@@ -1104,13 +1104,20 @@ filesystem.
-If you are creating a single boot disk in which the kernel knows where to +If you are creating a boot disk in which the kernel knows where to find the root filesystem, then nothing else but a kernel is required assuming it is copied in a way that is starts at block 0 on the device -media. -However, in order to boot /dev/fd0 from /dev/fd0 the kernel has to +media, and then rdeved in such a way that it knows that the ramdisk and the +prompt +flag are on, i.e., rdev -r /dev/fd0 49152, and that the root filesystem starts +at block +0 on the other floppy. +However, the 2 disk compression method just copies over the root filesystem +to the second disk. In order to boot /dev/fd0 from /dev/fd0 when +the root +filesystem is just copied over, the kernel has to mount the initial boot disk, and then after the new root disk is inserted, -it remounts that disk. In order to accomplish this, an initrd is +it remounts that disk. In order to accomplish this an initrd is required. Initial ram disks are essentially mini filesystems with the bare necessities to allow a special init type file called linuxrc to @@ -1137,7 +1144,10 @@ distribution or derivative of one. The advantage of a two disk boot/root system is related to the fact that modern kernels are themselves quite -large, leaving very little room for a root filesystem. +large, leaving very little room for a root filesystem, but at the same +time it is convenient to have a boot loader like lilo because it allows +you to boot other root filesystems which is useful in emergency +situations. The present ABS (boot section) is descended from some pretty old historic code from the original bootroot and is due