LILO(8) 						      System Manager's Manual							   LILO(8)

NAME

       lilo - install boot loader

SYNOPSIS

       Main function:

	/sbin/lilo - install boot loader

       Auxiliary uses:

	/sbin/lilo -A - activate/show active partition
	/sbin/lilo -E - edit header or update a bitmap file
	/sbin/lilo -I - inquire path name of current kernel
	/sbin/lilo -M - write a Master Boot Loader on a device
	/sbin/lilo -q - query map
	/sbin/lilo -R - set default command line for next reboot
	/sbin/lilo -T - tell more about specified topic
	/sbin/lilo {-u|-U} - uninstall LILO boot loader

DESCRIPTION

       lilo  installs  a boot loader that will be activated the next time you boot your system. The default configuration file /etc/lilo.conf (see
       'man lilo.conf') will contain most options, but many, including those which override the configuration file, may be specified on  the  com-
       mand line.

       -A master-device [ N ]
	      Used  with a single argument, inquire of active partition on device master-device; e.g., /dev/hda.  With N==0, deactivate all parti-
	      tions on the device.  With N in the range [1..n], activate the specified partition and deactivate all others.  Normally,	only  pri-
	      mary  partitions	[1..4] may be activated, but if the Extended Master Boot Loader is present on the Master Boot Record of the device
	      (see the -M option), any partition may be made active.  Whether the actual OS in the partition will boot from  a	logical  partition
	      depends on the characteristics of the OS.  LILO boot records for Linux may be booted from a logical partition.

       -b bootdev
	      Specify  the  boot  device;  i.e.,  where  the  boot  loader will be installed.  "-b /dev/hda" specifies the Master Boot Record; "-b
	      /dev/sdb5" specifies the first logical partition on the second SATA disk.

       -B bitmap-file
	      Specify a bitmap file for the boot-time graphics screen, preferably one already pre-processed with the 'lilo -E' command.

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

       -C config-file
	      lilo Specify an alternate pathname for the configuration file.  This option overrides the use of	the  default  configuration  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 inter-
	      rupt the automatic boot process with Shift, Alt, Ctrl, ScrollLock, or CapsLock.  If interrupted, the `boot:'  prompt  is	displayed.
	      This switch is overridden by the appearance of prompt in the configuration file.

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

       -E filename.ext
	      If  .ext	is  .bmp,  then take the file to be a bitmap graphic file for use in the "bitmap=" configuration file directive.  Enter an
	      interactive editor to create or update the color/placement information in the bitmap file LILO header.  (see 'bmp-colors',  'bmp-ta-
	      ble', and 'bmp-timer' on the man page for 'lilo.conf(5)'.)

	      If .ext is .dat, then take the file to be a configuration file which specifies bitmap graphic parameters, which are transferred into
	      the LILO header in the bitmap file of the same name.

	      When a .bmp file is modified using a graphics editor (e.g., GIMP), the LILO header will be lost.	It can be restored using the  .dat
	      file, which is used as a text-based backup for the LILO header information.

       -f disk-tab
	      Specify disk geometry parameter file. (The default is /etc/disktab.)

       -F     Override boot sector check for filesystems (e.g., swap, XFS, ...) which might be destroyed by the installation of the LILO boot sec-
	      tor on the first sector of the partition.  These filesystems use the first sector as a superblock.

	      Compare with "-P ignore", which bypasses certain partition table checks.

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

       -H     Override fatal halt when a RAID array does not have all disks active.

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

       -I label [D|a|i|k|r|R]
	      label  is taken to be the name of an image specified in the configuration file.  This command will print the path name of the corre-
	      sponding kernel file, keytable file, initial ramdisk file, root specification, or "append=" string  ("i",  "k",  "r",  "R",  or  "a"
	      option).	 The  "D" option ignores the label parameter, and prints the default "image=" label, or first "image=" label if no default
	      image is specified.

