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Release upgrade from Woody to Sarge failed reboot lilo problem

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MicheleM

unread,
Jun 9, 2005, 12:50:16 PM6/9/05
to
Hi there,
yesterday I tried to upgrade my Woody production server to Sarge after
reading and following step by step the relase notes under:
http://www.debian.org/releases/sarge/i386/release-notes/ch-upgrading.en.html

all worked fine untill I rebooted the machine and...ooops! The boot
loader LILO failed with the "LI" code error.
No way to boot the machine. I solved the problem with a knoppix live
cd, I mounted the root partition, chrooted into it, mounted /boot
partition and run "lilo".
After reboot the server was up&running.

But what did it happen? I think there is a bug somewhere.

I post my "ls -l /boot":

total 4513
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 512 2005-01-25 00:50 boot.0800
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 11 2005-01-25 00:48 boot.b -> boot-menu.b
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 308326 2005-06-09 01:00 coffee.bmp
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 3342 2005-01-25 00:45 config-2.4.28-bf2.4
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 26684 2005-02-08 20:06 config-2.4.29
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 15 2005-06-09 01:00 debian.bmp ->
/boot/sarge.bmp
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 153720 2005-06-09 01:00 debianlilo.bmp
-rw------- 1 root root 46080 2005-06-09 14:19 map
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 23662 2005-06-09 01:00 sarge.bmp
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 24116 2005-06-09 01:00 sid.bmp
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 568549 2005-01-25 00:45
System.map-2.4.28-bf2.4
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 668419 2005-02-08 20:11 System.map-2.4.29
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1298076 2005-01-25 00:45 vmlinuz-2.4.28-bf2.4
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1477532 2005-02-08 20:11 vmlinuz-2.4.29


and the "/etc/lilo.conf"


# /etc/lilo.conf - See: `lilo(8)' and `lilo.conf(5)',
# --------------- `install-mbr(8)', `/usr/share/doc/lilo/',
# and `/usr/share/doc/mbr/'.

# +---------------------------------------------------------------+
# | !! Reminder !! |
# | |
# | Don't forget to run `lilo' after you make changes to this |
# | conffile, `/boot/bootmess.txt', or install a new kernel. The |
# | computer will most likely fail to boot if a kernel-image |
# | post-install script or you don't remember to run `lilo'. |
# | |
# +---------------------------------------------------------------+

# Support LBA for large hard disks.
#
lba32

# Overrides the default mapping between harddisk names and the BIOS'
# harddisk order. Use with caution.
#disk=/dev/hde
# bios=0x81

#disk=/dev/sda
# bios=0x80

# Specifies the boot device. This is where Lilo installs its boot
# block. It can be either a partition, or the raw device, in which
# case it installs in the MBR, and will overwrite the current MBR.
#
boot=/dev/sda

# Specifies the device that should be mounted as root. (`/')
#
root=/dev/sda4

# Enable map compaction:
# Tries to merge read requests for adjacent sectors into a single
# read request. This drastically reduces load time and keeps the
# map smaller. Using `compact' is especially recommended when
# booting from a floppy disk. It is disabled here by default
# because it doesn't always work.
#
# compact

# Installs the specified file as the new boot sector
# You have the choice between: bmp, compat, menu and text
# Look in /boot/ and in lilo.conf(5) manpage for details
#
install=/boot/boot-menu.b

# Specifies the location of the map file
#
map=/boot/map

# You can set a password here, and uncomment the `restricted' lines
# in the image definitions below to make it so that a password must
# be typed to boot anything but a default configuration. If a
# command line is given, other than one specified by an `append'
# statement in `lilo.conf', the password will be required, but a
# standard default boot will not require one.
#
# This will, for instance, prevent anyone with access to the
# console from booting with something like `Linux init=/bin/sh',
# and thus becoming `root' without proper authorization.
#
# Note that if you really need this type of security, you will
# likely also want to use `install-mbr' to reconfigure the MBR
# program, as well as set up your BIOS to disallow booting from
# removable disk or CD-ROM, then put a password on getting into the
# BIOS configuration as well. Please RTFM `install-mbr(8)'.
#
# password=tatercounter2000

