Mailinglist Archive: opensuse (2234 mails)

[kuhlmav@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Volker Kuhlmann)]

> Subject: [SLE] Lilo Error Message-->Warning: BIOS drive 0x82 may not be
>  accessible

> Does anyone know what this error message means.
> It appears after I run lilo to install a new kernel.

It means that you have a serious problem loading the kernel from your
IDE disks. I have had the same error with this setup. Note it's an error,
not a warning. Ignoring it renders the system unbootable.

2 SCSI disks, under DOS (and motherboard BIOS) these are 0x80 and 0x81.

Everything fine - had a running system for years. Then I needed more
space, and because SCSI disks are just too $$ I got an IDE one (which
is when the trouble started, but that's a different story).

I left everything as it was, as it was working well. Why shift the kernel
and risk bad things? Fine under linux, no problem whatsoever. linux
doesn't care whether the disk is IDE or SCSI and where it is, it just
goes. However, for LILO, things are DOS (i.e. braindead).

The motherboard and/or SCSI card assign drive numbers 0x80 and 0x81 to the
SCSI disks, and the IDE disk gets 0x82. When LILO figures out the drive
numbers for its loader, it decides the motherboard assigns 0x80 to the IDE
disks and 0x81and 0x82 to the SCSI disks.  Bummmer. The whole LILO thing
just went bang. Can't no do. Arguing with the motherboard BIOS is a waste
of time, and LILO doesn't have an option to force it into submission.

There is absolutely no way with LILO to make it access 0x81 instead of
0x82 (though an option for doing this would be nice). I emailed the LILO
author about this but never even got a response.

The LILO warning is strictly speaking correct "MAY not be
accessible". True for some cases. However, all disks are accessible
here. Just not with the same number as LILO wants them to be.

Here is a way around it. It only works if none of the kernels are on the
IDE disk. Trick: make LILO believe disks are as it wants them to be. In
this case, the IDE on 0x80 has to disappear. Reboot the normal kernel,
or any kernel which is still going (floppy if need be). Start with "linux
ide0=noprobe" (assuming your kernel image is called "linux". This diables
the IDE bus. Boot, run lilo. reboot, and things are fine.

Volker

And oh, don't install/update any rpms which run lilo as part of their
post-install script. Have a boot floppy handy...


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