What's the advantage of using this program? [back]
How can I test gBootRoot?
What are all these CVS directories doing in my replacements?
Can I use a program linked to uClibc in the template?
What do you mean by macro distribution?
How am I able to create root filesystems as a normal user?
How can a normal user create a root filesystem larger than 8192k?
How can I create boot disks as a normal user?
What is make_debian, and how do I use it?
My root filesystem doesn't start in single mode when started like this: "bootdisk 1?"
What does the 2 disk compression method do?
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?
gBootRoot doesn't start because it can't locate Gtk.pm?
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.
</pre>
<aname ="FAQ">
1. <ahref="#1">What's the advantage of using this program?</a>
<br>
2. <ahref="#2">How do I use gBootRoot?</a>
<br>
3. <ahref="#3">What are all these CVS directories doing in my replacements?</a>
<br>
4. <ahref="#4">Can I use a program linked to uClibc in the template?</a>
<br>
5. <ahref="#5">What do you mean by macro distribution?</a>
<br>
6. <ahref="#6">How am I able to create root filesystems as a normal user?</a>
<br>
7. <ahref="#7">How can a normal user create a root filesystem larger than 8192k?</a>
<br>
8. <ahref="#8">How can I create boot disks as a normal user?</a>
<br>
9. <ahref="#9">What is make_debian, and how do I use it?</a>
<br>
10. <ahref="#10">My root filesystem doesn't start in single mode when started like this: "bootdisk 1?"</a>
<br>
11. <ahref="#11">What does the 2 disk compression method do?</a>
<br>
12. <ahref="#12">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?</a>
<br>
13. <ahref="#13">gBootRoot doesn't start because it can't locate Gtk.pm?</a>
<br>
14. <ahref="#14">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.</a>
</a>
<P><b>What's the advantage of using this program?</b></P>
<P><aname="1"><b>What's the advantage of using this program?</b></a> <ahref="#FAQ">[back]</a></P>
<P><Ahref="./bootroot.html">BootRoot</A>
was the original program, but I decided that a GUI approach
@ -407,19 +407,14 @@ Boot Methods are provided to allow root filesystems to run from different types
of media.
Historically, developers have written scripts
which have focused on providing a particular type of root
filesystem and booting method. Observation, reveals that all these
filesystem and boot method. Observation, reveals that all these
approaches share many commonalities. gBootRoot has been
designed to embrace
these similiarities, and to allow developers to create drop-in methods
via modules or easy to understand templates.
gBootroot is the GIMP of distribution creation!</P>
<P><b>How can I test gBootRoot?</b></P>
<p>
(Note: You may run most of these tests as a normal user.
See the exceptions which apply in the FAQ.)</p>
<P><aname="2"><b>How do I use gBootRoot?</b></a> <ahref="#FAQ">[back]</a></P>
<center><u>Test an existing mini distribution.</u></center>
@ -581,9 +576,7 @@ system. And that is just the beginning of the things you can do.
<P>
<b>What are all these CVS directories doing in my replacements?</b></p>
<P><aname="3"><b>What are all these CVS directories doing in my replacements?</b></a> <ahref="#FAQ">[back]</a></p>
<P>
CVS directories are deliberately put in the Replacement directories to
@ -610,7 +603,7 @@ not to delete the CVS directories because /usr/share is meant to be used
for data which shouldn't be modified
(see <ahref="http://www.pathname.com/fhs/">FHS</a>).</p>
<b>Can I use a program linked to uClibc in the template?</b></p>
<aname="4"><b>Can I use a program linked to uClibc in the template?</b></a> <ahref="#FAQ">[back]</a></p>
<p>
@ -621,7 +614,7 @@ is used to discover shared library dependencies, otherwise ldd is
called without any path.</p>
<b>What do you mean by macro distribution?</b></p>
<aname="5"><b>What do you mean by macro distribution?</b></a> <ahref="#FAQ">[back]</a></p>
<p>
@ -638,7 +631,7 @@ used to run experiments safely without fear of corrupting the host system
via user-mode-linux.</p>
<b>How am I able to create root filesystems as a normal user?</b></p>
<aname="6"><b>How am I able to create root filesystems as a normal user?</b></a> <ahref="#FAQ">[back]</a></p>
<p>
@ -654,7 +647,7 @@ can be changed when the filesystem is run from a kernel.
