BootManager without LiLo/GRUB

[imWACC0]

I have an old Compaq LTE 5200 that I'm trying get running. 120MHz, 68meg RAM, 4x PCMCIA, 2x CD, 12Gb HDD.

For some reason modern bootloaders don't like it (errors include LiLo 99, and GRUB 2, 17, 18) PLoP BootManager is the first I could get working. I've booted, from CD... DSL, DSL-N, and Puppy.

The thing I can't seem to figure out is how to load from PLoP BootManager with out installing LiLo or GRUB.

Right now I have:
MBR - PLoP BootManager
hda1 Ext2 - 50meg
hda2 Ext2 ~11.5G
hda3 Swap - 256meg

Other thing 1024 cylinder/528Mb is keeping the first partition small

[Icecube]

Did you try to install Syslinux on one of your partitions?
Syslinux 4.00 supports ext2/3/4, fat12/13/32 and btrfs:
http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/boot/syslinux/Testing/

[imWACC0]

Not yet, work with slitaz next (just tryed TinyCore)... I'll try syslinux next

[Elmar]

hi,

For some reason modern bootloaders don't like it (errors include LiLo 99, and GRUB 2, 17, 18)

what error do you get with the different boot managers?

regards
elmar

[imWACC0]

Well, LiLo gives me 99, and GRUB first gave me 2, then 17, and last but not least 18.

or in shorthand "LiLo 99, and GRUB 2, 17, 18"

[Elmar]

please tell me the values when you go to setup/partitions/hda1 and then "view/edit/modify"

[imWACC0]

BP 00 01 01 00 83 EF 3F 35 - 3F 00 00 00 21 75 0C 00

P1 80 01 01 00 83 EF 3F 35 - 3F 00 00 00 21 75 0C 00
P2 00 EF FF FF 82 EF FF FF - 70 4C 60 01 00 62 07 00
P3 00 00 01 36 83 EF BF FB - 60 75 0C 00 60 CE A3 00
P4 00 00 81 FC 83 EF FF FF - C0 43 B0 00 B0 08 B0 00

[Elmar]

where did you try to install lilo? to mbr, hda1 or hda2?

[imWACC0]

The layout right now (at least how DSL reads it)....

MBR - PLoP
hda1 - 418mb - LiLo and DSL w/ boot flag
hda3 - 5496mb - empty
hda4 - 5906mb - empty
hda2 - 236mb - Swap

[Elmar]

ok,
in your case, i would recreate again a small first partition with about 50mb ext2 or ext3 which became /boot and mounted to /boot, then the second partition as root partition for linux with ext2 or ext3 and then the swap partition. install again any linux but with lilo/grub installed to the first partition /boot. for testing use lilo. if it does not boot up, then we have to reconfigure lilo. post the /etc/lilo.conf here.

about your first question, my boot manager itself cannot load a linux kernel. it can handle only boot sectors. so a linux loader has to be installed to the boot sector of any partition.

regards
elmar

[imWACC0]

I have been only working with ext2, DSL says that ext3 may not work with legacy hardware.

Do you have any thoughts on weather I should be using the 2.4 or 2.6 kernel?

Side note: This is not the final layout, I hope to get DSL-N and Puppy on it also. Anything can be changed, I just want it to work with some sort of GUI. Weather that is Linux or BSD, I don't care.

[Elmar]

you find the differences about ext2 and ext3 in the web. if you don't need the few features of ext3 then use ext2.

about the kernel, i can't remember when i used 2.4 the last time. its very long time ago. i think for your hardware it doesn't matter which one you use.

[imWACC0]

Just did the DSL-hdInstall... It over rights the MBR. Going to take me a wile to get PLoP back on.

I'll post what's in LiLo ( /etc/lilo.conf ) once I get it into the other laptop.

[imWACC0]

Iiiiiiii'mmmmmm BACK!!!  8)

Getting weirdness from an MSI: FM2-A75IA-E53

Just need an all-in-one boot-loader that I can use without having to open a OS. Thanks for that!!!

The big reason that I'm posting is to donate. I don't have any bitcoin, and PayPal screwed me over... Any other way to get you a little something, or to help out?