[LinuxBIOS] Using GRUB as a payload

Al Boldi a1426z at gawab.com
Sun Sep 24 21:14:25 CEST 2006


Stefan Reinauer wrote:
> * Al Boldi <a1426z at gawab.com> [060924 06:46]:
> > I was thinking more like loading another bootloader.  This way, there is
> > no need to fuss around with user-interface, image-type, or fs-level
> > access, but instead just load a no-frills MBR.
>
> why would you want to "load an mbr" if you can easily read files from
> all kinds of existing filesystems as well?

Modularization.

> This is opensource. If a new
> filesystem comes into existance, you can boot from it.

So maybe leave the bootloader chainloaded as a separate module from the 
block-driver.

> > Thanks for the pointer, but it looks like the sourceforge cvs is dead,
> > and ADLO seems to be some sort of a 16bit BIOS compatibility layer, when
> > all that is needed is a simple MBR chainloader.
>
> No, "a simple MBR chainloader" is not all that is needed. The code that
> you will find in an MBR will do bios callbacks, and you need to answer
> those, or you will jump to nirvana.

Ok, that's why we need a block-driver to chainload the MBR.

> What is your requirement? Loading Windows?

Loading Linux, on an i440bx with a brain-dead AwardBIOS that can't boot USB, 
nor can it boot disks >32GB.  Filo does the trick, but has its issues wrt 
APM and its inability to remember boot commands like LiLo can.

Would chainloading LiLo be possible?


Thanks!

--
Al





More information about the coreboot mailing list