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Each (kernel or non-kernel)
image description begins with a special variable (see section 3.3)
which is followed by optional
variables. The following variables can be used for all image descriptions
that describe a Linux kernel:
- append= string
- Appends the options specified in
string to the parameter line passed to the kernel. This is
typically used to specify parameters of hardware that can't be entirely
auto-detected, e.g.
- literal= string
- Like append, but removes all other
options (e.g. setting of the root device). Because vital options can be
removed unintentionally with literal, this option cannot be set in
the global options section.
- ramdisk= size
- specifies the size of the optional RAM disk.
A value of zero indicates that no RAM disk should be created. If this
variable is omitted, the RAM disk size configured into the boot
image is used.
- read-only
- specifies that the root file system should be
mounted read-only. Typically, the system startup procedure re-mounts
the root file system read-write later (e.g. after fsck'ing it).
- read-write
- specifies that the root file system should be
mounted read-write.
- root= root_device
- specifies the device that should be
mounted as root. If the special name current is used, the root
device is set to the device on which the root file system is currently
mounted. If the root has been changed with -r, the respective
device is used. If the variable root is omitted, the root device
setting contained in the kernel image is used. It can be changed
with the rdev program.
- vga= mode
- specifies the VGA text mode that
should be selected when booting. The following values are recognized
(case is ignored):
- normal
- select normal 80x25 text mode.
- extended
- select 80x50 text mode. The word extended
can be abbreviated to ext.
- ask
- stop and ask for user input (at boot time).
- number
- use the corresponding text mode. A list of available
modes can be obtained by booting with vga=ask and pressing
Enter
.
If this variable is omitted, the VGA mode setting contained in the kernel
image is used. rdev supports manipulation of the VGA text mode
setting in the kernel image.
If one of ramdisk, read-only, read-write, root,
or vga is omitted in the configuration file and the
corresponding value in the kernel image is changed, LILO or the kernel
will use the new value.
It is perfectly valid to use different settings for the same
image, because LILO stores them in the image descriptors and not in the
images themselves.
Example:
image = /vmlinuz
label = lin-hd
root = /dev/hda2
image = /vmlinuz
label = lin-fd
root = /dev/fd0
Next: Boot image types
Up: Configuration
Previous: General per-image options
Ross Biro
Sat May 20 13:51:22 PDT 1995