Bug 15605

Summary: lilo needs static-BIOS-codes in case of hdb installation
Product: ALT Linux Desktop Reporter: Ivan Zakharyaschev <imz>
Component: installerAssignee: Anton V. Boyarshinov <boyarsh>
Status: CLOSED WONTFIX QA Contact: Andrey Cherepanov <cas>
Severity: blocker    
Priority: P2    
Version: 4.0.3   
Hardware: all   
OS: Linux   
Bug Depends on: 15604    
Bug Blocks: 6747    

Description Ivan Zakharyaschev 2008-05-12 03:35:54 MSD
ftp://ftp.altlinux.org/pub/distributions/ALTLinux/4.0/Desktop/4.0.3/iso/altlinux-4.0.3-desktop-i586-install_ru-dvd5.iso

Why lilo needs "static-BIOS-codes" in this case -- see
https://bugzilla.altlinux.org/show_bug.cgi?id=15604 .

In automatic mode, the installer installed the ALTLinux system on /dev/hdb. But
the BIOS can't boot from /dev/hdb. Without this option LILO can't be installed
onto /dev/hda, and so the installed system is not bootable.

One way to fix it would be to fix #15604 (make static-BIOS-codes unnecessary; I
don't know whether this possible). Another (quicker) fix is to teach the
installer to use "static-BIOS-codes" option in such setups.


Workaround:
(Now I describe the workaround step by step; perhaps, someone will use it.)

boot the rescue system from the distro DVD, mount your freshly installed system,
e.g.:

mkdir /mnt/disk
mount /dev/hdb2 /mnt/disk

Also, lilo will want to access /boot/, so relocate your real future /boot/:

mount --move /mnt/disk/boot /boot

add "static-BIOS-codes" to /mnt/disk/etc/lilo.conf,
change "boot=/dev/hdb" (left there by the installer) to "boot=/dev/hdb",
and ultimately install LILO:

lilo -C /mnt/disk/etc/lilo.conf

(After this, the system became bootable.)


Actual Results:  
Hacking is needed to make the system bootable after installation in "auto mode".

Expected Results:  
No hacking is needed to make the system bootable after installation in "auto mode".
Comment 1 Ivan Zakharyaschev 2008-05-12 04:00:32 MSD
typo:

(In reply to comment #0)
> change "boot=/dev/hdb" (left there by the installer) to "boot=/dev/hdb",

change "boot=/dev/hdb" to "boot=/dev/hda"
Comment 2 Ivan Zakharyaschev 2008-11-12 05:26:42 MSK
https://bugzilla.altlinux.org/show_bug.cgi?id=6747 is a somewhat similar case.
Comment 3 Ivan Zakharyaschev 2008-12-16 20:59:10 MSK
(In reply to comment #0)

> Workaround:

> boot the rescue system from the distro DVD, mount your freshly installed system,

See also: http://www.altlinux.org/%D0%92%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B5_%D0%B7%D0%B0%D0%B3%D1%80%D1%83%D0%B7%D0%BE%D1%87%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B9_%D0%B7%D0%B0%D0%BF%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%B8 .
Comment 4 Andrey Cherepanov 2020-07-09 12:01:20 MSK
Поддержка дистрибутива завершена. Используйте новые версии.