<p>
<b>How can a normal user create a root filesystem larger than 8192k?</b></p>
<aname="7"><b>How can a normal user create a root filesystem larger than 8192k?</b></a> <ahref="#FAQ">[back]</a></p>
<p>
@ -724,7 +717,7 @@ don't exist. For this example, /mnt1 and
<p>
7. Mount the host filsystem on /mnt2:
7. Mount the host filesystem on /mnt2:
<pre>
mount -t hostfs none -o /tmp/gboot_non_root_1000/loopback /mnt2
</pre>
@ -750,16 +743,18 @@ don't exist. For this example, /mnt1 and
<p>
<b>How can I create boot disks as a normal user?</b></p>
<aname="8"><b>How can I create boot disks as a normal user?</b></a> <ahref="#FAQ">[back]</a></p>
<p>
Make the boot disk as you normally would. Not all boot loaders
can be set-up as a non-root user, however, you may still continue to
Make the boot disk as you normally would. As long as you have
write permissions to the boot device you shouldn't run
into a problem. However, not all boot loaders
can be set-up as a non-root user, but, you may still continue to
the end of the process and set-up the boot loader later from a machine you
have root access on. In order to use lilo while running
gbootroot there
are two pre-requisites your administrator will have to establish for you.
are two prerequisites your administrator will have to establish for you.
First, he will have to edit the fstab to allow you to mount a certain
block device. For instance, to allow you to mount /dev/fd0, you
have to mount the /tmp/gboot_non_root_mnt_`id -u` directory. If
@ -772,9 +767,9 @@ your UID is 1000, then a line like this is added to the fstab:
Next, the administrator needs to give you access to the
lilo command. Sudo is a good solution, and in gbootroot the
$sudo variable is assigned "sudo", this can be changed by the administrator
to some other sudo-like program. The administrator then uses
visudo to edit the sudoers file with a line like this:
$main::sudo variable is assigned "sudo", this can be changed by the
administrator to some other sudo-like program. The administrator
then uses visudo to edit the sudoers file with a line like this:
<pre>
user hostname = NOPASSWD: /sbin/lilo
@ -782,14 +777,16 @@ user hostname = NOPASSWD: /sbin/lilo
<p>
Note, that NOPASSWD is used. Gbootroot won't prompt for a password,
Note that NOPASSWD is used. Gbootroot won't prompt for a password,
and just assumes no password in necessary. I could change this
behavior if people request it. Now a bootdisk with lilo can be
made.
behavior if people request it. If modules are required for
the boot method to work properly, you need to have read
permissions to them so they can be copied. Now a bootdisk with
lilo can be made.
<p>
<b>What is make_debian, and how do I use it?</b></p>
<aname="9"><b>What is make_debian, and how do I use it?</b></a> <ahref="#FAQ">[back]</a></p>
<p>
@ -840,8 +837,8 @@ in the template was modified to reflect these replacements.
</p>
<b>My root filesystem doesn't start in single mode when started like
this:  "bootdisk 1?"</b></P>
<aname="10"><b>My root filesystem doesn't start in single mode when started like
<P><b>What does the 2 disk compression method do?</b></P>
<P><aname="11"><b>What does the 2 disk compression method do?</b></a> <ahref="#FAQ">[back]</a></P>
<P>This Boot Method creates a boot disk with lilo, a kernel and an initrd
image. The
initrd script mounts another root disk with a compressed (gzip or bzip2)
filesystem.</P>
<p><b>There isn't enough room left on my 1440 floppy to make a Boot or Root
<p><aname="12"><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>
the size of the kernel?</b></a> <ahref="#FAQ">[back]</a></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>
@ -907,11 +904,12 @@ to add your comments to the Feature Request. Thanks.</p>
<p>
<b>gBootRoot doesn't start because it can't locate Gtk.pm?</b></P>
<aname="13"><b>gBootRoot doesn't start because it can't locate Gtk.pm?</b></a> <ahref="#FAQ">[back]</a></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>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><aname="14"><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></a> <ahref="#FAQ">[back]</a></p>
<p>
This is because of the way Gtk works. There are two adjustments,
freesource
23 years ago