SuperLinux Encyclopedia - booting

Definition

Typical (Red Hat?) Linux boot sequence:

• MBR (Master Boot Record/Sector). This can be a M$DOS MBR or a LILO boot sector.
• For M$DOS MBR, the first active boot record on a primary (including extended but not logical) partition of first disk. This can be a LILO boot sector or another OS boot sector.
• Linux kernel
• Program "init". Among other things, this reads /etc/inittab to control the running of init scripts as in the following. The init scripts are under /etc/rc.d on some installations.
• rc.sysinit; This often runs rc.serial, rc.local
• rc; This is passed the "run-level" number, #, and it runs the rc#.d/* scripts in "*" order.
• update (ie, bdflush);
• mgetty's are started

Boot Disks:

• Bootdisk HOWTO  How to create a boot/root maintenance disk for Linux.
• mkbootdisk - Makes a floppy boot disk from the currently running system. Can also be used as a minor rescue disk.

Misc:

• BootPrompt HOWTO  List of boot time arguments and overview of booting software.
• Note from Kernel 2.2 doc:
  CTRL-ALT-DEL now performs a cold reboot instead of a warm reboot for increased hardware compatibility. If you want a warm reboot and know it works on your hardware, add a "reboot=warm" command line option in LILO. A small number of machines need "reboot=bios" to reboot via the BIOS.
• Das Boot (multi OS setup info)
• Multi-Booting with LILO  A tutorial.
• Playing .AU at boot up  Jul'95 LG
• r2d2  "newly developed boot-concept" Ease of BSD method, power of SysV method.
• Remote Boot mini-HOWTO  How to set up a server-based boot selector.
• SRM HOWTO  How to boot Linux/Alpha using the SRM firmware.
• initrd.txt - how to use the RAM disk as an initial/temporary root filesystem.
• svga.txt - short guide on selecting video modes at boot via VGA BIOS.
• Single-User Booting Under Linux  Jul'97 LG
• Ask Slashdot: Crazed Booting  [precise link broke]
• Ask Slashdot: Boot Parameters
• Ask Slashdot: Booting XTerminals  [precise link broke]

XDM (X login manager):

XBanner program works with XDM to put up fancy login screen.

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