[ Date Index ] [ Thread Index ] [ <= Previous by date / thread ] [ Next by date / thread => ]
Paul Weaver wrote: > On Tue, Aug 15, 2006 at 09:01:45AM +0100, Terry Hill wrote: > >> I solved it quickly by booting with the cd, logging to root and >> running setup/configure and choosing to install lilo on the MBR, >> overwriting the Grub loader. >> >> I'd assumed that killing the partitions would have killed the MBR, I >> can see now why thats not the case, but was wondering if anyone knew >> of a way to control the contents of the MBR for future reference so >> that I can kill an old grub install if I want to boot from a lilo >> install on a boot partition? >> > You can't just wipe an MBR, otherwise nothing would work. There has to > be something there. You can backup your current MBR using > dd if=/dev/hda of=/path/to/backup.mbr bs=512 count=1 > > To install lilo's default MBR, use "lilo -M /dev/hda", I'm not sure > what happens then, but I believe the settings in lilo.conf are written > directly into the MBR (512 bytes on the HDD) > > To install dos->windows 98's default MBR (which passes control to the active > partition), run "fdisk /mbr" off a windows/dos boot disk. > > Grub's MBR is "Stage 1" of the grub install, it passes control to "stage > 2", which reads from menu.lst. It's set when you install grub. You'll > find a copy of it in /boot/grub/stage1 (note 512 bytes) > > http://mirror.href.com/thestarman/asm/mbr/GRUB.htm will tell you more > than you could ever know about the MBR I thought you *could* quite safely have a disk with a blank MBR so long as you weren't planning on having that disk booting from the BIOS - ie it's either purely a "data" disk, or it's a second (or third, etc) disk in the system and the bootloader (GRUB or LiLo, or whatever) is held on *another* disk. Grant. -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG http://mailman.dclug.org.uk/listinfo/list FAQ: http://www.dcglug.org.uk/linux_adm/list-faq.html