upgraded to Slack Current a few days ago and everything was going
well. I haven't made any changes to my system files since then and
didn't install any new software yesterday. This morning I tried to
boot my machine and got the error message "LIL" when trying to load
LILO. I have LILO on my MBR and I don't run any other OS except linux.

The explanation for the LIL error is:

" LIL The second stage boot loader has been started, but it can't
load the descriptor table from the map file. This is typically caused
by a media failure or by a geometry mismatch."

I couldn't boot with the cd I made from "makerescue" but I was able
to boot with a Slax live cd. This morning I could get into the system
fine after booting (via root=/dev/hda3), but noticed that once I was
in, my hard drive was being recognized as
/dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/ instead of hda3!! Other than that, I
could operate as "root" on /hd3. When I rebooted this evening, I
wasn't able to do that anymore. I can't access "root=/dev/hd3" at boot
time. The message I get back is that the kernel isn't available on
that partition. Nor is it available on
/dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/part3.

I added a linear option to my lilo.conf file, but that didn't work. I
couldn't run /sbin/lilo from my position as "root" on the Slax live cd
because I didn't have proper permissions to the files on my hard drive
(how can I change this??)


This is from my lilo.conf file:

# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
linear
append = "hdc=ide-scsi"
boot = /dev/hda
#compact
install = /boot/boot.b
map = /boot/map
message = /boot/boot_message.txt
prompt
timeout = 1200
# Override dangerous defaults that rewrite the partition table:
change-rules
reset
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
vga = 773
# Normal VGA console
# vga = normal
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x64k
# vga=791
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x32k
# vga=790
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
# vga=773
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x64k
# vga=788
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x32k
# vga=787
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x256
# vga=771
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x64k
# vga=785
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x32k
# vga=784
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x256
# vga=769
# End LILO global section
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/hda3
label = Linux
read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends



When I boot with the Slax live disk, my hda drive is no longer
recognized. Instead, it becomes /dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/.
When I run /part3/sbin/lilo -v -v from that drive I get:

root@slax:/mnt/disc0part3# /sbin/lilo -v -v
LILO version 22.5.7.2, Copyright (C) 1992-1998 Werner Almesberger
Development beyond version 21 Copyright (C) 1999-2003 John Coffman
Released 20-Aug-2003 and compiled at 19:15:26 on Aug 25 2003.

Warning: LBA32 addressing assumed
raid_setup returns offset = 00000000 ndisk = 0
BIOS VolumeID Device
Reading boot sector from /dev/hda
pf_hard_disk_scan: ndevs=2
0300 3DB012B3 /dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/disc
0800 2D6EE8C9 /dev/scsi/host1/bus0/target0/lun0/disc
device codes (user assigned pf) = 0
device codes (user assigned) = 0
device codes (BIOS assigned) = 0
device codes (canonical) = 3
Fatal: creat /boot/map~: Read-only file system

(The last "fatal" error is due to me running the program as "root" on
the Slax live cd and not as root on hda3).

The output I get from running fdisk -l as "root" on the Slax live cd
is :

Disk /dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/disc: 40.0 GB, 40027029504
bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4866 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/part1 * 1 8 64259+ 83 Linux
/dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/part2 9 138 1044225 82 Linux swap
/dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/part3 139 4866 37977660 83 Linux

I tried to run /sbin/lilo -v -v -v >/boot/lilo.log
2>/boot/lilo.logerr from dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/part3, but it
didn't work because I didn't have permission to write to the /boot
directory and I was unable to change this permission while logged on
as "root" on the Slax live cd. Is there some way that I can become
root on / on my hard drive so that I can change permissions to allow
me access to files and directories?

I entered the bios settings on my Dell Dimension 4500, but I didn't
see any information about the hard drive, so I can't tell if there is
a geometry mismatch or not.

I also have an external hard drive and CF card reader that the Slax
live cd also recognizes.

Any idea what I can try next? Fortunately, I have my system backed up
to my external hard drive. What else can try other than a complete
reinstall? What could suddenly be causing this error?

Thanks,
Lucinda