docs/grub.texi

\input texinfo  @c -*-texinfo-*-
@setfilename grub.info
@include version.texi

@dircategory Kernel
@direntry
* GRUB: (grub).                 The GRand Unified Bootloader.
@end direntry

@ifinfo
Copyright @copyright{} 1996 Erich Boleyn
Copyright @copyright{} 1999 Free Software Foundation, Inc.

Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
are preserved on all copies.

@ignore
Permission is granted to process this file through TeX and print the
results, provided the printed document carries a copying permission
notice identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph
(this paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual).

@end ignore

Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that
the entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
permission notice identical to this one.

Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
@end ifinfo

@c @setchapternewpage odd
@settitle GRUB Manual
@titlepage
@finalout
@title The GRUB Manual
@author Gordon Matzigkeit
@page

@vskip 0pt plus 1filll
Copyright @copyright{} 1996 Erich Boleyn
Copyright @copyright{} 1999 Free Software Foundation, Inc.

Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
are preserved on all copies.

Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that
the entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
permission notice identical to this one.

Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
@end titlepage

@node Top
@top GRUB

This file documents GNU GRUB, the Grand Unified Bootloader.  This
edition documents version @value{VERSION}.

@menu
* Introduction::                Capturing the spirit of GRUB.

@detailmenu
 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---

Introduction

* History::                     From maggot to house fly.
* Features::                    How GRUB is different.
* Role of a bootloader::        Judging a system by its bootloader.

@end detailmenu
@end menu

@node Introduction
@chapter Introduction

Briefly, a @dfn{bootloader} is the first software program that runs when
a computer starts.  It is responsible for loading and transferring
control to the operating system @dfn{kernel} software (such as the Linux
or Hurd kernels).  The kernel, in turn, initializes the rest of the
operating system (usually GNU).

@menu
* History::                     From maggot to house fly.
* Features::                    How GRUB is different.
* Role of a bootloader::        Judging a system by its bootloader.
@end menu


@node History
@section History of GRUB

GRUB originated in 1995 when Erich Boleyn was trying to boot the GNU
Hurd with the University of Utah's Mach 4 microkernel (now known as GNU
Mach).  Erich and Brian Ford designed the Multiboot Standard (FIXME
xref), because they were determined not to add to the large number of
mutually-incompatible PC boot methods.

Erich then began modifying the FreeBSD bootloader so that it would
understand Multiboot.  He quickly realized that it would be a lot easier
to write his own bootloader from scratch than to keep working on the
FreeBSD bootloader, and so GRUB was born.

Erich added many features to GRUB, but other priorities prevented him
from keeping up with the demands of its quickly-expanding user base.  In
1999, Gordon Matzigkeit adopted GRUB as an official GNU package, and
opened its development by making the latest sources available via
anonymous CVS.@footnote{The repository is
@code{:pserver:anoncvs@@anoncvs.gnu.org:/gd/gnu/anoncvsroot}, module
@code{grub}.  Just hit return when prompted for a password.}


@node Features
@section GRUB features
technical.html: why another bootloader?


@node Role of a bootloader
@section The role of a bootloader

The following is a quotation from Gordon Matzigkeit, a GRUB fanatic:

@quotation
Some people like to acknowlege both the operating system and kernel when
they talk about their computers, so they might say they use
``GNU/Linux'' or ``GNU/Hurd''.  Other people seem to think that the
kernel is the most important part of the system, so they like to call
their GNU operating systems ``Linux systems.''

I, personally, believe that this is a grave injustice, because the
@emph{bootloader} is the most important software of all.  So, I used to
refer to the above systems as either ``LILO''@footnote{The LInux LOader,
a bootloader that everybody uses, but nobody likes.} or ``GRUB''
systems.

Unfortunately, nobody ever understood what I was talking about; now I
just use the word ``GNU'' as a pseudonym for GRUB.

So, if you ever hear people talking about their alleged ``GNU'' systems,
remember that they are actually paying homage to the best bootloader
around@dots{} GRUB!
@end quotation

We, the GRUB maintainers, do not (usually) encourage Gordon's level of
fanaticism, but it helps to remember that bootloaders deserve careful
design.  We hope at least that you enjoy using GNU GRUB as much as we
did writing it.


@chapter Using
@section using.html


@chapter Boot scripts
@section commands.txt


@chapter Disk partitions


@chapter Filesystems
@section filesystem.txt


@chapter Troubleshooting
@section errors.html


@chapter Multiboot
@section boot-proposal.html


@chapter Implementation
@section technical.html
@section embedded_data.txt
@section PC_patitioning.txt

@bye