Recover Linux Boot loader
This  is to be done when you need to recover the Linux boot loader after another OS has erased the previous boot loader

most of the Linux distros have rescue mode
lookout for that option when you boot from the 1st Cd of that distro.
you will end up at some shell prompt with some directions about your current system image
you can follow those instructions to recover the Linux loader

this document will help you to recover the Linux loader for any distro and any version

boot from a Linux rescue CD or any Live CD
when you are at the shell prompt

run this

#fdisk -l

you will get some entry like this

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hda1   *           1         510     4096543+   b  W95 FAT32
/dev/hda2             511        1096     4707045   83  Linux
/dev/hda3            1097        1797     5630782+  83  Linux
/dev/hda4            1798        4865    24643710    f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hda5            1798        2243     3582463+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda6            2244        2753     4096543+   b  W95 FAT32
/dev/hda7            2754        4347    12803773+   b  W95 FAT32
/dev/hda8            4348        4865     4160803+  83  Linux

since i have multiple Linux FS partitions so i have more than one entry here,
this may not be the case for you ,or if it is then you need to identify your root (/) partition

Bow i know that my root(/) for my Linux installation is /dev/hda3

so i will make a dir in anywhere ,say in the /tmp directory

# mkdir /tmp/mnt

then mount your Linux installation there

# mount /dev/hda3 /tmp/mnt/

then chroot to that partition

if everything is right then you will end up here

# chroot /tmp/mnt/
root@gaurav/ #  

most Linux rescue modes will leave you to this stage ,so the below directions are common for all distros.

then if you had grub installed earlier the go for re-installing grub as

# grub-install /dev/hda

or if you have lilo installed
you can check lilo installation by

# lilo -v

this will only check if the lilo boot loader will be installed without any errors and will not install lilo.

and to install lilo
run

#lilo

after this u can exit from the Linux rescue mode and go for a reboot .


Date:2/5/05



http://www.linux-iips.tk