[pocket-linux] GRUB loader for read/write in Chapter 4

[James Maki]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: pocket-linux-bounces at ufo.chicago.il.us
> [mailto:pocket-linux-bounces at ufo.chicago.il.us]On Behalf Of David Horton
> Sent: Friday, March 19, 2004 11:13 AM
> To: Support for Pocket Linux Guide
> Subject: Re: [pocket-linux] GRUB loader for read/write in Chapter 4
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: James Maki [mailto:jwmaki at att.net]
> >
> > I have progressed to Chapter 4, and with a few tweaks and
> re-do's, it boots.
> > BUT, I do not have write ability as the chapter 4.4
> implementation examples
> > indicate. I am sure the problem is with grub. This is my grub.conf file:
> >
> > # /boot/grub/grub.conf  -  GRUB configuration file for Pocket Linux
> > color=light-gray/blue black/light-gray
> > #
> > # The following is for Chapter 2 & 3 boot disk
> > # title=bootdisk (Test Boot Disk Configuration)
> > #     kernel (fd0)/boot/vmlinuz  root=/dev/fd0  mount=read-only \
> > #     vga=normal init=/bin/sh  load_ramdisk=1  prompt_ramdisk=1
> > #
> > # Chapter 4 boot disk without mount=read-only
> >  title=bootdisk (Test Boot Disk Configuration WRITE ENABLED?)
> >     kernel (fd0)/boot/vmlinuz  root=/dev/fd0 mount=read-write \
> >     vga=normal init=/bin/sh  load_ramdisk=1  prompt_ramdisk=1
> > #
> > # End of configuration file
> >
> > I also tried to just remove the mount=read-only from the
> > Chapter 2&3 boot
> > disk configuration file, but that did not work. I am a linux
> > and grub novice
> > so any pointers would be helpful. I have searched google and the man and
> > info pages for grub with no success. I am hoping this is a simple fix.
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Jim Maki
> > jwmaki at att.net
> >
>
> Here's a little LILO to GRUB translation trick.  Where the LILO
> instructions say:
>
> 'At the LILO prompt, type bootdisk rw init=/bin/sh'
>
> Take anything after the word 'bootdisk' and put it after
> 'vmlinuz' on the 'kernel' line in GRUB's config file like this:
>
> kernel (fd0)/boot/vmlinuz rw init=/bin/sh
>
> Then be sure to include the 'load_ramdisk=1' and
> 'prompt_ramdisk=1' parameters since we're using a compressed root
> disk.  Your final line should look like this:
>
> kernel (fd0)/boot/vmlinuz rw init=/bin/sh load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=1
>
> The only difference between this and the grub.conf file you
> listed above is the 'vga=normal' and 'mount=read-write'
> parameters.  This should be okay because I think 'vga=normal' is
> a default setting and 'mount=read-write' is probably synonymous
> with 'rw'.  I am not absolutely sure about the 'rw' equal to
> 'mount=read-write' thing so you may want to double-check that.
>
> Good Luck,
> Dave


Dave,

Thanks for the pointers. I got everything to work but not exactly as you
indicated. Replacing mount=read-only with rw did the trick. I also needed to
add the root=/dev/fd0 parameter to the line you sent.  The complete
grub.conf that I used and worked is below.

# /boot/grub/grub.conf  -  GRUB configuration file for Pocket Linux
color=light-gray/blue black/light-gray
#
# The following is for Chapter 2 & 3 root disk
# title=bootdisk (Test Boot Disk Configuration)
#     kernel (fd0)/boot/vmlinuz  root=/dev/fd0  mount=read-only \
#     vga=normal init=/bin/sh  load_ramdisk=1  prompt_ramdisk=1
#
# Chapter 4 root disk with write enabled
 title=bootdisk (Test Boot Disk Configuration WRITE ENABLED! Dave Horton
Suggestions!)
    kernel (fd0)/boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/fd0 rw \
    vga=normal init=/bin/sh  load_ramdisk=1  prompt_ramdisk=1
#
# End of configuration file

I did have one other problem/question. When I entered hostname $(cat
/etc/hostname) at the bash prompt (as per the instructions from chapter 4
implementation), I get an error message: hostname: too many arguments. The
other write and make directory commands seem to work as advertised. Again,
thanks for the assistance.

Jim Maki
jwmaki at att.net