From nobody Tue Dec 16 21:36:53 2025 Return-Path: X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.0 (2014-02-07) on aws-us-west-2-korg-lkml-1.web.codeaurora.org Received: from vger.kernel.org (vger.kernel.org [23.128.96.18]) by smtp.lore.kernel.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id A323CC25B48 for ; Fri, 27 Oct 2023 04:11:04 +0000 (UTC) Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1345275AbjJ0EK7 (ORCPT ); Fri, 27 Oct 2023 00:10:59 -0400 Received: from lindbergh.monkeyblade.net ([23.128.96.19]:36116 "EHLO lindbergh.monkeyblade.net" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S229501AbjJ0EKz (ORCPT ); Fri, 27 Oct 2023 00:10:55 -0400 Received: from mail-vk1-xa2c.google.com (mail-vk1-xa2c.google.com [IPv6:2607:f8b0:4864:20::a2c]) by lindbergh.monkeyblade.net (Postfix) with ESMTPS id B45331AA for ; Thu, 26 Oct 2023 21:10:52 -0700 (PDT) Received: by mail-vk1-xa2c.google.com with SMTP id 71dfb90a1353d-49dd3bb5348so738176e0c.0 for ; Thu, 26 Oct 2023 21:10:52 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=ncf.edu; s=google; t=1698379851; x=1698984651; darn=vger.kernel.org; h=content-transfer-encoding:mime-version:message-id:date:subject:cc :to:from:from:to:cc:subject:date:message-id:reply-to; bh=Zr4CMcCNr47rtjiMtOCR5BoD+5ICiNMzRi+m+m3pAJU=; b=b7Cj+99t/2Xz4C9BW/aG3jMDxNB/SgDgYzK4L3pb3wHP25t1GB6fnHZuKTfBC/J2Qb yUVe3s0B8/JBhBVITfm4DFurdlujX0edwXsRv1r9aOfQepQyRp2i+iI9GluK3ZQs+WxV WizWp/Fgudueod5HFA6OvZoQbv1Hge2cV285xmkhbuO2k/S/AdIFTXKjYI2pemgGNtm4 VLydMO0UsvuEmxS3Klq47KWUdKN8qUcPu4FLMt9dDPrsskutkLz9BJuYqn/tQ0Brxp4+ TUqVwU++JXBrWwNxpbWXa22ofCBPI33O6R8GCKkeULGpl03uJq47dEt5pVRKyxAS5zV3 KqTQ== X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20230601; t=1698379851; x=1698984651; h=content-transfer-encoding:mime-version:message-id:date:subject:cc :to:from:x-gm-message-state:from:to:cc:subject:date:message-id :reply-to; bh=Zr4CMcCNr47rtjiMtOCR5BoD+5ICiNMzRi+m+m3pAJU=; b=weLpuxHhswsQ4f29biGBFYltUPo0vNNbdeGpG6lE2dUrxLj+P8EmWkYkoNIQSpBdjD 0yrdklmcFATVF5XfGiPmAjTatkmGh04h1C2vzYjMn7wzOIm2o8YJfJzuSlYCBUx8TTaM Z6jiz/7/9f+BjH4EMg5meS/4rOZVqS8DeruQSt1VL+5F0PKSgi6IB1WYBeNtozMn0j9g Nne1MM1IZuQM7CT9DK5+GZ26v2ROdCTdTg0ej5rdjAQ3Esc1ZD6eXrR8gzHGwFBW/KPv SN2nd1ykB0d5cuEN5b4sw5Zi1NZiuMP4KT4OLzVr1JhRQAGckxO3I0xMr+R5fGRmE4n8 QzMw== X-Gm-Message-State: AOJu0YzuU2efrcOwiPDsozcVdtIoG99of4iKLnivMghanYH0sLUjii57 Wk0R9smGU9nhjl0hGY9o/rSOsw== X-Google-Smtp-Source: AGHT+IFuIH0D8qnD/TEk+G6o/eEOdZFxXdS6a46+3qbM5nPvY63SW/RuIiGz41tyWDVAuRagP5tCSw== X-Received: by 2002:a1f:298e:0:b0:49a:7a5b:dab2 with SMTP id p136-20020a1f298e000000b0049a7a5bdab2mr1866912vkp.16.1698379851468; Thu, 26 Oct 2023 21:10:51 -0700 (PDT) Received: from fedora.hsd1.fl.comcast.net ([2601:580:8201:d0::6331]) by smtp.gmail.com with ESMTPSA id z194-20020a814ccb000000b0059f4f30a32bsm354190ywa.24.2023.10.26.21.10.50 (version=TLS1_3 cipher=TLS_AES_256_GCM_SHA384 bits=256/256); Thu, 26 Oct 2023 21:10:51 -0700 (PDT) From: Hunter Chasens To: corbet@lwn.net Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, linux-doc@vger.kernel.org, Hunter Chasens Subject: [PATCH] docs: admin-guide: Update bootloader and installation instructions Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2023 00:10:23 -0400 Message-ID: <20231027041023.16681-1-hunter.chasens18@ncf.edu> X-Mailer: git-send-email 2.41.0 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Precedence: bulk List-ID: X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" Updates the bootloader and installation instructions in admin-guide/README.= rst to align with modern practices. Details of Changes: - Added guidance on using EFISTUB for UEFI/EFI systems. - Noted that LILO is no longer in active development and provides alternatives. - Kept LILO instructions but marked as Legacy LILO Instructions. Suggest removal in future patch. Signed-off-by: Hunter Chasens --- Documentation/admin-guide/README.rst | 71 ++++++++++++++++++---------- 1 file changed, 46 insertions(+), 25 deletions(-) diff --git a/Documentation/admin-guide/README.rst b/Documentation/admin-gui= de/README.rst index 9a969c0157f1..fba66f909f98 100644 --- a/Documentation/admin-guide/README.rst +++ b/Documentation/admin-guide/README.rst @@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ Configuring the kernel - The "kernel hacking" configuration details usually result in a bigger or slower kernel (or both), and can even make the kernel less stable by configuring some routines to actively try to - break bad code to find kernel problems (kmalloc()). Thus you + break bad code to find kernel problems (kmalloc()(). Thus you