discuss: discuss a new text document - grub boot large kernel
Subject:
discuss a new text document - grub boot large kernel
From:
Gordon ####@####.####
Date:
3 Oct 2004 04:30:09 -0000
Message-Id: <20041003042942.56794.qmail@web90001.mail.scd.yahoo.com>
Hullo
here is my text file to use GRUB the bootloader to
boot large kernels, normally the 2.6.7 series is too
large with an initrd image and other files to fit onto
one floppy
EMERGENCY FLOPPIES CAPABLE OF BOOTING LARGE KERNELS
1) Install a 2.6 series kernel and you may also need
to use command mkinitrd to make a ramdisk image.
2) To keep it simple create 3 freshly formatted msdos
floppies. That way the vmlinuz can fit onto the floppy
without space concerns. Or use ext2 floppies if you
wish.
3) Install GRUB the bootloader if you haven't already
done so.
4) FLOPPY 1 ----Create with a file structure like
this:
/grub
/grub/menu.lst
/grub/stage1
/grub/stage2
Copy the stage 1 and 2 files from either your
/boot/grub or your backup folder
/usr/local/share/grub/i386-pc (or any subfolder of
grub if you downloaded a different version). If you
can't find a menu.list file don't worry we are
creating one now
5) Create MENU.LST file - filename is in lower
case---the lst stands for LIST
copy and paste this into a text editor and save as
/mnt/floppy/grub/menu.lst
copy all this
title floppy
root (fd0)
pause "insert kernel floppy number 2 then press enter"
kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/hda5 ro
pause "insert initrd floppy number 3 then press enter"
initrd /initrd.gz
NOTES
A) Check /etc/fstab to amend in case your / partition
is not at /dev/hda5.
...Check that your /boot/initrd file ends in .gz it
may end in img so change to suit the guilty.
C) I am not concerned with eye candy so there are no
timeouts or colour map files for your entertainment,
the reason for the floppy is your system does not boot
from the hd, so don't increase the risk of failure.
D) Delete last 2 lines if you do not need an initial
ram disk image to boot. And ignore floppy 3
instructions.
6) INSTALL GRUB TO MBR OF FLOPPY (floppy 1)
a) Open a terminal type su then when prompted type
your root password
b) type grub and press enter
c) Your prompt should now show grub then the cursor.
d) type root (fd0) and press enter
e) type setup (fd0) and press enter
NOTES
A) You may get errors in the output for step (e) in
not finding one or more files, do not be alarmed
unless the end line is NOT reading success or
succeeded.
B) Feel free to post any errors you get if that last
line is not a success.
C) I can ignore my first error - looking for
/boot/grub - as the next line solves it
D) I can ignore error - could not find a fat stage 1.5
file - as I have no fat fs. Mine is all reiserfs.
The manual says we do not need ANY stage 1.5
files.....I hear and obey.
7) unmount floppy one and mount floppy 2
FLOPPY 2
8) Copy a real vmlinuz file to floppy and rename it as
vmlinuz
9) Unmount floppy 2 and mount floppy 3
NOTES
A) We do not do anything to the mbr of floppy 2 or 3.
B) Do not copy the /boot/vmlinuz file as it is likely
a symbolic link to the real file.
Check the reported size of the floppy file..... it
should NOT be zero bytes. If it is, you copied a link
file. The real one will be about 1.3 Mb. The real file
will be /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.7 or something OTHER than
vmlinuz.
FLOPPY 3
10) Copy initrd.gz to floppy
11) Unmount floppy 3
Note you may have initrd.img depending on your distro.
12) All done now test it please.
NOTES.
I have tested this with Slackware 10 ...2.6.7 kernel
and a initrd.gz
The purpose of keeping the initrd and vmlinuz files to
separate floppies and the structure of the menu list
file is so you can also have the old 2.4.26 on floppy
and edit the grub command line to delete the initrd
line, neat eh??
Or you can create a new floppy 1 with the initrd
deleted and amend the menu.lst to delete the initrd
line. And of course, you may end up with several
kernel floppies but you will only need one initrd
floppy unless you change hardware???
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