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417 lines
14 KiB
<html>
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<head><title>gBootRoot</title></head>
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<body text="#000000" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" link="#0000EF" vlink="#51188E"
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alink="#FF0000">
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<H1 align="center">gBootRoot</h1>
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<H3 align="center">at</h3>
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<p align="center"><A href="http://sourceforge.net/projects/gbootroot">
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<IMG src="http://sourceforge.net/sflogo.php?group_id=9513&type=1"
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width="88" height="31" border="0"
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alt="SourceForge Logo"> </A></p>
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<p></p>
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<P align="center">
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<b>bOOTrOOT</b> makes the development, construction, and
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testing of distributions fun and simple.</P>
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<br>
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<P align="center">
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<b>Download gBootRoot<b></P>
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<P align="center">Stable version</P>
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<p align="center"><A href="http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/gbootroot/">
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Old versions</A></P>
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<P align="center">
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<IMG ALT="" SRC="images/gbootroot.xpm">
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</P>
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<P align="center">
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<b>How to Use gBootRoot</b></P>
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<P><IMG ALT="" SRC="images/gBS.jpg" align="right">The most important button to
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familiarize yourself with is the Submit button which starts the whole process;
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dialogs are presented as the process continues asking you if you want to
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continue "OK" or stop "Cancel".</P>
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<p>
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The <u>first row</u> presently has only one Boot Method choice:
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"2 disk compression."  
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Clicking on the menu on the right selects the Boot Method.</p>
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<P>The <u>second row</u> allows you to select the kernel for the Boot/Root set. You
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may either use the file selector button on the right hand side, or you may
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type in the location on the left hand side.</P>
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<P>
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The <u>third row</u> allows you to select the compressed filesystem you are
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providing, using either of the two ways mentioned before. You may use a
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pre-made root filesystem or you may create one using one of the Methods
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provided in the Advanced Root Section.
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</P>
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<P>The <u>fourth row</u> allows you to select the device you want to use. The default
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device is the first floppy disk - /dev/fd0.</P>
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<p>
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The <u>fifth row</u> allows you to choose the size of the device being used.
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The default size of 1440 assumes you are using a floppy drive (Note: You may
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want to experiment with 1722 which works fine with many floppy drives.), but
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can be used with other sized devices like tape drives. Click on the
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appropriate radio button to choose either gzip or bzip2 compression if the
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program doesn't automatically detect it.</p>
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<P align="center"><b>Verbosity Box</b></p>
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<IMG ALT="" SRC="images/verbosity_box.jpg" align="right">
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The <u>slider bar</u> on the right allows the output of the verbosity box
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to be
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changed from the highest (2) to the lowest setting (1) or to be turned off (0)
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or on again.
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At times it may be advantageous to turn off the verbosity box
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since large quantities of output to this box may cause gbootroot to use too
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much cpu power; however, output may still be found in the text file "verbose"
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in /tmp/gbootroot_tmp'time-date'.</p>
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<p><P align="center"><b>
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Using the Advanced Boot Section</b></p>
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<p><IMG ALT="" SRC="images/ABS.jpg" align="right">
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"Stripping" On by default for libraries and binaries. The stripping
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behavior for libraries may be changed by clicking on the right mouse button
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to change from --strip-debug to --strip-all.</p>
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<p>
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"Devel Device" If the device used for development is different than the
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actual boot device, use this field to indicate that device. You will have to
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run lilo -v -C brlilo.conf -r "device mount point" manually at a later time
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on the actual boot device.</p>
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<p>
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"Opt. Device" Add devices to the boot disk which are necessary for the
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kernel to function properly. Put a space between each device. For instance,
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/dev/fb0 for frame buffer devices.</p>
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<p>
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"append =" Add append options to brlilo.conf. If you are using a frame
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buffer device you could add something like video=matrox:vesa:402,depth:16.</p>
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<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>
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<P align="center">
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<b>Using the Advanced Root Section</b></P>
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<p><IMG ALT="" SRC="images/ARS.jpg" align="right">
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"Root Device"
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This is the device used for the root filesystem when
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constructing the Boot/Root set.
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You may choose a device which is different
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than the Boot device, but presently only floppy devices are supported.</p>
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<p>
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"Root Device Size" The size of the actual media used for the Root Device.</p>
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<p>
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"Root Filename"
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The name give to the root filesystem when initially made
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in the temporary creation location.
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The save button allows the creation to
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be saved in the permanent default location when the
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Accept button is pressed.</p>
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<p>
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"Filesystem Size"
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Root Methods make the filesystem the size which is
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specified here.</p>
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<p>
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"Compression"
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Off by default to allow user-mode-linux testing. Turn on
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compression when you are ready to use a Boot Method
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which requires compression.</p>
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<p>
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"Method" The root filesystem creation method.</p>
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<p>
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"Template" The template associated with a Root Method.
