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Title: Booting from UDMA66 controllers doesn't work

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Booting from UDMA66 controllers doesn't work

Applies to

SuSE Linux: Version 6.3

Symptom:

You installed SuSE Linux on a disk that is attached to an UDMA66 controller. If want to boot via LILO, you only get LI

Cause:

The Linux kernel doesn't use the LBA geometry that the BIOS uses. So LILO (which uses the kernel geometry) searches in the wrong place for the files 'boot.b' and the kernel.

Solution:

  1. Boot from CD and start the installed system.
  2. Search the file /var/log/boot.msg for a line like this:

    <6>hde: Maxtor 91360U4, 12982MB w/2048kB Cache, CHS=26377/16/63, UDMA(66)

  3. Multiply the first two numbers (cylinders and heads): 26377*16=422032
  4. Divide the result by 255 (round off to the next whole number), the result is the geometry in LBA mode: 1655/255/63
  5. Write these values to the file /etc/lilo.conf:

    disk=/dev/hde
    sectors=63
    cylinders=1655
    heads=255

  6. Save the file.
  7. Now call 'lilo' so that it reinstalls itself.
You should now be able to boot.
PLease note, that this does not work with all IDE disks!

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Keywords: UDMA66, PROMISE, BE6, BP6, VIA, CONTROLLER, IDE, DMA66

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Categories: LILO

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SDB-sf_udma_boot, Copyright SuSE GmbH, Nuremberg, Germany - Version: 15. Feb 2000
SuSE GmbH - Last generated: 15. Feb 2000 17:16:57 by pthomas with sdb_gen 1.00.0