Create an Emergency Boot Diskette for your RedHat Linux System



1.  Insert an empty diskette, format it, create a file system on it and mount it:
   
     fdformat /dev/fd0H1440
     mkfs.ext2 /dev/fd0
     mount -t ext2 /dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy
      

2.  Copy all files in /boot to the diskette:
   
     cp -dp /boot/* /mnt
     
Note:  (Red Hat only: If the /boot directory contains both vmlinux and
   vmlinuz files (note the difference in the last letter), you only need
   to copy the vmlinuz files to the boot diskette. They are the same as
   the vmlinux files, except that they're compressed to save space.)
   

3.  Create a new file /mnt/floppy/lilo.conf as follows:
   
        boot=/dev/fd0                 # Install LILO on floppy disk.
        map=/mnt/floppy/map           # Location of "map file".
        install=/mnt/floppy/boot.b    # File to copy to floppy's
                                      # boot sector.
        prompt                        # Have LILO show "LILO boot:"
                                      # prompt.
        timeout=50                    # Boot default system after 5
                                      # seconds. (Value is in tenths of
                                      # seconds.)
        image=/mnt/floppy/vmlinuz     # Location of Linux kernel on
                                      # floppy. The actual name may
                                      # include a version number, for
                                      # example "vmlinuz-2.0.35".
            label=linux               # Label for Linux system.
            root=/dev/hda1            # Location of root partition on
                                      # new hard disk. Modify this as
                                      # appropriate for your system.
                                      # Note that you must use the name
                                      # of the future location, once the
                                      # old disk has been removed.
            read-only                 # Mount partition read-only at
                                      # first, to run fsck.

4.  Install LILO on the boot diskette:
   
     /sbin/lilo -C /mnt/floppy/lilo.conf
     
Note:  The -C option tells LILO what configuration file to use.
   
5.  Unmount the diskette:
   
     umount /mnt/floppy

6.  Leave the floppy diskette in the drive, make sure the bios is set to boot FIRST 
    from floppy, restart the computer!