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74 .TH LILO 8 "2015-11-22" "24.2" "lilo documentation"
75 .\" For nroff, turn off justification. Always turn off hyphenation; it makes
76 .\" way too many mistakes in technical documents.
80 lilo \- install boot loader of LiLO
93 \&\fBlilo\fR \fB\-A\fR # activate/show active partition
95 \&\fBlilo\fR \fB\-E\fR # edit header or update a bitmap file
97 \&\fBlilo\fR \fB\-I\fR # inquire path name of current kernel
99 \&\fBlilo\fR \fB\-M\fR # write a Master Boot Loader on a device
101 \&\fBlilo\fR \fB\-q\fR # query map and show its content
103 \&\fBlilo\fR \fB\-R\fR # set default command line for next reboot
105 \&\fBlilo\fR \fB\-T\fR # tell more about specified topic
107 \&\fBlilo\fR \fB{\-u|\-U}\fR # uninstall LiLO boot loader
109 .IX Header "DESCRIPTION"
110 lilo installs a boot loader that will be activated the next time you boot
111 your system. The default configuration file \fI/etc/lilo.conf\fR (see manpage
112 \&\fIlilo.conf\fR\|(5)) will contain most options, but many, including those which
113 override the configuration file, may be specified on the command line.
116 .IP "\fB\-A\fR \fImaster-device [N]\fR" 4
117 .IX Item "-A master-device [N]"
118 Used with a single argument, inquire of active partition on device \fImaster-device\fR;
119 e.g. \fI/dev/sda\fR. With N==0: deactivate all partitions on the device. With N in
120 the range [1..n]: activate the specified partition and deactivate all others.
121 Normally, only primary partitions [1..4] may be activated, but if the 'Extended
122 Master Boot Loader' is present on the Master Boot Record (\s-1MBR\s0) of the device
123 (see the \-M option), any partition may be made active. Whether the actual \s-1OS\s0
124 in the partition will boot from a logical partition depends on the characteristics
125 of the \s-1OS. LILO\s0 boot records for Linux may be booted from a logical partition.
126 .IP "\fB\-b\fR \fIbootdev\fR" 4
127 .IX Item "-b bootdev"
128 Set the boot device where the boot loader will be installed. For example
129 \&\fI\*(L"\-b /dev/sda\*(R"\fR set the Master Boot Record (\s-1MBR\s0) on the first disk as boot
130 device. \fI\*(L"\-b /dev/sdb5\*(R"\fR set the first logical partition on the second disk
132 .IP "\fB\-B\fR \fIbitmap-file\fR" 4
133 .IX Item "-B bitmap-file"
134 Define a bitmap file for the boot-time graphics screen, preferably one already
135 pre-processed with the \fI\-E\fR option.
138 Enable map compaction. This will merge read requests from adjacent sectors.
139 Speeds up the booting especially from floppy.
140 .IP "\fB\-C\fR \fIconfig-file\fR" 4
141 .IX Item "-C config-file"
142 Set another pathname and filename for the configuration file. The default
143 configuration file is \fI/etc/lilo.conf\fR.
144 .IP "\fB\-d\fR \fIdelay-time\fR" 4
145 .IX Item "-d delay-time"
146 Set the delay time in tenths of a second ('20' = 2 sec) before automatically
147 booting the first image. This give you time to interrupt the automatic boot
148 process with: Shift, Alt, Ctrl, ScrollLock, or CapsLock. If interrupted, the
149 \&\fIboot:\fR prompt will be displayed.
151 This switch will be overridden by the appearance of \fIprompt\fR in the
153 .IP "\fB\-D\fR \fIlabel\fR" 4
155 Use the kernel with the given label as the default kernel to boot, instead of
156 the first one in the list of the configuration file.
157 .IP "\fB\-E\fR \fIfilename.xxx\fR" 4
158 .IX Item "-E filename.xxx"
159 If the extension \fB.xxx\fR is \fB.bmp\fR, then take the file to be a bitmap graphic file
160 for use in the \fIbitmap=\fR configuration file directive. Enter an interactive
161 editor to create or update the color/placement information in the \s-1LILO\s0 header
162 of this bitmap file. (see \fIbmp-colors\fR, \fIbmp-table\fR, and \fIbmp-timer\fR on the
163 manual page for \fIlilo.conf (5)\fR.)
