Re: Before you release....

[mRgOBLIN <goblin@scooter.co.nz>]

I don't really think that this problem falls into the "bug" category.
It really is a function of the BIOS on the computer.

What it boils down to is this......
Lilo works through the computers BIOS and the Bois itself can only access
the first 1024 cylinders of the HDD.
Linux itself is not limited by this.
It is simply that Lilo must have access to the kernel from boot -up
So the solution is to make the boot partition which will contain the kernel
to reside within the 1024 cylinder limit
I think some sort of simple explanation of this may be helpful.
Fdisk warns of this if used on a drive with more than 1024 CYLS

mRgOBLIN


>
> Subject:  Re: Before you release....
>
> > IIRC, Indy is based on the RedHat 6.0 install, so I guess that the same
> > would apply to Indy's install. But, in my experience most Linux systems
> > give you the option to create a boot disk. Everytime I install a Linux
> > system, I create a boot disk, and use that instead of over writting the
> > MBR. I currently don't dual boot on any of my machines, but none of them
> > have anything useful in the MBR, they all boot direct from a floppy.
> > Granted I do only reboot my boxes to install/play with the hardware,
> > install a UPS or similar, so I'm probably not the user Indy's aimed at,
> > but I can't see why this solution shouldn't be usable by 'normal' users.
> > Infact if Indy 6.1-0.8 uses the same install manager (more or less) as
> > 6.0-0.8, then it DOES ask/prompt/allow the creation of a boot disk; my
> > current Indy system boots from the floppy.
> >
> > Perhaps we should add this into the docs, or install process?
>
> The problem is just redhat's installation or any other installation I've
> seen,  never lets users know of the problem. Redhat's partition wizard just
> says the partition is too big when you try to partition a linux native above
> the 1024 sector.  When you try redhat's fdisk it says you might have
> problems. And lilo's installation doesn't check.  Never does it say, "you
> have a problem because of this, skip lilo installation and just use a
> bootdisk and you'll be ok." I have never seen redhat's actual
> documentation - im a more wing it type of guy :) - but i think the
> installation should at least present whats going on.  Also the problem of
> getting redhat's partion tool to work with the bug there.