Program: gBootRoot pronounced "bOOtrOOt" License: GNU General Public License The Makefile included with this source package doesn't figure out whether your installation has the proper requirements. However, it isn't difficult to understand what is necessary to get gbootroot to work. First type "make", follow the instructions in the "Important Configurations" section near the bottom of this page, and then run gbootroot. The program will indicate to you whether anything is missing. If it doesn't work at all, it's generally due to not having gtk-perl installed. If the user-mode-linux kernel doesn't work, it may be an architecture issue. If you need to customize the kernel, there are general directions in the README. If a boot or root method are missing required programs, pop-up dialog boxes and information from the verbosity box will give a good indication of what is causing the problem. Out of the box this program works with the i386 architecture, for other architectures genext2fs and user-mode-linux will need to be compiled if full functionality is desired. Eventually, the Advanced Kernel Section in this program will be able to help with the uml compile. Perl Modules: ############# Gtk-Perl -------- Version 0.7002 or greater. http://freshmeat.net/projects/gtk-perl Binaries: ######### Genext2fs --------- genext2fs/genext2fs ( included and already compiled for i386 ) cd genext2fs; make ( other architectures ) User-Mode-Linux --------------- user-mode-linux/usr/bin/{linux,uml_*} ( included and already compiled for i386 ) user-mode-linux/usr/lib/uml/{modules*tar} ( included and already compiled for i386 ) user-mode-linux/usr/lib/uml/config ( kernel .config defaults ) If you use a different architecture you will need to read http://user-mode-linux.sourceforge.net/arch-port.html. Here the basic instructions to compile uml stuff: Get kernel sources from www.kernel.org, and then a matching uml-patch from http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=429. If you want to match the kernel version used by gbootroot check Changes to find out which version of uml if being used. You may want to use config as your .config at the base of the sources as a starting point, and then modify the kernel configuration in whatever way required. There are good instructions on how to compile a uml kernel at http://user-mode-linux.sourceforge.net/UserModeLinux-HOWTO-2.html. Then put the uml kernel in the directory cited above and call it linux; you can put the modules in a Replacements directory later on (see FAQ). The helper uml_* tools need to be checked out from cvs and compiled with make: (Instructions for cvs at http://sourceforge.net/cvs/?group_id=429.) cvs -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.user-mode-linux.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/user-mode-linux login cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.user-mode-linux.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/user-mode-linux co tools cd tools/mconsole; make; cd ../uml_net; make; chown 0:0 uml_net; chmod 4755 uml_net; cd ../uml_router; make; cd ../uml_moo; make; Put the uml kernel in the directory cited above with the same names. When you run gbootroot's Makefile everything will be put in the proper places. Note: Please send the user-mode-linux-devel and gbootroot-devel lists your experiences if you successfully get another architecture working so they can be shared with the community. Boot Methods: ############# 2 disk compression ------------------ This method will tell you when any of these utilities are missing: ash lilo bzip2 file Root Methods: ############# Yard ---- Watch the verbosity box, it will be obvious when a required command is missing. Make sure you have this file installed on your system: file Important Configurations: ######################### "chown 0:0 /usr/bin/uml_net; chmod 4755 /usr/bin/uml_net" so normal users can have network capabilities. Documentation: ############# Documentaion and FAQ are in doc/html/index.html Have fun! -Jonathan Please infuse your suggestions, bug reports, insults, and patronage back to: Jonathan Rosenbaum