installing linux with lilo dec 2007 a computer first looks for the bios - to determine what hardware is available (processor, ram, mobo, etc.) next the bios loads a bootloader, normally in the "master boot record", special code in special bytes on the storage device (floppy, cd, ide, scsi, usb, etc.) the bootloader then puts the first os code into ram - which then boots up - the os starts it's own detection of hardware and initial processes. for windowsxp it's c:\windows\system32\config it loads the registry as a listing of installed apps (and where their files are) - and drivers (SAM, security, system, etc. hives) aka HKCU (hive kernel current user?) for linux it's the vmlinux (kernel image) and initrd as per my dec05 instructions: cp -a /* /mnt (From the root of a working linux system) Things that ought to be on the hard drive: /bin /etc /dev /sbin /lib /boot? /usr /tmp /proc at the prompt, linux root=/dev/hda2 in /etc are the config files for lilo.conf My extra simple lilo.conf looked like this: boot = /dev/hda map = /boot/system.map install = boot/boot.b timeout = 1 vga = normal image = /boot/linux root = /dev/hda2 label = linux read-write cp -a -b /boot/* /mnt/hda1/boot - - - - - - - - - - using qemu: qemu-img create tomsrtbt.img 256M qemu -L . -hda tomsrtbt.img -fda tomsrtbt-2.0.103.ElTorito.288.img -boot a -m 256 fdisk -> m help -> n new -> p primary -> all defaults (use all 256 MB) -> t type -> 83 (linux, 82=swap) mke2fs /dev/hda1 cd /mnt mkdir hda1 mount /dev/hda1 /mnt/hda1