Pimp my GRUB
in [Setup]
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From: Manuel Rodriguez on 10 Feb 2010 16:15 On 10 Feb., 17:36, Douglas Mayne <d...(a)localhost.localnet> wrote: > On Sun, 07 Feb 2010 13:06:09 -0800, Manuel Rodriguez wrote: > > Bootloader GRUB has similar behavior like a mini-operating-system: it > > can draw images (splashscreen), can boot from network (ifconfig > > compiled into) and print files to screen (command cat). Is it possible > > to compile a webbrowser like w3m into grub, so i have a boottime of 2 > > seconds? > > Not likely in two seconds, and not likely with grub; however, a default > root filesystem could be loaded into memory in a few seconds. > > p.s. I am just wondering if you have tried some of the solutions that I > have recommended to you on earlier threads? I am guessing not, possily > due to some problem with google groups. When/if you post a reply then > it may be more obvious that some real communication has taken place. > > -- > Douglas Mayne Yes, I've read your answer from Jan 13, 2010 (topic "extreme stupid question about grub"). In the meantime I've tried to understand the init-process better (that was one of your hints). Also, I read the file "init" in fulltext (after unpacking the initrd.gz). But the hole boot-process seems to be very complicated. I'm so sorry that I don't learn faster. Until now, I'm able to build a custom initrd.gz by hand or by mkinitramfs. Thats much more than the average linux user can do. I'm not able to modify the init file, because i'm unsure about the startup- scripts. The Linux-From-Scratch-Documentation is in my bookmark folder but reading and understanding are different things. So I can only say sorry about my vague knowledge about grub, init- scripts and kernel parameters. So I use Newsgroups like this one, to improve my understanding.
From: Nico Kadel-Garcia on 11 Feb 2010 01:03
On Feb 10, 12:45 pm, Peter Köhlmann <peter-koehlm...(a)t-online.de> wrote: > Douglas Mayne wrote: > > On Sun, 07 Feb 2010 13:06:09 -0800, Manuel Rodriguez wrote: > > >> Bootloader GRUB has similar behavior like a mini-operating-system: it > >> can draw images (splashscreen), can boot from network (ifconfig > >> compiled into) and print files to screen (command cat). Is it possible > >> to compile a webbrowser like w3m into grub, so i have a boottime of 2 > >> seconds? > > > Not likely in two seconds, and not likely with grub; however, a default > > root filesystem could be loaded into memory in a few seconds. > > > p.s. I am just wondering if you have tried some of the solutions that I > > have recommended to you on earlier threads? I am guessing not, possily > > due to some problem with google groups. When/if you post a reply then > > it may be more obvious that some real communication has taken place. > > You do realize that you answered a rather dumb troll, do you? > "Manuel" is killfiled by most posters in german linux newsgroups > > Seems he needs new playgrounds now That's their problem. Well, that and SuSE. (Its primary configuration tool, YaST is really, really, really not your friend for any remotely sophisticated configuration needs due to a number of pervasive flaws in mishandling both kernel and package configurations, especially the "there can be only one kernel" and the 3rd-party software installations such as NVidia. And don't get me going on how foolish it is to publish a kernel SRPM where the patch files are hidden inside tarballs, to be plucked and chosen among by shell scripts. Errrggghhh!) Manuel actually asked an interesting question, the sort that's worth trying to answer and educate with even if it seems foolish to someone already more familiar with how these things work. For example: optimizing the "initrd", which is not actually a script but a compressed, mountable file system for old reasons involving bootstrapping from 1.44 MByte floppies, is an interesting way to try to speed things up. Optimizing the init scripts, which is a different matter, is actually something people are actively pursuing, and it's one of the lengthier parts of the boot procedure. Optimizing the BIOS itself is also possible, but takes considerable courage and some knowledge to do. (LinuxBIOS isn't broadly supported yet, but it's awfully cool if you can make it work.) Manuel, I'm glad you're more clear now on the difference between grub, the boot loader, and the init processes. They're tricky: they're shell scripts, fitting a very standardized layout to ease management, but they really *weren't* written for speed. For example, throwing out all that nice sanity checking of config files and testing whether they exist is going to slow things down. And the various funky bits designed to make the printouts look pretty are a complete waste of most user's time: We don't care of the output is "OK" or a splufty, pretty green OK printing subroutine, but we needn't waste our time loading up shell function files if we just print "OK". |