should probably answer 'n' to the questions for "development", "experimental", or "debugging" features. =20 @@ -262,9 +262,11 @@ Compiling the kernel - Make sure you have at least gcc 5.1 available. For more information, refer to :ref:`Documentation/process/changes.rst = `. =20 - - Do a ``make`` to create a compressed kernel image. It is also - possible to do ``make install`` if you have lilo installed to suit the - kernel makefiles, but you may want to check your particular lilo setup = first. + - Do a ``make`` to create a compressed kernel image. It is also possible = to do + ``make install`` if you have lilo installed or if your distribution has= an=20 + install script recognised by the kernel's installer. Most popular=20 + distributions will have a recognized install script. You may want to=20 + check your distribution's setup first.=20 =20 To do the actual install, you have to be root, but none of the normal build should require that. Don't take the name of root in vain. @@ -301,32 +303,51 @@ Compiling the kernel image (e.g. .../linux/arch/x86/boot/bzImage after compilation) to the place where your regular bootable kernel is found. =20 - - Booting a kernel directly from a floppy without the assistance of a - bootloader such as LILO, is no longer supported. - - If you boot Linux from the hard drive, chances are you use LILO, which - uses the kernel image as specified in the file /etc/lilo.conf. The - kernel image file is usually /vmlinuz, /boot/vmlinuz, /bzImage or - /boot/bzImage. To use the new kernel, save a copy of the old image - and copy the new image over the old one. Then, you MUST RERUN LILO - to update the loading map! If you don't, you won't be able to boot - the new kernel image. - - Reinstalling LILO is usually a matter of running /sbin/lilo. - You may wish to edit /etc/lilo.conf to specify an entry for your - old kernel image (say, /vmlinux.old) in case the new one does not - work. See the LILO docs for more information. - - After reinstalling LILO, you should be all set. Shutdown the system, + - Booting a kernel directly from non-volatile memory (e.g. a hard drive) + without the assistance of a bootloader such as LILO or GRUB, is no long= er=20 + supported in BIOS (non-EFI systems). On UEFI/EFI systems, however, you = can + use EFISTUB which allows the motherboard to boot directly to the kernel= .=20 + On modern workstations and desktops, it's generally recommended to use = a=20 + bootloader as difficulties can arise with multiple kernels and secure b= oot.=20 + For more details on EFISTUB,=20 + see :ref:`Documentation/admin-guide/efi-stub.rst`. + + - It's important to note that as of 2016 LILO (LInux LOader) is no longer= in=20 + active development, though as it was extremely popular, it often comes = up=20 + in documentation. Popular alternatives include GRUB2, rEFInd, Syslinux,=20 + systemd-boot, or EFISTUB. For various reasons, it's not recommended to = use=20 + software that's no longer in active development.=20 + + - Chances are your distribution includes an install script and running=20 + ``make install`` will be all that's needed. Should that not be the case=20 + you'll have to identify your bootloader and reference its documentation= or=20 + configure your EFI. + +Legacy LILO Instructions +------------------------ + + + - If you use LILO the kernel images are specified in the file /etc/lilo.c= onf. + The kernel image file is usually /vmlinuz, /boot/vmlinuz, /bzImage or + /boot/bzImage. To use the new kernel, save a copy of the old image and = copy + the new image over the old one. Then, you MUST RERUN LILO to update the=20 + loading map! If you don't, you won't be able to boot the new kernel ima= ge. + + - Reinstalling LILO is usually a matter of running /sbin/lilo. You may wi= sh + to edit /etc/lilo.conf to specify an entry for your old kernel image=20 + (say, /vmlinux.old) in case the new one does not work. See the LILO doc= s=20 + for more information. + + - After reinstalling LILO, you should be all set. Shutdown the system,=20 reboot, and enjoy! =20 - If you ever need to change the default root device, video mode, - etc. in the kernel image, use your bootloader's boot options - where appropriate. No need to recompile the kernel to change - these parameters. + - If you ever need to change the default root device, video mode, etc. in= the + kernel image, use your bootloader's boot options where appropriate. No = need + to recompile the kernel to change these parameters. =20 - Reboot with the new kernel and enjoy. =20 + If something goes wrong ----------------------- =20 --=20 2.41.0