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

       -L     Generate 32-bit Logical Block Addresses instead of cylinder/head/sector 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|ext]
	      Install a Master Boot Record on the device specified as master-device, selecting the Standard or Extended Master Boot Loader per the
	      option.  The primary partition table on master-device is undisturbed.  If no valid Volume-ID (serial number) is present, then gener-
	      ate  one	and  write  it	to the MBR.  If mbr is specified, the Standard Master Boot Loader will search partitions 1-4 for an active
	      flag, and boot the flagged partition.  Only one active flag is allowed.  If ext is specified, the search	for  an  active  partition
	      will  include  extended partitions as well.  The presence of the Extended Master Boot Loader on the Master Boot Record (MBR = sector
	      0) of a disk affects the operation of the -A option.

       -p     Require interactive entry of all passwords specified as "" in the configuration file.

       -P {fix|ignore|<global-option>}
	      Fix or ignore `corrupt' partition tables, i.e., partition tables with linear and cylinder/head/sector addresses that do  not  corre-
	      spond.  Always try -P ignore first, as -P fix will re-write the partition table, possibly destroying all partitions on the disk.

	      -P  ignore is also used to bypass the partition table check for partition types within the partition table which might not allow the
	      installation of a LILO boot sector.  Compare with the "-F" flag, which overrides the check of the actual boot sector.

	      -P <global-option> allows the passing of any global option which may appear in the global section (top) of  the  configuration  file
	      (/etc/lilo.conf).  For instance, -P nowarn will pass the "nowarn" option, just as though "nowarn" appeared in the configuration file
	      (same as the "-w" switch).  Similarly, -P timeout=50 will add or override the "timeout=" line in the configuration file.	Note  that
	      the  general  -P	switch actually duplicates a number of command line option switches.  However, it is not strictly the same as some
	      switches whick cause an override of other options; e.g., "-g" (-P geometric), "-L" (-P lba32).

       -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.

       -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 writes a new boot sector, it preserves the former contents of the sector in a  file,  named  by  default  /boot/boot.NNNN,
	      where NNNN is the hexadecimal representation of the major and minor device numbers of the drive/partition. This option specifies the
	      backup save file in one of three ways: a save directory (default is '/boot') using the default filename 'boot.NNNN' in the specified
	      directory; a pathname template to which '.NNNN' is appended (default would be '/boot/boot'); or the full pathname of the file, which
	      must include the correct '.NNNN' suffix. When used with the -u option, the full file pathname must be specified.

       -S save-file
	      Normally, lilo will not overwrite an existing boot sector save file. This options says that overwriting is to be forced. As with -s,
	      the specification may be of a save directory, pathname template, or full pathname (which includes the '.NNNN' suffix.)

       -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=<drive> list drive geometry for bios drive;
			 e.g., geom=0x80
		 geom  - list drive geometry for all drives
		 table=<drive> list the primary partition table;
			 e.g., table=/dev/sda
		 video - list graphic modes available to boot
			 loader

       -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     Used as -w or -w-, suppress warning messages.  Used as -w+, override nowarn in the configuration file, and show warning messages.

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

       -X     Reserved for LILO internal use.  May produce different output for different LILO versions. The line beginning "CFLAGS=" will contain
	      the compiler options used to generate this version of LILO.

       -z     When used with the `-M' switch, clears the Volume-ID.  Usually used in the following sequence to generate a new Volume-ID:
		   lilo -z -M /dev/hda
		   lilo -M /dev/hda

       -Z option
	      Tells  the  boot installer whether special precautions need to be taken because the BIOS fails to pass the correct device code in DL
	      (-Z0). Or may specify that the BIOS always gets DL right (-Z1). Corresponds to, and overrides, the configuration file option  'bios-
	      passes-dl='.

