Hi, I have successfully installed RedHat Linux 7.1 on my computer which does not have any other OS on it and created a boot disk in the process. Now everytime I want to boot my machine, I would use this boot disk. The question is: is it possible to boot without using this boot disk? Why can't I just turn on the computer and have Linux load automatically (since Linux is the only OS on this machine)? Thanks in advance, Art

It should be!! During installation processs, linux asked this question (Do you want to creat a boot disk blabla...?) you have to say no.

Thanks, I thought I was being 'safe' by creating the boot disk. Look what that got me :) Art

Making a boot disk is a Good Thing, and does not preclude configuring your system to boot from the hard drive. You can use either of the popular Linux boot-loaders- lilo or grub. I think Redhat now uses grub by default, but probably still includes lilo as an option. There is a lilo mini HOWTO at the Linux Documentation Project: http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/mini/LILO.html. A search at www.google.com using the keyphrase "configuring grub" will return many links to sites which deal with all things grub.

To answer your question: if you have your boot floppy, run lilo configuration from your control panel in KDE. Select to write lilo to your Master Boot Record. If you have no boot floppy, nor lilo on your MBR, you can still boot linux by inserting your installation CDrom and at the boot prompt type: linux root=/dev/hda1 if your root partition is on the first partition of your drive. Otherwise, just change the last number with the right one. If you don't remember which one holds your / partition, try successive numbers at each reboot.