I finally got a workaround for the above problem. I installed lilo to /dev/sda6 by slightly modifying the above howto. It's not as good as grub but at least it boots! I am outlining the steps for the benifit of other GAG users:
Install Ubuntu with bootloader in your root partition (/dev/sda6 in my case)
After install boot into a live Ubuntu session from the cd (Try Ubuntu without making any changes to the computer)
Click Applications->Accessories->Terminal
sudo fdisk -l
Here is mine
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Disk /dev/sda: 320.1 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xd09c4d14
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 25220 202579618+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 38097 38913 6562080 7 HPFS/NTFS
Partition 2 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sda3 25221 38096 103426470 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 25221 25481 2096451 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6 25482 28031 20482843+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda7 28032 38096 80847081 83 Linux
Partition table entries are not in disk order
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My root partition is /dev/sda6
Now to mount the root partition, and dev and proc filesystems
sudo mount /dev/sda6 /mnt
sudo mount --bind /dev /mnt/dev
sudo mount --bind /proc /mnt/proc
sudo gedit /etc/fstab
mine looks like this
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# Use 'blkid -o value -s UUID' to print the universally unique identifier
# for a device; this may be used with UUID= as a more robust way to name
# devices that works even if disks are added and removed. See fstab(5).
#
# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
# / was on /dev/sda6 during installation
UUID=31e51132-d471-476b-9cf0-ccbf4cdd692a / ext4 errors=remount-ro 0 1
# /home was on /dev/sda7 during installation
UUID=96f36ede-edf8-42b8-ba8b-7c7012e1796d /home ext4 defaults 0 2
# /windows/c was on /dev/sda1 during installation
UUID=22CA32C7CA32974F /windows/c ntfs defaults,umask=007,gid=46 0 0
# swap was on /dev/sda5 during installation
UUID=ac5466f0-2b0b-432e-bb62-eee81ef59718 none swap sw 0 0
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Look for the line with your root partition, /dev/sda6 in my case, and duplicate it
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# Use 'blkid -o value -s UUID' to print the universally unique identifier
# for a device; this may be used with UUID= as a more robust way to name
# devices that works even if disks are added and removed. See fstab(5).
#
# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
# / was on /dev/sda6 during installation
UUID=31e51132-d471-476b-9cf0-ccbf4cdd692a / ext4 errors=remount-ro 0 1
UUID=31e51132-d471-476b-9cf0-ccbf4cdd692a / ext4 errors=remount-ro 0 1
# /home was on /dev/sda7 during installation
UUID=96f36ede-edf8-42b8-ba8b-7c7012e1796d /home ext4 defaults 0 2
# /windows/c was on /dev/sda1 during installation
UUID=22CA32C7CA32974F /windows/c ntfs defaults,umask=007,gid=46 0 0
# swap was on /dev/sda5 during installation
UUID=ac5466f0-2b0b-432e-bb62-eee81ef59718 none swap sw 0 0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Uncomment one line and change the UUID-blah blah in the other line into your root partition, in my case /dev/sda6. This is how it will finally look
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# Use 'blkid -o value -s UUID' to print the universally unique identifier
# for a device; this may be used with UUID= as a more robust way to name
# devices that works even if disks are added and removed. See fstab(5).
#
# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
# / was on /dev/sda6 during installation
#UUID=31e51132-d471-476b-9cf0-ccbf4cdd692a / ext4 errors=remount-ro 0 1
/dev/sda6 / ext4 errors=remount-ro 0 1
# /home was on /dev/sda7 during installation
UUID=96f36ede-edf8-42b8-ba8b-7c7012e1796d /home ext4 defaults 0 2
# /windows/c was on /dev/sda1 during installation
UUID=22CA32C7CA32974F /windows/c ntfs defaults,umask=007,gid=46 0 0
# swap was on /dev/sda5 during installation
UUID=ac5466f0-2b0b-432e-bb62-eee81ef59718 none swap sw 0 0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Click save and close gedit.
sudo chroot /mnt
You will now get a root shell, no need to type sudo before every command.
apt-get update
apt-get install lilo
Alternatively, if you do not have an internet connection and you have installed the 64 bit distro, you can simply download the two required files from below (see end of this howto).
After lilo is installed liloconfig runs automatically (in case it doesn't just type liloconfig and hit ENTER). It will prompt you to install lilo in the partition, accept, it will also prompt you to install on the mbr, default for me was no. make sure you click no to avoid overwriting GAG on the mbr
After lilo is installed Ctrl and D to exit the root shell
Unmount filesystems
sudo umount /mnt/dev
sudo umount /mnt/proc
sudo umount /mnt
Reboot
sudo reboot
Add the OS to GAG and enjoy
Here are the two files (64 bit ubuntu) that were downloaded:
http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=8b50ec8c0aafc4e8ab1eab3e9fa335ca4c00191b 1fa91892