Re: [gentoo-amd64] About to install on a 64 bit system. Advice wanted.

[Harry Holt <harryholt@gmail.com>]

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On Thu, Dec 9, 2010 at 2:01 PM, Frank Peters <frank.peters@comcast.net>wrote:

> On Fri, 10 Dec 2010 04:04:50 +1100
> Lie Ryan <lie.1296@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >
> > What's the advantage of LILO nowadays? I used grub because of two
> > reasons: 1) I don't need to re-install the MBR when changing grub's
> > .conf file and 2) I can edit configuration at boot time, useful when
> > you messed up your grub.conf. Last time I checked (admittedly long
> > time ago) LILO cannot do both of these. Granted, I've never used LILO,
> > does it boot faster or runs on more platforms or is there any
> > particular reason why you used it?
> >
>
> For one thing, it is completely independent of the kernel and some
> were expressing concerns about compatibility with 64-bit.
>
> Lilo is also simpler, but it is not as versatile as grub.
>
> My point is not that lilo is an advantage, but that it should not
> be overlooked by those who may not require a complex set-up.
> The trend seems to be to trash everything in favour of grub.
>
> The legacy boot method is being slowly eliminated and will be
> replaced by EFI.  For this there is elilo, which I hope to be
> using.
>
> Frank Peters
>
>
Yes, simplicity is why I have continued to stick with lilo (since 1995).  It
just always has worked.  There's nothing more frustrating for me than trying
to boot a machine and being presented with a

grub >

and having no clue what went wrong or where to go (although, yes, that's
because of experience with lilo - and lack of it with grub).  I did try to
use grub for a time when it became popular, but after my first experience
with it trying to recover from a failed boot I gave up.

The main advantage to me - why I started using it - was that it plays well
with the Windows loader.  I don't do those kind of dual-boot machines
anymore, but it was very convenient being able to recover a Windows boot
manager - or install a new one - and all I had to do to get back to my Linux
boot was edit the BOOT.INI file.

... HH

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