Messages in this thread | | | Date | Mon, 03 Jan 2005 23:55:39 -0800 | From | "H. Peter Anvin" <> | Subject | Re: [PATCH] i386 boot loader IDs |
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Eric W. Biederman wrote: > > I suspect /sbin/kexec could use one. But I don't have the faintest > what you could do with the information after the kernel came up. >
Sounds incorrect, unless you're generating the zeropage information.
> I don't think enhancing the bootloader numeric parameter is the > right way to go. Currently the value is a single byte with the low > nibble reserved for version number information. With the > values already assigned we have 7 left. > > If we assign a new value each for the bootloaders I know of that don't > yet have values assigned: pxelinux, isolinux, filo, /sbin/kexec, > redboot the pool of numbers is nearly exhausted. With the addition of > bootloaders I can't recall or have not been written yet we will > quickly exhaust the pool of numbers.
pxelinux, isolinux and extlinux are syslinux derivatives (0x32, 0x33 and 0x34 respectively.) filo and redboot probably could use them, though.
> Even if using this mechanism is needed for supporting existing > bootloaders I suggest it be deprecated in favor of a kernel command > line option. A command line option would be easier to maintain > being string based. It would be portable to architectures besides > x86. And it requires no additional code to implement, as you > can already read /proc/cmdline.
Unfortunately the command line is very squeezed. With the newer protocol we can probably support longer command lines, though.
It's a significant boot loader change, though. In the short term it's definitely desirable to be able to read it.
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