-name]''


Uninstall ''lilo'' by copying the saved boot sector back.
The '-s' and '-C' switches may be used with this option. The
''device-name'' is optional. A time-stamp is
checked.


__-U__ ''[[device-name]''


Idem, but do not check the time-stamp.


__-v__


Increase verbosity. Giving one to five __-v__ options
will make lilo more verbose, or use, __-v__ ''n''
(n=1..5) to set verbosity level '''n'''.


__-V__


Print version number.


__-w__


Suppress warning messages.


__-x__ ''option''


For RAID installations only. The option may be any of the
keywords ''none'', ''auto'', ''mbr-only'', or a
comma separated list of additional boot devices (no spaces
allowed in the list).


__-z__


When used with the -M switch, clears the device serial
number. Usually used in the following sequence to generate a
new device serial number:


     lilo -z -M /dev/hda
lilo -M /dev/hda


The above command line options correspond to the key words
in the config file indicated below.
!!BOOT OPTIONS


The options described here may be specified at on the command line when a kernel image is booted. These options are processed by LILO, and are removed from the command line passed to the kernel, unless otherwise noted.


__lock__


Locks the command line, as though 'lock' had been specified
in 'lilo.conf.'


__mem=###[[,K,M]__


Specifies the maximum memory in the system in bytes,
kilobytes, or megabytes. This option is not removed from the
command line, and is always passed to the
kernel.


__nobd__


Suppresses collection of BIOS data. This option is reserved
for use with non-IBM-compliant BIOS's which hang up with an


     Loading.........s


__vga=[[ASK,EXT,EXTENDED,NORMAL]__


Allows overriding the default video mode upon kernel
startup.
!!INCOMPATIBILITIES


__lilo__ is known to have problems with the
''reiserfs'' introduced with the 2.2.x kernels, unless
the file system is mounted with the 'notail' option. This
incompatibilty has been resolved with reiserfs 3.6.18 and
lilo 21.6.


Beginning with version 22.0, RAID installations write the
boot record to the RAID partition. Conditional writing of
MBRs may occur to aid in making the RAID set bootable in a
recovery situation, but all default actions may be
overridden. Action similar to previous versions is achieved
using the `-x mbr-only' switch.
!!BUGS


Configuration file options `backup' and `force-backup' are
not yet correctly implemented for RAID installations. Use of
the default boot record backup mechanism seems to work okay,
and should be used.
!!SEE ALSO


fdisk(8), lilo.conf(5), mkrescue(8),
mkinitrd(8).


The lilo distribution comes with very extensive
documentation. This can be found in /usr/share/doc/lilo on
Debian systems. (lilo 22.1)
!!AUTHORS


Werner Almesberger
John Coffman
----
16 pages link to lilo(8):
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Last edited on Monday, June 3, 2002 11:58:45 pm by "perry"
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