Lazy's Linux Adventures

[lazygamer]

I hope you guys never turn on me one day and say "Your too stupid to be a Linux dude, go back to Windows!".  

Ok so I decided not to go with Redhat after all, and to QUIT jumping my fucking distro around. Pick one, and stick with it. So I decided it's time to take a stand against Linux and my cowardice and use Libranet. After all Libranet is susposed to be rather user friendly.

So I guess if I wanna see the beauty of Linux, I should probably spend one hour per day on it, likely doing manual reading.

Ok now some questions.

1)I use the grub bootloader, the Windows XP dual boot option does not work. I know Mandrake dual
booted just fine. This is the commands list for the Libranet Windows boot option:

root (hd 1,0)
 Filesystem is fat, partition type 0xc
makeactive
chainloader+1

All it does is list those commands, and attempts to boot. It obviously attempted to boot because I can't go back into the bootloader, I can only reboot.

2)During my Linux boot up, there is a part that takes 20+ seconds. It basically is a page filled
with numbers(with the odd letter mixed in) in the format of

, XXX:XX/XX, (repeated 5 times)

At the bottom it says "Not automatically fixing this". I haven't been able to read out any possible description of what the problem(?) is. Any ideas? Where would I read a log of my boot on Linux? Total boot time, around 140 seconds.

3)How would I go about backing up my Linux, so if it won't boot or work correctly, I could simply
solve the problem by overwriting the system files with an older, properly working backup? I do
have a CD burner...

4)I also have a bootdisk(made during install) that works fine, would that allow me to get into
Linux if I fucked it up so it woulden't boot via the harddisk? What if I fuck something up more
worse then the boot?

5)How do I get Libranet to reboot or shutdown without having to log off first?

6)It appears Libranet is a profit distro, and doesn't offer 2.7 free for download. How do they
work, do they offer a pay version for free after they put out something more modern?

[Calum]

4) yes, that's what its for

5) type "shutdown -r now" for an instant reboot, type "shutdown -h now" for an instant shutdown. also "man shutdown" for more options.

[TheQuirk]

As for backup, look into the "mkisofs" and "dd" commands. You can easily make your computer do regular backups and upload them to another computer/hard drive/partion

[voidmain]

And if you are fortunate enough to have a DLT tape drive like myself you might want to check into "Amanda". Of course you can also just use tar or cpio to do backups to tape as well. Amanda is a really good backup system and will do remote backups of your clients, and do full/incremental backups on schedule. It can even handle a robotic tape library but I doubt you have one of those (I do at work).

[choasforages]

i would rather support a dumb dude with linux, then a bright one with windows/*not that your stupid*/ just practice, it takes time to learn how to play with the iner workings of linux. infact im doing it right now, and redhat has me pissed, and so does rpm. im trying to install gnome2.0.2 and running into rpm files that i have to remove

[choasforages]

as for backing things up, just back up important files, things that are "hard to find" like winex and stuff, and other cool things, just don't do something stupied and backup all the userlands or something like that. and yes, like takes a long time to learn.

[lazygamer]

Yo yo dudez im still here, im feeling rather unanswered... helpz0r! -Lazy's thread

Well I can understand if some of these questions are stumpers, but how to dual boot XP/Linux from a Grub boot menu when the standard issue wind0ze boot commands don't wanna work? That should be EASY for all those linux d00dz here.

No I can't throw XP in the garbage.  

[voidmain]

Hopefully yer not waiting on me to answer. I hope to never find out how to do it because I plan on never, ever, ever, never, not in a million years, ever touch XPee.

But I know I have seen plenty of people doing it without a problem. Have you tried searching Google? Or your distro's web site? I'm not trying to be unhelpful.

[TheQuirk]

It happened to my friend a few times. XP stops working after you install Grub. But it works with Lilo.

Pff, go figure.

[Ice-9]

The following might help you out, even if Redhat is used in the example below, it should work with Libranet too since I think the Grub and Lilo configs are the same from one distro to another.
here's the link if you want to check out the whole thing.
http://isdc.unige.ch/~ebisawa/linux.html

Redhat 7.3 is installed. When the machine is started, "grub" screen appears, but Windows XP is gone!! Start Redhat, and edit /bootd/grub/menu.list. It looks like as follows:

  # grub.conf generated by anaconda
  #
  # Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this file
  # NOTICE:  You have a /boot partition.  This means that
  #          all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /boot/, eg.
  #          root (hd0,1)
  #          kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/hda3
  #          initrd /initrd-version.img
  #boot=/dev/hda
  default=0
  timeout=10
  splashimage=(hd0,1)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
  title Red Hat Linux (2.4.18-3)
  root (hd0,1)
  kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.18-3 ro root=/dev/hda3 hdd=ide-scsi
  initrd /initrd-2.4.18-3.img


Append the following:

  title Windows XP
  root (hd0,0)
  makeactive
  chainloader +1

[Master of Reality]

make sure you change "root (hd0,0)" with wherever your windows root partition is.
hd0,0 is the first HD and the first partition (they start at zero)
hd1,0 would be the second HD and the first partition.
etc.

[KernelPanic]

Surely, as long as you use chainloader +1 it should all be fine?

[lazygamer]

Alright let's take the Linuxmobile for a spin with this l33t new advice!

[lazygamer]

Lol can you believe this, it still don't work! Everything that should be there is already there, bootloader is point to the proper drive and partition. Sigh. W2K might sound better(see my other thread in wind0ze section).

Hmmm but that could take awhile, I want my efficient dual boot asap. Is it possible to transplant a Lilo bootloader and get rid of Grub? Maybe Grub just has some quirk with XP on my system. I don't believe Libranet install comes with a Lilo option, but I could be wrong.

[lazygamer]

Bump! Anyone got an answer for me? Well I would like to know the answer to #6, but especially #2. That #2 sounds like it's a problem that takes up a shitload of boot time.

The other question now is, how do you go about transplanting Lilo over Grub without re-installing Libranet? Does Libranet offer a Lilo option(probably would easily solve this problem) in the install? I don't remember, but I suppose if no one can I'll probably have to see for myself.