[ale] Overlay and linux

[Daniel Boyd]

Lilo IS an option with an overlay disk manager.  Up until recently I 
was running lilo on a 6.4 EIDE drive with no problems.  I have since 
upgraded motherboards.  The key to running lilo (since the kernels 
are aware of the overlay programs) is to specify drive parameters 
in the lilo.conf file.  These parameters vary according to how the 
drive is translated by the kernel.  Re-read the lilo howtos and the 
big (large) disk howtos.  It is time consuming, yes, but not 
impossible.  I like the ability to protect my machine with Lilo 
passwords and multiple boot images.  My two cents.

Dan



> If you add up the time you are going to spend working around the
> non-LBA bios, you may find that a $25 LBA-aware EIDE controller card
> (one that has the BIOS extensions) will be a bargain, even if you buy it
> out of your own pocket. There are some sorry add-on cards out there.
> 
> There's a lot of issues to consider - see the eide FAQ. Search
> for eidep1.txt or
> http://blackwidow.saultc.on.ca/~malleman/pchw/eidep1.txt
> It mentions brand names.
> 
> With EZ-Drive or Ontrack Disk Manager, Lilo is not an option.
> Loadlin works as the newer kernels are supposedly aware of the
> mangled partition tables. 
> 
> With the overlay the real problems occur later - boot sector virus
> attacks, the inevitable win95 re-installs.  The lost Disk Mangler
> support disk. If you boot from a vanilla Dos floppy, you won't be able
> to see drives data. (The disk translator software will come with a
> support floppy to allow that, if it hasn't been lost.)
> 
> 
> The HOWTO's you want can be browsed at
> http://sunsite.unc.edu/LDP/HOWTO/mini/    
> see Loadlin+Win95, Largedisk, &others.
> 
> You may also consider that the older 486 will have an older serial port
> chip (8250, or 16450) so external 56K modems won't be usable (or
> even 33.6)
> 
> 
> 
> -------------Original message follows----------------------
> A friend of mine wants to install linux on her machine, but its an old
> 486 w/o LBA, Shes installing a 1.7 gb and it will need an overlay for
> the machine to recognize it, I know that linux doesnt need an overlay
> or
> anything because of lilo, How would I go about installing on a  machine
> w/ an overlay? The drive is brand new so data loss isnt an issue, is
> there a how-to or something?
> 
> let me know it isnt clear what im trying to do let me know and ill try
> again
> 
> Nick
> -----------------------------------------------------------
> 
> If you add up the time you are going to spend working around the
> non-LBA bios, you may find that a $25 LBA-aware EIDE controller card
> (one that has the BIOS extensions) will be a bargain, even if you buy it
> out of your own pocket. There are some sorry add-on cards out there.
> 
> There's a lot of issues to consider - see the eide FAQ. Search
> for eidep1.txt or
> http://blackwidow.saultc.on.ca/~malleman/pchw/eidep1.txt
> It mentions brand names.
> 
> With EZ-Drive or Ontrack Disk Manager, Lilo is not an option.
> Loadlin works as the newer kernels are supposedly aware of the
> mangled partition tables. 
> 
> With the overlay the real problems occur later - boot sector virus
> attacks, the inevitable win95 re-installs.  The lost Disk Mangler
> support disk. If you boot from a vanilla Dos floppy, you won't be able
> to see drives data. (The disk translator software will come with a
> support floppy to allow that, if it hasn't been lost.)
> 
> 
> The HOWTO's you want can be browsed at
> http://sunsite.unc.edu/LDP/HOWTO/mini/    
> see Loadlin+Win95, Largedisk, &others.
> 
> You may also consider that the older 486 will have an older serial port
> chip (8250, or 16450) so external 56K modems won't be usuable (or
> even 33.6)
> 
> 
> ----------------------------------
> E-Mail: Mike Nelson <mnelson at bellsouth.net>
> Date: 30-Apr-98
> Time: 22:51:21
> 
> This message was sent by XFMail
> ----------------------------------
> 
Daniel Boyd, CNA              Voice: 706/236-1750
Network Manager               Fax: 706/238-7858
Computing and Technology      email: dboyd at berry.edu
Berry College         "We are confronted with 
                       insurmountable opportunities."
                             -Walt Kelly