What's the advantage of using this program?
-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 +
+
+(Explanation from the first gbootroot.)
+"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.
BootRoot -was the original program, but it was decided that a GUI approach +was the original program, but I decided that a GUI approach provided the user much more versatility and power in creating distributions. -
+ Since the first gBootRoot, +bOOTrOOT has become a full blown distribution creation program.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. :)
How can I test gBootRoot?
-1. Download +
1. Download -root_fs_tomrtbt_1.7.205.bz2 from user-mode-linux at Sourceforge.
+root_fs_tomrtbt_1.7.205.bz2 from + +user-mode-linux at Sourceforge to your +$HOME/.gbootroot/root_filesystems.
-2.
-[Ctrl] ([Tab] to see available images)
-
boot: bootdisk single [Enter]
-
( now filesystem is single user mode)
-
exit [Enter]
-
(now you are in multi user mode)
+2. bzip2 -dc root_fs_tomrtbt_1.7.205.bz2 > root_fs_tomrtbt_1.7.205.
+
- Better yet, do [Ctrl]
-
boot: bootdisk 2 [Enter]
+
+3. Run gbootroot.
+Click on the Advanced Root Section, click on
+the UML button. Select root_fs_tomrtbt_1.7.205, and click on the Submit
+button.
Why doesn't looplinux work as "bootdisk 1?"
-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.
++ +4. Click on the Advanced Boot Section. +Root_fs_tomrtbt is about 16M, so add ramdisk_size=16384 to +the 'append=' entry. +From the main box choose '2 disk compression', and +press on the Root Filesystem button and select root_fs_tomrtbt_1.7.205.bz2. +
+ +5. Click the Submit button on the main box. +Have two floppy disks ready. + ++ +6. When you see Lilo you may access the menu using [Ctrl] and +[Tab] to see the available images. + +
My root filesystem doesn't start in single mode when started like +this: "bootdisk 1?"
+ ++ +When you start a kernel image with 1, you are telling it to start in runlevel +1, not in single mode. Use "single" instead.
+ ++ +Why on the subject, it should be pointed at the setting up init and its +runlevels is one of the +most challenging areas of creating a bootable root_fs. Often +your creation will only work with "single" until all the conflicts +are resolved. Things are complicated even futher by the fact that +devices can now be set up in two majors ways: tty? or ttys/? (devfs). + Fortunately, user-mode-linux comes in very handy for hunting +down all the bugs. + + + +
-gBootRoot doesn't start because it can't locate Gtk.pm?
-This program requires Gtk-Perl available from CPAN, Freshmeat or most GNU/Linux distributions.
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 @@ -373,6 +414,34 @@ the size of the kernel?
Move the device size to 1722. This is a trick that tomsrtbt uses on his famous rescue disk.
+
+
+(Update 10/05/2001)
+Up until mke2fs version 1.19 you were able to do
+`mke2fs -F /dev/fd0 1722` on a 1440 device without any problem, but since
+then mke2fs has become much more particular about enforcing actual device
+size. . Mke2fs will complain:
+ +"mke2fs: Attempt to write block from filesystem resulted in short write +zeroing block 1600 at end of filesystem."
+ ++ +I understand Theodore Ts'o reasoning for doing this, but I strongly believe +that the old behavior was very useful for people creating +mini-distributions so I have issued Feature Request (#) at (here). +It should be noted that fdformat is an unacceptable solution because it tends +to be machine specific, and the original mke2fs behavior made floppies that +worked everywhere. +Feel free to add your comments to the Feature Request. Thanks.
+ ++ +gBootRoot doesn't start because it can't locate Gtk.pm?
+This program requires Gtk-Perl available from CPAN, Freshmeat or most GNU/Linux distributions.
+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.