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> Thanks. I wanted to try getting LILO to work
> first, since it's supposed to! :) I thought
> i had everything set up correctly, and since
> it didn't work, i'd like to find out why ...
> as a learning experience.

The linux /boot directory has to be in the first 1024 sectors (about 1GB). 
You can make another /boot directory in the first 1GB:

mount /dev/hda1 /hd
mkdir /hd/boot
edit lilo.conf to change /boot to /hd/boot, 
copy kernel and boot.b from  /boot to /hd/boot
lilo -v.

I learned this by reading the instructions for lilo in a book or online.

You can set lilo.conf to write to a floppy disk (/dev/fd0) instead of the 
hard disk (/dev/hda) MBR.  Please hunt in the BL archives for my recent 
postings on this (within the last few months).

> I should have mentioned that when i do have the
> active partition set to /dev/hda6, to boot LILO,
> the /etc/lilo.conf "prompt" and "timeout" commands
> don't seem to be doing anything. I need to start
> with the floppy, but still need to press "CTRL"
> during LILO booting to get the "boot:" prompt.

I don't need to do this unless I want a choice of operating systems to 
boot to.

> At the same time, i do want to be able to boot
> the Compaq into either Windows or BL without
> needing a floppy, so i'm willing to try your
> method too. Thanks.

You can set it to boot to DOS (and from DOS to Windows) as an alternate.


Try something like this after you mount /dev/hda1 /hd and copy
kernel and boot.b to /hd/boot/.  Change hda7 to hda6, default=BL3, and 
delete the BL2 part if you want only DOS and BL3.
This is for DOS in the first partition (I forget where yours is).


boot=/dev/fd0  (to boot from floppy disk with lilo)
(Or boot=/dev/hda to boot with lilo from hard disk MBR)
install=/hd/boot/boot.b
default=BL2

other=/dev/hda1
table=/dev/hda
label=DOS
(This lets you boot to DOS and from there to Windows with 'win')

image=/hd/bl2/zimage.p2
label=BL3
root=/dev/hda7
read-write
# vga=791  (uncomment this to use vesafb for more columns)

image=/hd/bl2/bzimavps.431  (my 2.4.31 kernel)
label=BL2
root=/dev/hda9
read-only
#vga=791


When you are booting you can hit Ctrl to get a menu of choices, or just 
let it boot to the default.

Good luck.

Sindi