Baslinux mailing list

[3aoo-cvfd AT dea.spamcon.org]

Normally I set up my computers to boot to DOS and
then boot Linux using loadlin.exe.  The main reason
for this is that it provides me with a platform to
choose different kernels and different root filesystems
(using a menu or .bat files), and it makes it easy to 
fix things when my experiments go wrong and leave Linux 
in an unbootable state.    

So, until now, I've made little use of lilo.  However,
that has now changed.  I've just bought a cheap second-
hand laptop that won't let DOS and BL3 coexist.  In
particular, Xvesa refuses to work on that laptop when
it boots via DOS.  I've tried various versions of DOS, 
from 3.3 to DrD.  They all stop Xvesa.  And that's
without config.sys and autoexec.bat.  Just the bare DOS.

So, now I'm booting that laptop directly into Linux with
lilo.  And I must admit that Xvesa works beautifully that
way.  65536 colors at 800x600 (which is pretty good for 
a junk laptop).  However, lilo is causing some new problems
for me.  

Normally, I am happy for CTRL-ALT-DEL to reboot the computer.
The computer starts booting DOS and I turn it off.  No problem.
DOS doesn't care if you poweroff in the middle of something.
However, with lilo the computer quickly reboots Linux and it's
a race to get the computer turned off before Linux comes up.
As we all know, turning the power off when Linux is running
is not a good idea.

What makes the problem particularly acute is that this cheap
laptop has a very flakey off button.  It often takes two 
or three presses to get it to register.  So, there I am
madly stabbing at the off button trying to get the power 
off before lilo relauches Linux.

This is easily fixed.  Simply edit /etc/inittab and change
the ::ctrlaltdel: line from /sbin/reboot to /sbin/poweroff.
Then, when you press CTRL-ALT-DEL, the computer will come
to a complete stop and tell you it's safe to turn off the
power.  Or, if you actually want the computer to reboot,
press CTRL-ALT-DEL again and it will reboot.

Note:  the instructions in /etc/inittab are implement at
       system startup; therefore, any changes you make will
       not occur until the next startup.  That means any
       changes to CTRL-ALT-DEL will not occur until after
       the system is rebooted.

Cheers,
Steven