Two Distribution of Debian In one System.

[naives]

I installed a Debian distribution by SMC (Swathanthra Malayalam Computing means Free Malayalam(One regional Language of Inida) Computing). While installing that the Grub boot loader can't be written on the system and so the installer used LILO boot loader. Then I installed Ubuntu on the system in another partition, and during the installing the Grub boot loader was loaded and the SMC distribution was detected and the Grub showed option to that distribution also in the boot menu. But when i am selecting that, "Device can't be loaded" error message is coming. I am sure that i have SMC version in one partition. Ubuntu is working fine.

[bizzard]

Debian and Ubuntu can be installed in the same hard disk at different partitions and it worked for me. The default boot loader in Debian and Ubuntu is Grub. Lilo is used when Grub encounters problems while installing. I had come across such situation only once and that time, the hard disk has got some problems and bad sectors. So, check whether your Hard disk is all right.

If its ok, then it might be the conflict between Grub and Lilo. Try reinstalling Grub using a bootable grub floppy.

[naives]

As i said I have Lilo Loader in Debian (SMC Distribution) And grub in Ubuntu. How to change the Lilo boot Loader to Grub. Do I need to reinstall both the OS to get this done??

[bizzard]

No, you can install grub using a grub floppy. For that, you need a grub floppy which can be created from a working Linux system. I don't know about installing grub from a CD. I have afloppy drive in my system and I use the grub floppy often to reinstall grub after reinstalling XP.

Check this post on details regarding reinstalling grub http://www.profusehost.net/forum/lin...tall-grub.html (How to reinstall GRUB)

[wired076]

Wow we are back to the stoneage using floppys..

The last time I used a floppy wasn't that long ago but it was to install win 98 back on to an old pc that I have as it wouldn't install properly with a ricoh burner so tried loading drivers and they wouldn't work so swapped the drive then installed fine.

[snoop1990]

You only need a floppy drive, if your computer is not able to boot from a cd drive. (this feature depends on the mainboard, but I think for about the last 5 years every new computer is able to boot from cd drive). Maybe you have to change some configuration in the bios.

Regrades Snoop1990

[naives]

And now a days the motherboards will allow us to boot from the Pen drives. When I bought ma computer almost 5 years back the floppy drives cost me around 15$ or so and for that price i can buy a 1 GB thumb, technology is changing.. Keep on changing..........

[bizzard]

So, If you have the install CD with you, you can reinstall grub from it too....
But, I didn't know why sometimes GRUB fails to install and LILO is used. I haven't came across such a situation; but I have heard about it many times...

[naives]

I will have to try that. But I am not sure about the procedure for doing that. But anyway let me search for it. I think there is no proper documention about installing Grub adn Lilo.I searched a lot at that time and can't find anything.

[tronador]

You can try using a grub bootable cd, it can help to repair

GRUB Manual