manual: add section about the images we released.
Signed-off-by: Denis 'GNUtoo' Carikli <GNUtoo@cyberdimension.org> neox: - fixed duplicate see with @pxref in "(@ref{GNU Boot images} for more details)" and "the @pxref{GNU Boot images types} subsection.", "will be documented in the @ref{GNU Boot images} section below" - found "See the @pxref{boot software} section to understand", "described in the previous subsection (@pxref{GNU resolution graphics", "described in the previous subsection (@pxref{GNU Boot images types}).", "(see @pxref{boot software} for more details)." Acked-by: Adrien Bourmault <neox@gnu.org>
This commit is contained in:
parent
5affc6ec91
commit
2a36deb4a0
|
@ -395,8 +395,8 @@ below.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
GNU Boot supports the GPUs that are present in the various laptops it
|
GNU Boot supports the GPUs that are present in the various laptops it
|
||||||
supports with 100% free software. Some consideration apply while
|
supports with 100% free software. Some consideration apply while
|
||||||
booting, but so far once booted these GPU are known to works well on
|
booting (@pxref{GNU Boot images} for more details), but so far once
|
||||||
tested computers.
|
booted these GPU are known to works well on tested computers.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
In addition for the non-laptop computers, it also supports the builtin
|
In addition for the non-laptop computers, it also supports the builtin
|
||||||
AST graphics in the KGPE-D16 and KCMA-D8 with 100% free software, but
|
AST graphics in the KGPE-D16 and KCMA-D8 with 100% free software, but
|
||||||
|
@ -479,7 +479,8 @@ these and welcome contributions in this area.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
While GNU Boot should be able to boot almost any GNU/Linux
|
While GNU Boot should be able to boot almost any GNU/Linux
|
||||||
distribution, but in some cases some configuration might be needed by
|
distribution, but in some cases some configuration might be needed by
|
||||||
the GNU Boot user.
|
the GNU Boot user. The cases that do and don't require configuration
|
||||||
|
from the user will be documented in @ref{GNU Boot images} below.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
Even if some cases require some configuration, GNU Boot makes sure to
|
Even if some cases require some configuration, GNU Boot makes sure to
|
||||||
provide at least one way to boot free GNU/Linux distributions (see
|
provide at least one way to boot free GNU/Linux distributions (see
|
||||||
|
@ -525,6 +526,147 @@ Also if you want to do such tests, you can open a bug report on the
|
||||||
GNU Boot bug tracker at
|
GNU Boot bug tracker at
|
||||||
@url{https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?group=gnuboot}.
|
@url{https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?group=gnuboot}.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
@node GNU Boot images
|
||||||
|
@section GNU Boot images
|
||||||
|
@cindex flash images
|
||||||
|
@cindex image files
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
In computers people are most familar with, like laptops, the boot
|
||||||
|
software resides in a memory chip inside the mainboard (@pxref{boot
|
||||||
|
software} for more details).
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
GNU Boot provide @dfn{image files} which are files that replace the
|
||||||
|
content of these memory chip.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
These files are similar to
|
||||||
|
@uref{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disk_image,disk images},
|
||||||
|
@uref{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_image,ISO images}, or
|
||||||
|
@uref{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ROM_image,ROM images}.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
We also sometime refer to the flash image files as @dfn{flash images}.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
@node GNU Boot images types
|
||||||
|
@subsection GNU Boot images types
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
For a given computer, GNU Boot provides several images with different
|
||||||
|
software in it. This enable the users to choose between:
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
@itemize
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
@item Two boot software: GRUB or SeaBIOS
|
||||||
|
(@acronym{BIOS, Basic Input/Output System} implementation)
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
@item Various keyboard layouts (colemak, deqwertz, esqwerty,
|
||||||
|
frazerty, frdvbepo, itqwerty, svenska, trqwerty, ukdvorak, ukqwerty,
|
||||||
|
usdvorak, usqwerty).