# Specifies the number of deciseconds (0.1 seconds) LILO should
# wait before booting the first image.
#
delay=20

# You can put a customized boot message up if you like. If you use
# `prompt', and this computer may need to reboot unattended, you
# must specify a `timeout', or it will sit there forever waiting
# for a keypress. `single-key' goes with the `alias' lines in the
# `image' configurations below. eg: You can press `1' to boot
# `Linux', `2' to boot `LinuxOLD', if you uncomment the `alias'.
#
# message=/boot/bootmess.txt
prompt
timeout=150
# prompt
# single-key
# delay=100
# timeout=100

# Specifies the VGA text mode at boot time. (normal, extended, ask,
<mode>)
#
# vga=ask
# vga=9
#
vga=normal

# Kernel command line options that apply to all installed images go
# here. See: The `boot-prompt-HOWO' and `kernel-parameters.txt' in
# the Linux kernel `Documentation' directory.
#
# append=""

# Boot up Linux by default.
#
default=Linux

image=/vmlinuz
label=Linux
read-only
# restricted
# alias=1

image=/vmlinuz.old
label=LinuxOLD
read-only
optional
# restricted
# alias=2

# If you have another OS on this machine to boot, you can uncomment the
# following lines, changing the device name on the `other' line to
# where your other OS' partition is.
#
# other=/dev/hda4
# label=HURD
# restricted
# alias=3
other=/dev/sda1
label="Other(sda1)"

I made a typescript's upgrade too but I don't think it's notable, of
course you'll can ask me it.

I would know what packet is involved in the accident so I can fill a
bug ticket.
Thank you.

Michele


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Florian Ernst

unread,
Jun 9, 2005, 2:10:11 PM6/9/05
to
Hello *,

On Thu, Jun 09, 2005 at 08:23:39AM -0700, MicheleM wrote:
> yesterday I tried to upgrade my Woody production server to Sarge after
> reading and following step by step the relase notes under:
> http://www.debian.org/releases/sarge/i386/release-notes/ch-upgrading.en.html
>
> all worked fine untill I rebooted the machine and...ooops! The boot
> loader LILO failed with the "LI" code error.
> No way to boot the machine. I solved the problem with a knoppix live
> cd, I mounted the root partition, chrooted into it, mounted /boot
> partition and run "lilo".
> After reboot the server was up&running.
>
> But what did it happen? I think there is a bug somewhere.

> [...]


> I made a typescript's upgrade too but I don't think it's notable, of
> course you'll can ask me it.

lilo should have detected it needed to be re-run and should have
prompted you about this, unless it was configured otherwise.

What does
| # grep -A5 'lilo/runme' /var/cache/debconf/config.dat
say?


Cheers,
Flo

signature.asc

Roberto C. Sanchez

unread,
Jun 9, 2005, 4:50:18 PM6/9/05
to
On Thu, Jun 09, 2005 at 08:08:08PM +0200, Florian Ernst wrote:
> Hello *,

>
> >
> > all worked fine untill I rebooted the machine and...ooops! The boot
> > loader LILO failed with the "LI" code error.
> > No way to boot the machine. I solved the problem with a knoppix live
> > cd, I mounted the root partition, chrooted into it, mounted /boot
> > partition and run "lilo".
> > After reboot the server was up&running.
> >
> > But what did it happen? I think there is a bug somewhere.
> > [...]
> > I made a typescript's upgrade too but I don't think it's notable, of
> > course you'll can ask me it.
>
> lilo should have detected it needed to be re-run and should have
> prompted you about this, unless it was configured otherwise.
>
> What does
> | # grep -A5 'lilo/runme' /var/cache/debconf/config.dat
> say?
>
Why do people insist on using LILO? Just install grub, set it up once
with symlinks and *never* mess with it again. In case anyone cares,
here is my configuration:

default 0
timeout 5
color cyan/blue white/blue
title Debian GNU/Linux
root (hd0,1)
kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/hda3 ro vga=normal ide0=ata66 ide1=ata66
boot

title Debian GNU/Linux (recovery mode)
root (hd0,1)
kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/hda3 ro single vga=normal ide0=ata66 ide1=ata66
boot
title Debian GNU/Linux, OLD
root (hd0,1)
kernel /vmlinuz.old root=/dev/hda3 ro vga=normal ide0=ata66 ide1=ata66
boot

title Debian GNU/Linux, OLD (recovery mode)
root (hd0,1)
kernel /vmlinuz.old root=/dev/hda3 ro single vga=normal ide0=ata66 ide1=ata66
boot

I installed it *one* time to the MBR. I have only since had to mess
with it to replace the failed harddrive in the machine. If you have
/boot on a separate partition, as I do, you will want to add
'do_symlinks = No' to /etc/kernel-img.conf. Trust me on this. It is
really nice to have a boot loader that can actually read your filesystem.

-Roberto

--
Roberto C. Sanchez
http://familiasanchez.net/~sanchezr

Florian Ernst

unread,
Jun 9, 2005, 5:00:25 PM6/9/05
to
Hello *,

On Thu, Jun 09, 2005 at 04:46:32PM -0400, Roberto C. Sanchez wrote:
> Why do people insist on using LILO? Just install grub, [...]

Advocacy is one thing, trying to find out why a bug has occurred
another. Let's try not to mix things up.

Cheers,
Flo

signature.asc

MicheleM

unread,
Jun 9, 2005, 7:20:11 PM6/9/05
to
Hi Flo,
this is the output:

anjuna:~# grep -A5 'lilo/runme' /var/cache/debconf/config.dat
Name: lilo/runme
Template: lilo/runme
Owners: lilo

Name: lilo/upgrade
Template: lilo/upgrade
Owners: lilo

I grep the upgrade's typescript searching for the lilo prompt but this
is what I found:

anjuna:~# cat /backup/typescript |grep lilo
libxaw7 libxerces2-java libxml1 libxml2 lilo links login logrotate
lpr
libxaw7 libxerces2-java libxml1 libxml2 lilo links login logrotate
lpr
libxaw7 libxerces2-java libxml1 libxml2 lilo links login logrotate
lpr
libxaw7 libxerces2-java libxml1 libxml2 lilo links login logrotate
lpr
Get:493 http://debian.fastweb.it sarge/main lilo 1:22.6.1-6.2 [343kB]
Get:494 http://debian.fastweb.it sarge/main mbr 1.1.5-2 [20.4kB]
Preparing to replace lilo 1:22.2-3 (using
.../lilo_1%3a22.6.1-6.2_i386.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement lilo ...
Setting up lilo (22.6.1-6.2) ...

no more.

thanks Flo

Mik

Florian Ernst

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Jun 10, 2005, 6:00:24 AM6/10/05
to
Hello again,

On Thu, Jun 09, 2005 at 02:54:32PM -0700, MicheleM wrote:
> this is the output:
>
> anjuna:~# grep -A5 'lilo/runme' /var/cache/debconf/config.dat
> Name: lilo/runme
> Template: lilo/runme
> Owners: lilo
>

> [...]
> no more.

Hm, strange, to me it looks like this question was never asked. I
guess it's best to ask the lilo maintainers <li...@packages.debian.org>
about this, or you could send a bugreport against upgrade-reports...

I personally don't use lilo myself, so I wouldn't dare venture any
deeper into this problem.