165 If \fB.xxx\fR is \fB.dat\fR then take this file to be a configuration file to set bitmap
166 graphic parameters, which are transferred into the \s-1LILO\s0 header in the bitmap file
169 When a \fB.bmp\fR file is modified using a graphics editor (e.g. \s-1GIMP\s0), the \s-1LILO\s0
170 header will be lost. It can be restored using the \fBdat\fR file, which is used as
171 a text-based backup for the \s-1LILO\s0 header information.
172 .IP "\fB\-f\fR \fIdisk-tab\fR" 4
173 .IX Item "-f disk-tab"
174 Set another disk geometry parameter file. The default is \fI/etc/disktab\fR.
177 Override boot sector check for filesystems (e.g., swap, ext4, xfs ...) which
178 might be destroyed by the installation of the \s-1LILO\s0 boot sector on the first
179 sector of the partition if these filesystems use the first sector as a superblock.
181 Compare with \fI\-P ignore\fR, which bypasses certain partition table checks.
184 Generate 'cylinder/head/sector' (\s-1CHS\s0 geometric) disk addresses. Limited to cylinders
185 up to 1023. Forces compatibility with very old versions of \s-1LILO \s0\fI(obsolete switch)\fR.
188 Override fatal halt if a \s-1RAID\s0 array does not have all disks active.
189 .IP "\fB\-I\fR \fIlabel [D|a|i|k|r|R]\fR" 4
190 .IX Item "-I label [D|a|i|k|r|R]"
191 \&\fBlabel\fR is taken to be the name of an image specified in the configuration file.
192 This command will print the path name of the corresponding kernel file, keytable
193 file, initial ramdisk file, root specification, or \*(L"append=\*(R" string (\*(L"i\*(R", \*(L"k\*(R",
194 \&\*(L"r\*(R", \*(L"R\*(R", or \*(L"a\*(R" option). The \*(L"D\*(R" option ignores the \fBlabel\fR parameter and
195 prints the default \*(L"image=\*(R" label, or the first \*(L"image=\*(R" label is selected if
196 no default \fBimage\fR is set.
199 Generate 24\-bit linear sector addresses instead of cylinder/head/sector addresses.
202 Generate 32\-bit Logical Block Addresses (\s-1LBA\s0) instead of cylinder/head/sector (\s-1CHS\s0)
203 addresses, allowing access to all partitions on disks with more than 1024 cylinders.
204 (This is the default geometry).
205 .IP "\fB\-m\fR \fImap-file\fR" 4
206 .IX Item "-m map-file"
207 Use another map file instead of the default file /boot/map.
208 .IP "\fB\-M\fR \fImaster-device\fR \fB{mbr|ext}\fR" 4
209 .IX Item "-M master-device {mbr|ext}"
210 Install a Master Boot Record on the device specified as master-device, selecting
211 the Standard or Extended Master Boot Loader per option. The primary partition
212 table on master-device is undisturbed. If no valid Volume-ID (serial number) is
213 present, then generate one and write it to the \s-1MBR.\s0 If \fImbr\fR is set, the
214 Standard Master Boot Loader will search partitions 1\-4 for an active flag, and
215 boot the flagged partition. Only one active flag is allowed. If \fIext\fR is set,
216 the search for an active partition will include logical partitions as well.
217 The presence of the Extended Master Boot Loader on the Master Boot Record
218 (\s-1MBR\s0 = sector 0) of a disk affects the operation of the \fI\-A\fR option.
221 Require interactive entry of all passwords set as "" in the configuration file.
222 .IP "\fB\-P\fR \fI{fix|ignore|<global\-option\fR}>" 4
223 .IX Item "-P {fix|ignore|<global-option}>"
224 Fix or ignore 'corrupt' partition tables, e.g. partition tables with linear and
225 cylinder/head/sector addresses that do not correspond. Always try \fBignore\fR
226 first, as \fBfix\fR will re-write the partition table, possibly destroying all
227 partitions on the disk.