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Not all Root Methods
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have templates.</p>
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<p>
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"Generate" This puts the chosen Root Method in action.</p>
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<p>
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"UML" Abbreviation for user-mode-linux.
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This is a linux kernel which runs on
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top of the host system's linux kernel and allows a you run a live root
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filesystem.</p>
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<p>
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"Accept"
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This accepts the created root filesystem if it is found in the
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temporary creation directory.
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The UML box and the main section will now
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reflect the path to this root filesystem.
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You can now test with the UML
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button or a put together a complete Boot/Root set with the Submit button.</p>
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<p><P align="center"><b>User Mode Linux Box</b></p>
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<p><IMG ALT="" SRC="images/uml_box.jpg" align="right">
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"Xterm" Choose an xterm with its executable options switch.</p>
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<p>
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"Options" Enter uml command-line options like: mem=64,
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devfs=nomount.</p>
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<p>
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"Root_Fs" Choose an uncompressed root filesystem.
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Append with ubd?=.</p>
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<p>
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"Abort" Abort user-mode-linux kernel processes. </p>
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<p><P align="center"><b>
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About the Yard Box</b></p>
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<p><IMG ALT="" SRC="images/yard_box.jpg" align="center"></p>
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The Yard Box is a Root Method which is "Generated" from the Advanced Root
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Section after a Template is chosen. It has several interesting features.
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<p>
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The check boxes at the bottom represent the different stages involved in
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creating a root filesystem. The behavior of these stages may be altered in
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three ways: Edit->Stages->one-by-one (default) will perform each stage
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sequentially, stopping between each stage, the user may continue the process
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by pressing the Continue button. Edit->Stages->continuous proceeds non-stop
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through all the stages. Edit->Stages->'user defined' allows the user to
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choose any stages the user wants, and will then proceed through all the
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chosen stages. Choosing only 'Check', 'Links & Deps', 'Create" is a good
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example.</p>
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<p><IMG ALT="" SRC="images/tests.jpg" align="center"></p>
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<p>
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The behavior of some of the stages may be altered. For instance Alt-T allows
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you to choose which tests to run on the newly created
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root filesystem.</p>
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<p><IMG ALT="" SRC="images/template_search.jpg" align="center"></p>
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<p>
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Press Alt-S to enable template text searching in either
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direction. Find exact matches or ignore case with the case sensitive check
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box.</p>
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<p><IMG ALT="" SRC="images/file.jpg" align="center"></p>
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<p>
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Use Ctl-S to save the changes to an open template, and Alt-A to save the
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template with a new name.
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bOOTrOOT will not allow readonly templates or template links to be saved
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with their own name. A few of these example files are included. You may make
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changes to them or clear their buffers. Then you may save the template with a
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different name.</p>
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<p><IMG ALT="" SRC="images/stripping.jpg" align="center"></p>
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<p>
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Edit->Settings->Stripping allows you to turn off/on stripping for
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Libraries, Binaries, and Modules. --strip-all is the default stripping
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behavior, but Libraries may have this behavior changed to --strip-debug.</p>
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<p><IMG ALT="" SRC="images/paths.jpg" align="center"></p>
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<p>
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Edit->Setting->Paths allows you to prepend a new search path to your
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environments $PATH variable.
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</p>
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<p><IMG ALT="" SRC="images/filesystem.jpg" align="center"></p>
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<p>
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Edit->'File System" may alter the type of filesystem used to make the root
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filesystem. Because the filesystem is created on a loop device, some
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filesystem types may complain or not be created at all.</p>
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<p><IMG ALT="" SRC="images/replacements.jpg" align="center"></p>
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<p>
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Edit->Replacements in your $HOME/.gbootroot/Replacements directory using
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an editor of your choice.
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</p>
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<p><IMG ALT="" SRC="images/create.jpg" align="center"></p>
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<p>
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Create->Replacements creates special replacement files. Presently it creates
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an fstab configuration file as Replacements/etc/fstab.new in
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$HOME/.gbootroot/yard/.</p>
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<br><br>
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<P>Little things you may want to know:</P>
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<P>* gBootRoot requires ash for initrd. Ash is a feather weight version of Bash.</P>
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<br>
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<P><IMG ALT="" SRC="images/gBSicon.jpg" align="center"> <b>FAQ</b></P>
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<P><b>What does this program do?</b></P>
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<P>gBootRoot creates a boot disk with lilo, a kernel and an initrd image. The
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initrd script mounts another root disk with a compressed (gzip or bzip2)
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filesystem.</P>
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<P>The root filesystem isn't made by this program, but there lots of compressed
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filesytems out there to use (see rest of FAQ). This program is patterned
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after mkrboot, but unlike mkrboot it creates an unique bootdisk and a
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separate root disk.</P>
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<P><b>What's the advantage of using this program?</b></P>
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<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
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modify. I wrote this program as an extension to BootRoot which was written
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as a solution to help oster at EE (www.experts-exchange.com) create separate
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boot and root floppies for an emergency system for his customers.</P>
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<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>
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<P><b>How can I test gBootRoot?</b></P>
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<P>Get SETUP.GZ as the filesystem from <a href="http://www.tux.org/pub/people/kent-robotti/index.html">looplinux</a> or get it from my <a href="/bootroot/setup.gz">site</a>.
