"Jorge Castro" <jorgecastro@ieee.org> wrote in message news:<3fdfc9b8_2@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com>...
> Hi,
>
> I have a dual boot system with Windows XP and Red Hat Linux in separate
> partitions.
>
> When I first installed Linux on its partition, using the Red Hat v9 CD-ROM,
> I chose
> not to install a boot loader on the the hard disk. I decided to make a
> bootable
> diskette instead.
>
> Now, that everything seems to be running well, I would like to be able to
> boot Linux
> also from the hard disk. To this end I have tried to use the RedHat
> distribution CD
> to install LILO onto the MBR, but without success. The installation
> programme refuses
> to do this, and I am not sure why:
> as far as I can see, because I am not changing anything in the current
> installation, the installer
> finalises by saying "the boot loader will not be installed" or something
> else to the same effect.
>
> How can I install a boot loader on my hard disk MBR so that I can choose
> what OS to boot from?

When I need to install lilo onto the MBR of a disk that's already got
a linux installation on it, I boot from my slackware CD. This brings
me to a boot: prompt, and there I type:

bare.i root=/dev/hda1 noinitrd ro

When it finishes booting, I log in to the system, run lilo one time
without any arguments, and that does it. Remove the CD, reboot, and
then the hard disk boots.

-Anthony
http://nodivisions.com/