229 \&\fBignore\fR is also used to bypass the partition table check for partition types
230 within the partition table which might not allow the installation of a \s-1LILO\s0 boot
231 sector. Compare with the '\-F' flag, which overrides the check of the actual
234 \&\fB<global\-option>\fR allows the passing of any global option which may
235 appear in the global section (top) of the configuration file (\fI/etc/lilo.conf\fR).
236 For instance \fI'\-P nowarn'\fR will pass the 'nowarn' option, just as though 'nowarn'
237 appeared in the configuration file (same as the '\-w' switch). Similarly
238 \&\fI'\-P timeout=50'\fR will add or override the 'timeout=' line in the configuration
239 file. Note that the general \fB\-P\fR switch actually duplicates a number of command
240 line option switches. However, it is not strictly the same as some switches which
241 cause an override of other options; e.g. '\-g' (\-P geometric), '\-L' (\-P lba32).
244 List the currently mapped files. \fBlilo\fR maintains a file, by default \fI/boot/map\fR,
245 containing each name and location of the kernel(s) to boot. This option will list
246 the names therein. Use with \fB\-v\fR for more detailed information about the
247 installed boot loader.
248 .IP "\fB\-r\fR \fIroot-directory\fR" 4
249 .IX Item "-r root-directory"
250 Before doing anything else, do a \fI'chroot'\fR to the indicated directory. The new
251 root directory must contain a \fI/dev\fR directory and may need a /boot directory.
252 It may also need an \fI/etc/lilo.conf\fR file.
253 .IP "\fB\-R\fR \fIcommand-line\fR" 4
254 .IX Item "-R command-line"
255 This option sets the default command for the boot loader for the next time it
256 executes. After execution the boot loader will erase this line because it is a
257 once-only command. It is typically used in reboot scripts, just before calling
258 \&'shutdown \-r'. Used without any arguments, it will cancel a \fIlock\fR\-ed or
259 \&\fIfallback\fR command line.
261 This Command line starts with image identifier (as shown during map file update),
262 then space, then kernel parameters. The kernel parameters are appended to kernel
263 command line constructed routinely. In either case, it there were parameters
264 or not, such one-time command will be treated by loaders code, as if it is set
265 at 'boot:' prompt. This could lead to 'password:' prompt at boot time. Be warned!
266 Refer to \fI\fIlilo.conf\fI\|(5)\fR for details.
267 .IP "\fB\-s\fR \fIsave-file\fR" 4
268 .IX Item "-s save-file"
269 When lilo writes a new boot sector, it preserves the former contents of the boot
270 sector in a file, named by default /boot/boot.NNNN, where \s-1NNNN\s0 is the hexadecimal
271 representation of the major and minor device numbers of the drive/partition.
273 This option defines the backup save file in one of three ways: a save directory
274 (default is '/boot') using the default filename 'boot.NNNN' in the defined
275 directory; a pathname template to which '.NNNN' is appended (default would be
276 \&'/boot/boot'); or the full pathname of the file, which must include the correct
277 \&'.NNNN' suffix. When used with the \-u option, the full file pathname must be set.
278 .IP "\fB\-S\fR \fIsave-file\fR" 4
279 .IX Item "-S save-file"
280 Normally lilo will not overwrite an existing boot sector save file. This options
281 says that overwriting is to be forced. As with \-s, the setting may be of a save
282 directory, pathname template, or full pathname (which includes the '.NNNN' suffix).
285 Test only. Do not really write a new boot sector or map file. Use together with
286 \&\fB\-v\fR to find out what lilo is about to do.
