> EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
>
> The BIOS' order is more important than any other order because
> the BIOS' order can't be changed unless you change the BIOS itself,
> which might require a board swap in some cases. You just have to
> accept that as a fact of life.
Since there is nothing in Linux that ensures that devices are numbered
according to the _actual_ BIOSes order, any tool based on such an
assumption is essentially broken.
> MORE DETAILS
>
> There is an ordered set <1, 2, ...> of controllers seen by the
> BIOS. When LILO tell the BIOS to read the kernel image, it has to
> tell the BIOS which controller (host adaptor), which disk (LUN), and
> which sectors to read.
LILO works most of the time because most of users only have IDE only or
IDE and a single SCSI adapter.
Even assuming IDE then SCSI order is broken since:
- Some BIOSes allows to boot from SCSI when IDE + SCSI is present.
- What about some other subtleties of set-up programs as:
* Setting devices that boots and those that does'nt.
* Reverse scanning SCSI devices.
* Booting from CD/ROM.
I am not a LILO expert, but probably LILO allows to force the BIOS device
number also. Does it?
Regards, Gerard.
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