Cheers,
Flo

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Bob Proulx

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Jun 12, 2005, 7:50:04 PM6/12/05
to
Florian Ernst wrote:

> MicheleM wrote:
> > all worked fine untill I rebooted the machine and...ooops! The boot
> > loader LILO failed with the "LI" code error.
> > [...]

> > But what did it happen? I think there is a bug somewhere.
>
> lilo should have detected it needed to be re-run and should have
> prompted you about this, unless it was configured otherwise.
>
> What does
> | # grep -A5 'lilo/runme' /var/cache/debconf/config.dat
> say?

I upgraded a machine running lilo and debconf mailed me the following
information:

Subject: Debconf: Configuring lilo -- Deprecated parameters in LILO configuration

Deprecated files have been found on your system. You must update the
'install=' parameter in your LILO configuration file (/etc/lilo.conf) in
order to properly upgrade the package.

The new 'install=' options are:

new: install=bmp
old: install=/boot/boot-bmp.b

new: install=text
old: install=/boot/boot-text.b

new: install=menu
old: install=/boot/boot-menu.b or boot.b

--
Debconf, running at discord.proulx.com
[ Debconf was not configured to display this note, so it mailed it to you. ]

Reading that message I took care of the problem (by installing grub)
before rebooting the system. But I can't help but wonder if something
similar occurred with the original poster? It was mailed to me
because I had set my debconf to 'critical' only and so it was
prevented from showing me a dialog box. Although for something like
this it would justify a critical rating.

Bob

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Clinton V. Weiss

unread,
Jun 12, 2005, 8:50:07 PM6/12/05
to
This topic may be a few days old, but this is apparently exactly what
happened to a server I admin remotely. When I upgraded to the new
stable packages, I saw nothing that affected the kernel, therefore
rerunning LILO didn't occur to me as something that needed to be done.

Hopefully someone reported a bug report on this against LILO since
Monday. Since no changes to the kernel should have affected LILO's boot
configuration, it should have had no trouble booting up.

Why do I have LILO running in the first place? When I installed from
the Woody CD a year ago, that's all that was offered to me. I wasn't
aware, at the time, of the problems known to occur with LILO and so
didn't install grub. Now that I live a couple hundred miles from this
machine, but continue to admin it, I wouldn't dare attempt to install a
new boot loader unless I was physically present.

Clinton

Clinton V. Weiss

unread,
Jun 12, 2005, 8:50:07 PM6/12/05
to
This topic may be a few days old, but this is apparently exactly what
happened to a server I admin remotely. When I upgraded to the new
stable packages, I saw nothing that affected the kernel, therefore
rerunning LILO didn't occur to me as something that needed to be done.

Hopefully someone reported a bug report on this against LILO since
Monday. Since no changes to the kernel should have affected LILO's boot
configuration, it should have had no trouble booting up.

Why do I have LILO running in the first place? When I installed from
the Woody CD a year ago, that's all that was offered to me. I wasn't
aware, at the time, of the problems known to occur with LILO and so
didn't install grub. Now that I live a couple hundred miles from this
machine, but continue to admin it, I wouldn't dare attempt to install a
new boot loader unless I was physically present.

Clinton


Clinton V. Weiss

unread,
Jun 12, 2005, 10:00:11 PM6/12/05
to
This topic may be a few days old, but this is apparently exactly what
happened to a server I admin remotely. When I upgraded to the new
stable packages, I saw nothing that affected the kernel, therefore
rerunning LILO didn't occur to me as something that needed to be done.

Hopefully someone reported a bug report on this against LILO since
Monday. Since no changes to the kernel should have affected LILO's boot
configuration, it should have had no trouble booting up.

Why do I have LILO running in the first place? When I installed from
the Woody CD a year ago, that's all that was offered to me. I wasn't
aware, at the time, of the problems known to occur with LILO and so
didn't install grub. Now that I live a couple hundred miles from this
machine, but continue to admin it, I wouldn't dare attempt to install a
new boot loader unless I was physically present.

Clinton


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