initrd script mounts another root disk with a compressed (gzip or bzip2)
filesystem.</P>
<P><b>What's the advantage of using this program?</b></P>
<P>You can use a bzip2 compressed filesystem, this program is easy to use, and it provides a framework showing a simple initrd method which you can freely
modify. I wrote this program as an extension to BootRoot which was written
as a solution to help oster at EE (www.experts-exchange.com) create separate
boot and root floppies for an emergency system for his customers.</P>
<P>If you make a cool change to this program, or if this program helps you I'd love to know, that's better than receiving pizza. :)</P>
<P><b>How can I test gBootRoot?</b></P>
<P>Get SETUP.GZ as the filesystem from <ahref="http://www.tux.org/pub/people/kent-robotti/index.html">looplinux</a> or get it from my <ahref="/bootroot/setup.gz">site</a>.
This filesystem works with 2.2 kernels.</P>
<p>
[Ctrl] ([Tab] to see available images)
<br> boot: bootdisk single [Enter]
<br> ( now filesystem is single user mode)
<br> exit [Enter]
<br> (now you are in multi user mode)
<p>
Better yet, do [Ctrl]
<br> boot: bootdisk 2 [Enter]
<P>You can make your own compressed filesystem with
<P><b>Why doesn't looplinux work as "bootdisk 1?"</b></P>
<P>There is a difference between "1" and "single." Looplinux was written in a
way that runlevel 1 doesn't work properly in relation to gBootRoot unless
single is used. And you thought they were the same thing? gBootRoot
proves otherwise. </P>
<P><b>gBootRoot doesn't start because it can't locate Gtk.pm?</b></P>
<p>This program requires Gtk-Perl available from <ahref="http://www.perl.com/CPAN">CPAN</a>, <ahref="http://freshmeat.net/projects/gtk-perl">Freshmeat</a> or most GNU/Linux distributions.</p>
<p><b>There isn't enough room left on my 1440 floppy to make a Boot or Root
disk. Is there any way to free up more space apart from reducing
the size of the kernel?</b></p>
<p>
Move the device size to 1722. This is a trick that <ahref="http://www.toms.net/rb/">tomsrtbt</a> uses on his famous rescue disk.</p>
<p><b>If you roll the floppy density counter down to 0 and then try go back
up towards 1440 and 1722, you get very funny figures.</b></p>
<p>
This is because of the way Gtk works. There are two adjustments,
step and page increments. When you press your first mouse button the step
has been set to 282 so that a person can easily switch between 1440 and 1722.
When you use your second mouse button the page is set at 360. You can go
down to zero by pressing your third mouse button on the down arrow. Now
page up with the second button to 1440 and step with the first button to
1722. Pretty cool, eh?</p>
<p>Why we are on this subject please check out these keyboard shortcuts for Gtk.</p>
<P>Motion Shortcuts
<UL>
<LI> Ctrl-A Beginning of line </LI>
<LI> Ctrl-E End of line </LI>
<LI> Ctrl-N Next Line </LI>
<LI> Ctrl-P Previous Line </LI>
<LI> Ctrl-B Backward one character </LI>
<LI> Ctrl-F Forward one character </LI>
<LI> Alt-B Backward one word </LI>
<LI> Alt-F Forward one word </LI>
</UL>
<P> Editing Shortcuts
<UL>
<LI> Ctrl-H Delete Backward Character (Backspace) </LI>
<LI> Ctrl-D Delete Forward Character (Delete) </LI>
<LI> Ctrl-W Delete Backward Word </LI>
<LI> Alt-D Delete Forward Word </LI>
<LI> Ctrl-K Delete to end of line </LI>
<LI> Ctrl-U Delete line </LI>
</UL>
<P>Selection Shortcuts
<UL>
<LI> Ctrl-X Cut to clipboard </LI>
<LI> Ctrl-C Copy to clipboard </LI>
<LI> Ctrl-V Paste from clipboard </LI>
</UL>
<IMGALT="Larry Ewing's Penguin celebrates in gBootRoot."SRC="images/peng-movie.4.gif">