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
@item Low resolution or high resolution graphics.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
@end itemize
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
If you are a less technical user or helping one, or don't have much
|
||||||
|
time to configure things, it is a good idea to choose an image with
|
||||||
|
GRUB, and a keyboard layout of your choice (the resolution is not very
|
||||||
|
important, but using high resolution looks nicer) as the image with
|
||||||
|
GRUB doesn't require to do any configuration in the distributions you
|
||||||
|
want to boot.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
Otherwise here are the advantages/disadvantages of each combinaison:
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
@itemize
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
@item GRUB with high resolution graphics: Images with GRUB
|
||||||
|
usually don't require the user to do any configuration of the
|
||||||
|
distribution. More technical users can also use that to customize the
|
||||||
|
way the system boots for more security or to support unsual boot
|
||||||
|
configurations (that are not typically supported by graphical
|
||||||
|
installers of GNU/Linux distributions), however these more advanced
|
||||||
|
configurations also come with their set of limitations.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
@item SeaBIOS with text-only low resolution: It implements
|
||||||
|
@acronym{BIOS, Basic Input/Output System} compatibility, so it is very
|
||||||
|
similar to a nonfree @acronym{BIOS, Basic Input/Output System} but it
|
||||||
|
require users to modify some settings inside the distribution they
|
||||||
|
use, otherwise the distribution still boots but usually has a black
|
||||||
|
screen during the boot (which can be problematic to diagnose a
|
||||||
|
non-booting distribution). The low resolution increase compatibility
|
||||||
|
with various software that are typically run at boot like memtest86+
|
||||||
|
(a software that detects broken RAM chips).
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
@item GRUB with text-only low resolution: Since these images
|
||||||
|
boot with GRUB, they also don't require any configuration of the
|
||||||
|
distribution and more technical users can also use them to customize
|
||||||
|
the way the system boots. Compared to GRUB images with high resolution
|
||||||
|
graphics:
|
||||||
|
@itemize
|
||||||
|
@item the text is bigger and that there is no background picture
|
||||||
|
@item since on most supported computers, GRUB images can
|
||||||
|
also load and run SeaBIOS (there is a menu entry for
|
||||||
|
it), having a text-only low resolution increase the
|
||||||
|
compatibility with various boot software.
|
||||||
|
@end itemize
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
@item SeaBIOS with high resolution graphics:
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
Since these images boot with SeaBIOS they also implement some
|
||||||
|
@acronym{BIOS, Basic Input/Output System} compatibility, but they also
|
||||||
|
require users to modify some settings inside the distribution they
|
||||||
|
use. Compared with SeaBIOS images with text-only low resolution:
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
@itemize
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
@item they are less compatible with various boot software. This
|
||||||
|
can be useful for testing if you contribute to some boot
|
||||||
|
software.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
@item since on most supported computers, SeaBIOS images can also
|
||||||
|
load and run GRUB (there is a menu entry for it when
|
||||||
|
pressing the 'ESC' key at boot), having high resolution
|
||||||
|
graphics can make GRUB look nicer.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
@end itemize
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
@end itemize
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
@node GNU Boot images naming
|
||||||
|
@subsection GNU Boot images naming
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
Images for specific computers can be found on
|
||||||
|
@uref{https://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/gnuboot/,the GNU Boot download area} or
|
||||||
|
in the release/roms directory if you built GNU Boot from source
|
||||||
|
yourself.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
For a given release (or release candidate) like GNU Boot 0.1-rc3, you
|
||||||
|
can find such files inside the 'roms' directory like
|
||||||
|
@url{https://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/gnuboot/gnuboot-0.1-rc3/roms/} for GNU
|
||||||
|
Boot 0.1-rc3.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
Inside you have archive files like
|
||||||
|
@option{gnuboot-0.1-rc3_x200_8mb.tar.xz} that are specific to a
|
||||||
|
specific computer (here the ThinkPad X200 with 8MiB flash chip).
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
Inside each archive files, there are many smaller files that are flash
|
||||||
|
images. @xref{boot software} to understand what a flash image is.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
The flash image files correspond to the configurations described in
|
||||||
|
the @ref{GNU Boot images types}.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
So for instance if we have an image named
|
||||||
|
@option{grub_x200_8mb_corebootfb_usqwerty.rom}, it is meant for a
|
||||||
|
ThinkPad X200 with 8MiB flash chip, and it uses the GRUB software to
|
||||||
|
boot, and it is configured to use a QWERTY keyboard layout.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
If the image contains @option{seabios} in its file name instead of
|
||||||
|
@option{grub}, it uses the SeaBIOS software to boot.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
The @option{corebootfb} in the file name correspond to the high
|
||||||
|
resolution graphics described in the previous subsection (@ref{GNU
|
||||||
|
Boot images types}).
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
If instead the file has @option{txtmode} in its name, this corresponds
|
||||||
|
to the text-only low resolution that was also described in the
|
||||||
|
previous subsection (@ref{GNU Boot images types}).
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
@node Helping GNU Boot
|
@node Helping GNU Boot
|
||||||
@chapter Helping GNU Boot
|
@chapter Helping GNU Boot
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
Loading…
Reference in New Issue