How do i restore the bootloader after nuking the mbr using fdisk /mbr ??

[twisted_mind]

OK.. this has happened for the fourth time in a week now... i boot up my computer ( win98 + Red hat 9) and the bootloader just appears half.... like Li-
and it hangs there.
So i put in my windows98 bootable floppy and fdisk /mbr. Now the last three times it happened, i just booted into win98 and using PartitionMagic 8 formatted the Linux partition.
I'm tired of formatting the linux partition and having to set up linux all over again... Is there any way i could restore the bootloader or perhaps boot into linux and install the bootloader or something??? I haven't created a linux bootable floppy.
Please keep in mind that i'm a real noob at linux... so try keeping the answer really simple.
With Regards,
Umesh

 

[Grinler]

What version/distribution of linux are you using? Also do you know if you were using Grub or Lilo as your boot loader?

The process is to generally boot in with a boot/repair disk and rererun the bootloader installation.

For grub enter something like:
/sbin/grub-install /dev/hda

For lilo enter:

/sbin/lilo

And it should set up lilo as it was set up originally from the settings in /etc/lilo.conf

 

[lynch]

That or make a RH bootdisk and keep it handy.
HTH
lynch

 

[Grinler]

That or make a RH bootdisk and keep it handy.
HTH
lynch

I do not remember, does the redhat bootdisk fix lilo on its own or do you still need to actually run the configuration commands?

 

[Whiteskin]

Well, its Lilo. I doubt it rewrites it itself. More likely is that you will need to do it manually.

 

[lynch]

I meant to just boot from the floppy.
I think you would have to do it manually with the bootdisk; probably not if you use the CD to boot with.
lynch

 

[twisted_mind]

guys.... i am able to now boot into linux. This is what i did last night..
I popped in the cd 1 of red hat 9 and booted off the cd.... then i went ahead with an upgrade of the red hat installation but didnt select any packages to be upgraded.At the end of the upgrade? process, i was asked if i wanted to create a boot diskette... i put a floppy in... and a bootable floppy was created.
Now i am able to boot into linux if i have the floppy in the drive. But how do i install a bootloader as well?

 

[Whiteskin]

Well, since it is lilo, check your lilo configuration (man lilo.conf) and then just rerun lilo (as root "lilo").

 

[twisted_mind]

hey.. when i type lilo as a root user... i get a command not found error.
By the way, i did as Grinler said above,
# /sbin/grub-install /dev/hda
So now grub is installed.. Problem solved! Thanks to all of u !
With Regards,
Umesh

 

[Whiteskin]

Cool. the "li" message indicated that it was trying to start lilo. Perhaps Accidentally the install made a mistake, and did not install lilo. Anyhow. People seem to like grub.

 

[twisted_mind]

yeah.. grub it is now what i have. Incase it gets corrupted again i have the bootable floppy and now i know the command to install grub again!
By the way, Anyone got an idea why i get the error "command not found" when i type pico ?? Pico loads up at my classes where i learn linux ( its red hat 6 there) but at home on my rh9 system, its not there.i did a custom install n didnt see pico anywhere...correct me if i'm wrong.
With Regards,
Umesh

 

[lynch]

I think you need to have pine installed, as pico is part of the pine package.
HTH
lynch

 

[Whiteskin]

It might be best to also learn another more standard editor (emacs or vi). Lets try not to get into a little editor war here though.

 

[lynch]

It might be best to also learn another more standard editor (emacs or vi). Lets try not to get into a little editor war here though.

I agree.
I use vi.
lynch

 

[Whiteskin]

As do i. I dunno. I just like it. Though, gvim gave me a headache the other day. It duplicated very paragraph i wrote, two or three times.