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This filesystem works with 2.2 kernels.</P>
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<p>
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[Ctrl] ([Tab] to see available images)
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<br> boot: bootdisk single [Enter]
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<br> ( now filesystem is single user mode)
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<br> exit [Enter]
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<br> (now you are in multi user mode)
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<p>
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Better yet, do [Ctrl]
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<br> boot: bootdisk 2 [Enter]
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<P>You can make your own compressed filesystem with
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<a href="http://www.croftj.net/~fawcett/yard/">Yard</a>.</P>
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<P><b>Why doesn't looplinux work as "bootdisk 1?"</b></P>
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<P>There is a difference between "1" and "single." Looplinux was written in a
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way that runlevel 1 doesn't work properly in relation to gBootRoot unless
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single is used. And you thought they were the same thing? gBootRoot
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proves otherwise. </P>
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<P><b>gBootRoot doesn't start because it can't locate Gtk.pm?</b></P>
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<p>This program requires Gtk-Perl available from <a href="http://www.perl.com/CPAN">CPAN</a>, <a href="http://freshmeat.net/projects/gtk-perl">Freshmeat</a> or most GNU/Linux distributions.</p>
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<p><b>There isn't enough room left on my 1440 floppy to make a Boot or Root
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disk. Is there any way to free up more space apart from reducing
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the size of the kernel?</b></p>
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<p>
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Move the device size to 1722. This is a trick that <a href="http://www.toms.net/rb/">tomsrtbt</a> uses on his famous rescue disk.</p>
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<p><b>If you roll the floppy density counter down to 0 and then try go back
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up towards 1440 and 1722, you get very funny figures.</b></p>
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<p>
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This is because of the way Gtk works. There are two adjustments,
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step and page increments. When you press your first mouse button the step
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has been set to 282 so that a person can easily switch between 1440 and 1722.
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When you use your second mouse button the page is set at 360. You can go
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down to zero by pressing your third mouse button on the down arrow. Now
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page up with the second button to 1440 and step with the first button to
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1722. Pretty cool, eh?</p>
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<p>Why we are on this subject please check out these keyboard shortcuts for Gtk.</p>
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<P>Motion Shortcuts
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<UL>
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<LI> Ctrl-A Beginning of line </LI>
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<LI> Ctrl-E End of line </LI>
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<LI> Ctrl-N Next Line </LI>
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<LI> Ctrl-P Previous Line </LI>
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<LI> Ctrl-B Backward one character </LI>
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<LI> Ctrl-F Forward one character </LI>
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<LI> Alt-B Backward one word </LI>
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<LI> Alt-F Forward one word </LI>
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</UL>
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<P> Editing Shortcuts
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<UL>
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<LI> Ctrl-H Delete Backward Character (Backspace) </LI>
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<LI> Ctrl-D Delete Forward Character (Delete) </LI>
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<LI> Ctrl-W Delete Backward Word </LI>
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<LI> Alt-D Delete Forward Word </LI>
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<LI> Ctrl-K Delete to end of line </LI>
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<LI> Ctrl-U Delete line </LI>
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</UL>
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<P>Selection Shortcuts
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<UL>
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<LI> Ctrl-X Cut to clipboard </LI>
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<LI> Ctrl-C Copy to clipboard </LI>
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<LI> Ctrl-V Paste from clipboard </LI>
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</UL>
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<IMG ALT="Larry Ewing's Penguin celebrates in gBootRoot." SRC="images/peng-movie.4.gif">
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<br><br><br>
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Contact me: Jonathan Rosenbaum <<a href="freesource@users.sourceforge.net">freesource@users.sourceforge.net</a>>
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<br>
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Submit a Bug: <a href="http://sourceforge.net/bugs/?group_id=9513">gBootRoot Bug System</a>
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<br>
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Ask a question: <a href="http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=29639">Help Forum</a>
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<br>
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Start a discussion: <a href="http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=29638">Open Discussion Forum</a>
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<br>
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Join the mailing list: <a href="http://sourceforge.net/mail/?group_id=9513">gbootroot-dev mailing list</a><p>
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</body></html>
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