287 .IP "\fB\-T\fR \fIoption\fR" 4
289 Print out system information, some of it extracted from system bios. This is more
290 convenient than booting the \s-1LILO\s0 diagnostic floppy on problem systems. \fBoption\fR
291 may be any one of the following:
294 \& help print a list of available diagnostics
295 \& ChRul list the partition types subject to
297 \& EBDA list Extended BIOS Data Area information
298 \& geom=<drive> list drive geometry for bios drive;
300 \& geom list drive geometry for all drives
301 \& table=<drive> list the primary partition table;
302 \& e.g. table=/dev/sda
303 \& video list graphic modes available to boot
306 .IP "\fB\-u\fR \fI[device\-name]\fR" 4
307 .IX Item "-u [device-name]"
308 Uninstall lilo by copying the saved boot sector back. The \fB\-s\fR and \fB\-C\fR switches
309 may be used with this option. The device-name is optional. A time-stamp is
311 .IP "\fB\-U\fR \fI[device\-name]\fR" 4
312 .IX Item "-U [device-name]"
313 The same as '\-u', but do not check the time-stamp.
314 .IP "\fB\-v\fR \fI[number]\fR" 4
315 .IX Item "-v [number]"
316 Increase verbosity. Giving one to five \fB\-v\fR options will make lilo more verbose.
317 The \fBnumber\fR (range 1..5) set verbosity level.
320 Print version number.
321 .IP "\fB\-w\fR\fI[+|\-]\fR" 4
323 Used as \fB\-w\fR or \fB\-w\-\fR to suppress warning messages. Used as '\-w+' to override
324 \&\fI'nowarn'\fR in the configuration file and show warning messages.
325 .IP "\fB\-x\fR \fIoption\fR" 4
327 For \s-1RAID\s0 installations only. The option may be any of the keywords: \fInone\fR,
328 \&\fIauto\fR, \fImbr\fR, \fImbr-only\fR, or a comma separated list of additional boot
329 devices (no spaces allowed in the list).
331 \&\s-1RAID\s0 installations write the boot record to the \s-1RAID\s0 partition. Conditional
332 writing of MBRs may occur to aid in making the \s-1RAID\s0 set bootable in a recovery
333 situation, but all default actions may be overridden. Action similar to previous
334 versions is achieved using the \fI'\-x mbr\-only'\fR switch.
337 Reserved for \s-1LILO\s0 internal use. May produce different output for different \s-1LILO\s0
338 versions. The line beginning \*(L"CFLAGS=\*(R" will contain the compiler options used to
339 generate this version of \s-1LILO.\s0
342 When used with the '\-M' switch, clears the Volume-ID. Usually used in the
343 following sequence to generate a new Volume-ID:
346 \& lilo \-z \-M /dev/sda
349 .IP "\fB\-Z\fR \fIoption\fR" 4
351 Tells the boot installer whether special precautions need to be taken because
352 the \s-1BIOS\s0 fails to pass the correct device code in \s-1DL \s0(\-Z0). Or may specify
353 that the \s-1BIOS\s0 always gets \s-1DL\s0 right (\-Z1). Corresponds to, and overrides, the
354 configuration file option 'bios\-passes\-dl='.
356 .IX Header "CONFIG OPTIONS"
357 The above command line options correspond to the key words in the config file
361 \& \-b bootdev boot=bootdev
363 \& \-B file.bmp bitmap=file.bmp
365 \& \-d dsec delay=dsec
366 \& \-D label default=label
367 \& \-f file disktab=file
371 \& \-m mapfile map=mapfile
372 \& \-P fix fix\-table
373 \& \-P ignore ignore\-table
374 \& \-s file backup=file
375 \& \-S file force\-backup=file
378 \& \-x option raid\-extra\-boot=option
379 \& \-Z option bios\-passes\-dl=option
382 .IX Header "BOOT OPTIONS"
383 The options described here may be specified at boot time on the command line
384 when a kernel image is booted. These options are processed by \s-1LILO,\s0 and are
385 removed from the command line before it is passed to the kernel, unless otherwise
389 Locks the command line, as though 'lock' had been defined in \fI/etc/lilo.conf\fR.
390 .IP "\fBmem=###[,K,M,G]\fR" 4
391 .IX Item "mem=###[,K,M,G]"
392 Set the maximum memory in the system in bytes, kilobytes, megabytes or gigabytes.
393 This option is not removed from the command line, and is always passed to the
397 Suppresses the \s-1BIOS\s0 data check. This option is reserved for use with
398 non-IBM-compliant \s-1BIOS\s0's which hang with the lines:
401 \& Loading...............