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

	      -b bootdev       boot=bootdev
	      -B file.bmp      bitmap=file.bmp
	      -c	       compact
	      -d dsec	       delay=dsec
	      -D label	       default=label

	      -i boot-loader   install=boot-loader
	      -f file	       disktab=file
	      -g	       geometric
	      -l	       linear
	      -L	       lba32
	      -m mapfile       map=mapfile
	      -P fix	       fix-table
	      -P ignore        ignore-table
	      -s file	       backup=file
	      -S file	       force-backup=file
	      -v [N]	       verbose=N
	      -w	       nowarn
	      -x option        raid-extra-boot=option
	      -Z option        bios-passes-dl=option

BOOT OPTIONS

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

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

       mem=###[,K,M,G]
	      Specifies the maximum memory in the system in bytes, kilobytes, megabytes, or gigabytes.	This option is not removed from  the  com-
	      mand line, and is always passed to the kernel.

       nobd   Suppresses the BIOS data check.  This option is reserved for use with non-IBM-compliant BIOS's which hang with the lines:

		   Loading...............
		   BIOS data check

       vga=[ASK,EXT,EXTENDED,NORMAL,###,0x###]
	      Allows overriding the default video mode upon kernel startup.

BOOT ERRORS

       The  boot  process takes place in two stages.  The first stage loader is a single sector, and is loaded by the BIOS or by the loader in the
       MBR.  It loads the multi-sector second stage loader, but is very space limited.	When the first stage loader gets  control,  it	types  the
       letter "L"; when it is ready to transfer control to the second stage loader it types the letter "I".  If any error occurs, like a disk read
       error, it will put out a hexadecimal error code, and then it will re-try the operation.	All hex error codes are BIOS return values, except
       for the lilo-generated 40, 99 and 9A.  A partial list of error codes follows:

	      00  no error
	      01  invalid disk command
	      02  address mark not found
	      03  disk write-protected
	      04  sector not found
	      06  floppy disk removed
	      08  DMA overrun
	      0A  bad sector flag
	      0B  bad track flag
	      20  controller failure
	      40  seek failure (BIOS)
	      40  cylinder>1023 (LILO)
	      99  invalid second stage index sector (LILO)
	      9A  no second stage loader signature (LILO)
	      AA  drive not ready
	      FF  sense operation failed

       Error  code 40 is generated by the BIOS, or by LILO during the conversion of a linear (24-bit) disk address to a geometric (C:H:S) address.
       On older systems which do not support lba32 (32-bit) addressing, this error may also be generated.  Errors 99 and 9A usually mean  the  map
       file  (-m  or  map=) is not readable, likely because LILO was not re-run after some system change, or there is a geometry mis-match between
       what LILO used (lilo -v3 to display) and what is actually being used by the BIOS (one of the lilo diagnostic disks, available in the source
       distribution, may be needed to diagnose this problem).

       When  the  second  stage  loader  has  received control from the first stage, it prints the letter "L", and when it has initialized itself,
       including verifying the "Descriptor Table" - the list of kernels/others to boot - it will print the letter  "O",  to  form  the	full  word
       "LILO", in uppercase.

       All second stage loader error messages are English text, and try to pinpoint, more or less successfully, the point of failure.

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 incompatibility has been resolved with reiserfs 3.6.18 and lilo 21.6.  reiser4 introduced with  the  2.5.x  kernels  requires
       lilo 22.5.2 or later.

       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'  should specify a backup directory or backup file pathname template on all RAID
       installations. Use of an explicit filename may not allow multiple backup files to be created correctly. It is best to use the default mech-
       anism, as it works correctly in all cases.

SEE ALSO

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

       The  lilo  distribution comes with very extensive TeX documentation through Version 21.	Text file README's in the source directory provide
       updates on more recent topics.  This can be found in /usr/share/doc/lilo-doc/ on Debian-based systems.

AUTHORS

       Werner Almesberger <almesber@lrc.epfl.ch> (versions 0 to 21)
       John Coffman <johninsd@san.rr.com> (21.2 to present date)

								    07 Oct 2005 							   LILO(8)