discuss: discuss a new text document - grub boot large kernel
Subject:
Re: discuss a new text document - grub boot large kernel
From:
David Lawyer ####@####.####
Date:
20 Nov 2004 04:49:57 -0000
Message-Id: <20041120044619.GA755@davespc>
I think this would make a good mini-howto. You just put mini-howto in
the title. For this you could use the docbook markup.
For a simple alternative to DocBook markup see my mini howto:
Howtos-with-LinuxDoc. The LinuxDoc format is much easier to learn and
use but is technically inferior to DocBook. The url is
http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO/other-formats/html_single/Howtos-with-LinuxDoc.html
On Sun, Oct 03, 2004 at 02:29:42PM +1000, Gordon wrote:
> 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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>
> ______________________
> http://lists.tldp.org/
>
>
David Lawyer