404 .IP "\fBvga=[\s-1ASK,EXT,EXTENDED,NORMAL\s0,###,0x###]\fR" 4
405 .IX Item "vga=[ASK,EXT,EXTENDED,NORMAL,###,0x###]"
406 Allows overriding the default video mode upon kernel startup.
408 .IX Header "BOOT ERRORS"
409 The boot process takes place in two stages. The first stage loader is a single
410 sector, and is loaded by the \s-1BIOS\s0 or by the loader in the \s-1MBR.\s0 It loads the
411 multi-sector second stage loader, but is very space limited. When the first
412 stage loader gets control, it types the letter 'L'; when it is ready to
413 transfer control to the second stage loader it types the letter 'I'. If any
414 error occurs, like a disk read error, it will put out a hexadecimal error code
415 and then re-try the operation. All hex error codes are \s-1BIOS\s0 return values,
416 except for the lilo-generated codes: 40, 99 and 9A. A partial list of error
421 \& 01 invalid disk command
422 \& 02 address mark not found
423 \& 03 disk write\-protected
424 \& 04 sector not found
425 \& 06 floppy disk removed
427 \& 0A bad sector flag
429 \& 20 controller failure
430 \& 40 seek failure (BIOS)
431 \& 40 cylinder>1023 (LILO)
432 \& 99 invalid second stage index sector (LILO)
433 \& 9A no second stage loader signature (LILO)
434 \& AA drive not ready
435 \& FF sense operation failed
438 Error code 40 is generated by the \s-1BIOS,\s0 or by \s-1LILO\s0 during the conversion of a
439 linear (24\-bit) disk address to a geometric (C:H:S) address. On older systems
440 which do not support lba32 (32\-bit) addressing, this error may also be generated.
441 Errors 99 and 9A usually mean the map file ('\-m' or 'map=') is not readable,
442 likely because \s-1LILO\s0 was not re-run after some system change, or there is a
443 geometry mismatch between what \s-1LILO\s0 used (lilo \-v3 to display) and what is
444 actually being used by the \s-1BIOS \s0(one of the lilo diagnostic disks, available
445 in the source distribution, may be needed to diagnose this problem).
447 When the second stage loader has received control from the first stage, it
448 prints the letter 'L', and when it has initialized itself, including verifying
449 the \*(L"Descriptor Table\*(R" \- the list of kernels/others to boot \- it will print
450 the letter \*(L"O\*(R", to form the full word \*(L"\s-1LILO\*(R",\s0 in uppercase.
452 All second stage loader error messages are English text and try to pinpoint,
453 more or less successfully, the point of failure.
456 Configuration file options 'backup' and 'force\-backup' should specify a backup
457 directory or backup file pathname template on all \s-1RAID\s0 installations. Use of an
458 explicit filename may not allow multiple backup files to be created correctly.
459 It is best to use the default mechanism, as it works correctly in all cases.
460 .SH "COPYRIGHT and LICENSE"
461 .IX Header "COPYRIGHT and LICENSE"
463 \& Copyright (C) 1992\-1998 Werner Almesberger
464 \& Copyright (C) 1999\-2007 John Coffman
465 \& Copyright (C) 2009\-2014 Joachim Wiedorn
468 Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
469 modification, are permitted under the terms of the \s-1BSD\s0 license found in
470 the \s-1COPYING\s0 file.
473 \&\fBlilo\fR was written by:
476 \& Werner Almesberger (version 0 to 21),
477 \& John Coffman (version 21.2 to 22.8),
478 \& Joachim Wiedorn (since version 23.0).
481 This manual page was written by Werner Almesberger and Joachim Wiedorn
482 <joodevel at joonet.de>.
484 .IX Header "SEE ALSO"
485 \&\fBlilo.conf\fR(5),
486 \&\fBliloconfig\fR(8),
487 \&\fBlilo-uuid-diskid\fR(8),