LILO stands for Linux Loader and is a traditional boot loader for Linux systems. Its primary function is to load the Linux operating system into memory so that the computer can boot the Linux system.
LILO does not depend on a specific file system during boot and can load multiple operating systems, supporting multi-boot. Users can configure different operating system boot options in the LILO configuration file, such as Linux and Windows.
For example, on a computer with LILO installed, when you power on, LILO displays a menu on the screen allowing you to select the operating system to boot. After selecting the desired operating system via the keyboard, LILO loads the kernel of the selected system from the hard disk into memory and then hands over control to the system kernel to complete the boot process.
With technological advancements, GRUB (GRand Unified Bootloader) has become a more popular boot loader due to its enhanced features and flexibility; however, LILO remains in use in certain specific environments because of its simplicity and robustness.