Difference between revisions of "Boot FreeLoader from GRUB"

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== Background ==
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GRUB is a popular boot manager for people with many different operating systems installed on one machine or hard disk. [[FreeLoader]] is the bootloader for ReactOS and also a possible boot manager. If you have GRUB already installed and then install ReactOS, FreeLoader's abilities become redundant and annoying. This document shows how to keep FreeLoader from doing much but acting as a bootloader for ReactOS.
GRUB is a popular boot manager for people with many different operating systems installed on one machine or hard disk. [[FreeLoader]] is ReactOS's bootloader and also a possible boot manager. If you have GRUB already installed and then install ReactOS, FreeLoader's abilites become redundant and annoying. This document shows how to keep FreeLoader from doing much but acting as a bootloader for ReactOS.
 
  
 
== Method ==
 
== Method ==
FreeLoader can be loaded as a "multiboot kernel" by multiboot compliant bootstrap loaders like GRUB. To load FreeLoader from GRUB, put something like this in the GRUB's '''menu.lst''' configuration file:
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FreeLoader can be loaded as a "multiboot kernel" by multiboot compliant bootstrap loaders like GRUB. To load FreeLoader from GRUB, put something like this in the GRUB's <tt>menu.lst</tt> configuration file:
  
 
<pre>
 
<pre>
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Note:
 
Note:
* (hd0,0) refers to the first partition on the first disk.
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* <tt>(hd0,0)</tt> refers to the first partition on the first disk.
* (hd1,0) refers to the first partition on the second disk.
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* <tt>(hd1,0)</tt> refers to the first partition on the second disk.
* (hd0,1) refers to the second partition on the first disk.
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* <tt>(hd0,1)</tt> refers to the second partition on the first disk.
  
You should make sure that the path referred to by "kernel" and '''freeldr.sys''' is on a FAT16/32 partition.
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You should make sure that the path referred to by "kernel" and <tt>freeldr.sys</tt> is on a FAT16/32 partition.
  
You can also override settings in the [FREELOADER] section of FreeLoader's '''freeldr.ini''' configuration file by passing them on the command like, like this:
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You can also override settings in the <tt>[FREELOADER]</tt> section of FreeLoader's <tt>freeldr.ini</tt> configuration file by passing them on the command like, like this:
  
 
<pre>
 
<pre>
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</pre>
 
</pre>
  
After selecting "ReactOS" from the GRUB menu you won't have to make another selection on the freeloader menu because of the "TimeOut=0".
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After selecting "ReactOS" from the GRUB menu you will not have to make another selection on the freeloader menu because of the <tt>TimeOut=0</tt>.
  
 
== GRUB 2 ==
 
== GRUB 2 ==
The next generation of GRUB, GRUB 2 uses other language in its configuration file '''grub.cfg'''. Here is an example how to add a menu entry for ReactOS:
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The next generation of GRUB, GRUB 2 uses other language in its configuration file <tt>grub.cfg</tt>. Here is an example how to add a menu entry for ReactOS:
  
 
<pre>
 
<pre>
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</pre>
 
</pre>
  
Note that partition numbering has been changed, and (hd0,1) refers to the first partition on the first disk.
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Note that partition numbering has been changed, and <tt>(hd0,1)</tt> refers to the first partition on the first disk.
  
 
== Links ==
 
== Links ==
http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/files/util/boot/grub/grub013.zip
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* http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/files/util/boot/grub/grub013.zip
 
 
== External links ==
 
 
* [http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/manual/html_node/ GRUB Manual]
 
* [http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/manual/html_node/ GRUB Manual]
 
* [http://www.gnu.org/software/grub GRUB homepage]
 
* [http://www.gnu.org/software/grub GRUB homepage]

Revision as of 03:33, 23 October 2010

GRUB is a popular boot manager for people with many different operating systems installed on one machine or hard disk. FreeLoader is the bootloader for ReactOS and also a possible boot manager. If you have GRUB already installed and then install ReactOS, FreeLoader's abilities become redundant and annoying. This document shows how to keep FreeLoader from doing much but acting as a bootloader for ReactOS.

Method

FreeLoader can be loaded as a "multiboot kernel" by multiboot compliant bootstrap loaders like GRUB. To load FreeLoader from GRUB, put something like this in the GRUB's menu.lst configuration file:

title		ReactOS
root		(hd0,0)
kernel		/freeldr.sys

Note:

  • (hd0,0) refers to the first partition on the first disk.
  • (hd1,0) refers to the first partition on the second disk.
  • (hd0,1) refers to the second partition on the first disk.

You should make sure that the path referred to by "kernel" and freeldr.sys is on a FAT16/32 partition.

You can also override settings in the [FREELOADER] section of FreeLoader's freeldr.ini configuration file by passing them on the command like, like this:

title	ReactOS
root	(hd0,0)
kernel	/freeldr.sys DefaultOS=ReactOS TimeOut=0

title	ReactOS (Debug)
root	(hd0,0)
kernel	/freeldr.sys DefaultOS=ReactOS_Debug TimeOut=0

After selecting "ReactOS" from the GRUB menu you will not have to make another selection on the freeloader menu because of the TimeOut=0.

GRUB 2

The next generation of GRUB, GRUB 2 uses other language in its configuration file grub.cfg. Here is an example how to add a menu entry for ReactOS:

menuentry "ReactOS" {
	set root=(hd0,1)
	multiboot /freeldr.sys
}

Note that partition numbering has been changed, and (hd0,1) refers to the first partition on the first disk.

Links