% Linux Installation and Getting Started    -*- TeX -*-
% lilo.tex
% Copyright (c) 1992-1994 by Matt Welsh <mdw@sunsite.unc.edu>
%
% This file is freely redistributable, but you must preserve this copyright 
% notice on all copies, and it must be distributed only as part of "Linux 
% Installation and Getting Started". This file's use is covered by the 
% copyright for the entire document, in the file "copyright.tex".

\subsection{Creating the boot floppy or installing LILO}
\namedlabel{sec-install-linux-lilo}{Creating the boot floppy or 
installing LILO}

\index{LILO|(}
\index{boot floppy|(}
\index{installation!LILO|(}
\index{installation!boot floppy|(}

Every distribution provides some means of booting your new Linux system 
after you have installed the software. In many cases, the installation
procedure will create a ``boot floppy'' which contains a Linux kernel 
configured to use your newly-created root filesystem. In
order to boot Linux, you would boot from this floppy, and control would
be transferred to your hard drive after booting. 
On other distributions, this ``boot floppy'' is the installation floppy 
itself.

Many distributions give you the option of installing {\bf LILO} on your
hard drive. LILO is a program that is installed on your drive's master
boot record. It is able to boot a number of operating systems, including
MS-DOS and Linux, and allows you to select at startup time which to boot.

\ifodd\igsslack
For the Slackware distribution, the {\tt Configure} item in the
{\tt setup} menu will allow you to create a boot floppy as well
as install LILO. These options should be fairly self-explanatory.
The {\tt Configure} menu item also allows you to specify your
modem, mouse, and timezone information.
\fi

In order for LILO to be installed successfully, it needs to know a good
deal of information about your drive configuration---for example, which
partitions contain which operating systems, how to boot each operating
system, and so on. Many distributions, when installing LILO, attempt
to ``guess'' at the appropriate parameters for your configuration. 
Although it's not often, the automated LILO installation provided by
some distributions can fail, and leave your master boot record in 
shambles (although it's very doubtful that any damage to the actual
data on your hard drive will take place). In particular, if you use
OS/2's Boot Manager, you should {\em not\/} install LILO using the
automated procedure---there are special instructions for using LILO with
the Boot Manager, which will be covered later.

In many cases, it is best to use a boot floppy, until you have a chance
to configure LILO yourself, by hand. If you're feeling exceptionally
trustworthy, though, you can go ahead with the automated LILO installation
if it is provided with your distribution.

In Chapter~\ref{chap-sysadm-num}, we'll cover
in detail how to configure and install LILO for your particular setup.

If everything goes well, then congratulations! You have just installed
Linux on your system. Go have a Diet Coke or something---you deserve it.

In case you did run into any trouble, the next section 
will describe the most common sticking points for Linux installations, 
and how to get around them.

\index{LILO|)}
\index{boot floppy|)}
\index{installation!LILO|)}
\index{installation!boot floppy|)}
