# Lilo **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 14, 2002, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lilo/123918 "2002-08-14T23:00:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SlickRoenick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@SlickRoenick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlickRoenick)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2002, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lilo/123918/1 "2002-08-14T23:00:51Z")
My MBR got changed when i reinstalled windows. I realized later that LILO is now gone. So how do I put LILO (or GRUB) back on the MBR? p.s. I don’t know much about Red Hat. I am very much new to it so please be as basic as possible. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2002, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lilo/123918/2 "2002-08-14T23:02:08Z")
You lost Lilo? Don’t lose Stitch… 😃 Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lilo/123918/3 "2002-08-15T00:54:35Z")
Go download tomsrtbt (Google) and make the floppy. Restart with the floppy then do the following command: ```auto $ mount /dev/hda1 /mnt $ (...mount all other partitions in /mnt which should be your root) $ chroot /mnt lilo ``` NOTE: hda1 is an example - type the right hda number for your partition! Make sure that /mnt/etc/lilo.conf is properly configured before running the chroot command. Reboot. [sub]so says my SO, who is the “dilbert” for his Software eng class, and apparently it happens to him alot 🙂 I ( **mnem** know NOTHING about Linux :)[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![FyreFiend](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/919ad9/32.png) [@FyreFiend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FyreFiend)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lilo/123918/4 "2002-08-15T01:04:28Z")
You can boot with the book disk you made and then rerun lilo. (You did create a book disk right?) Assuming you didn’t (I didn’t my first time either) you can boot with the install cd. There should be an option to boot into rescue mode. from there you’ll need to mount your root partition somewhere (“mount /dev/\ /mnt/\”) then run “lilo -C /mnt/\/etc/lilo.conf” ---
**Author:** ![SlickRoenick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@SlickRoenick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlickRoenick)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lilo/123918/5 "2002-08-15T20:33:57Z")
I used FyreFiend’s method (b/c I don’t know where to use the $ from mnem’s post) with the boot disk. It did’nt quite go the way you said, but at least lilo does come back after post. Windows98 boots fine, but Red Hat gets an error: Kernal panic: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on 03:06. The system locks and CAPS LOCK and SCROLL LOCK lights flash on the keyboard. Where did I go wrong? ---
**Author:** ![essohbee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71c47a/32.png) [@essohbee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/essohbee)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lilo/123918/6 "2002-08-15T21:07:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Muldoon III \* > **I used FyreFiend’s method (b/c I don’t know where to use the $ from mnem’s post) with the boot disk.** The $ are simply the prompt of the command shell you will be using, you wont have to type those. They’re simply added in the post to make show which command that goes on which line. This is as far as my linux-knowledge goes. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![FyreFiend](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/919ad9/32.png) [@FyreFiend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FyreFiend)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lilo/123918/7 "2002-08-15T21:10:02Z")
The just meant the prompt. You didn't need to type the , just everything after it. Okay, the system can’t find your root partition. Reboot with the rescue CD and remount your root partition. Then double check your /mnt/\/etc/lilo.conf and /mnt/\/etc/fstab to make sure that lilo has the correct root partition set. If you still need help post both your lilo.conf and the root partition’s line in fstab and we’ll be able to help you batter. ---
**Author:** ![SlickRoenick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@SlickRoenick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlickRoenick)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2002, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lilo/123918/8 "2002-08-17T01:47:44Z")
Well I still can’t seem to boot from lilo. So here is lilo.conf and fstab: _ **lilo.conf** _ prompt timeout=50 default=Windows98 boot=/dev/hda map=/boot/map install=/boot/boot.b message=/boot/message lba32 image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.18-3 label=RedHatLinux read-only root=/dev/hda7 append=“hdd=ide-scsi” other=/dev/hda1 optional label=Windows98 _ **fstab** _ LABEL=/ / ext2 defaults 1 1 none /dev/pts devpts gid=5,mode=620 0 0 none /proc proc defaults 0 0 none /dev/shm tmpfs defaults 0 0 /dev/hda5 swap swap defaults 0 0 /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom iso9660 noauto,owner,kudzu,ro 0 0 /dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy auto noauto,owner,kudzu 0 0 /dev/fd1 /mnt/floppy1 auto noauto,owner,kudzu 0 0 ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2002, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lilo/123918/9 "2002-08-17T03:22:56Z")
Like **zev\_steinhardt** , I assumed this was about a Disney character. A little attention to detail would doubtless have alerted me to the fact that this ain’t Cafe Society. I’m so embarrassed. ---
**Author:** ![SlickRoenick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@SlickRoenick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlickRoenick)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2002, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lilo/123918/10 "2002-08-18T02:52:51Z")
kayla and zev, both your replies remind me of something handy would say. ---
**Author:** ![d12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/71c47a/32.png) [@d12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/d12)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2002, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lilo/123918/11 "2002-08-19T03:50:09Z")
_whew_ At least I’m not the only one wondering what the hell all that was.