From nobody Tue Dec 16 19:58:55 2025 Received: from mail-yw1-f175.google.com (mail-yw1-f175.google.com [209.85.128.175]) (using TLSv1.2 with cipher ECDHE-RSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256 (128/128 bits)) (No client certificate requested) by smtp.subspace.kernel.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 73A2D81AC0 for ; Wed, 7 Feb 2024 17:10:12 +0000 (UTC) Authentication-Results: smtp.subspace.kernel.org; arc=none smtp.client-ip=209.85.128.175 ARC-Seal: i=1; a=rsa-sha256; d=subspace.kernel.org; s=arc-20240116; t=1707325815; cv=none; b=LyB7ei8nPtTjU85kGRjNk1O4X8WJJ3ZuGTwFHXWD+zgE8tvp1oNRFpxraL6Weusn8tKiHiyrVn7atDUnWiMCiYe6xIuFwtSRMfgMe/lLcxHrVDYepwpvJ13EQK0B0Rgojre9BLqmMb+ubwJRpsitPTP8olvI6oaOKOE3NREabrQ= ARC-Message-Signature: i=1; a=rsa-sha256; d=subspace.kernel.org; s=arc-20240116; t=1707325815; c=relaxed/simple; bh=NnrTeSM0NKttFrB0R5j/jBw6kD7U3S0LMZ+p20JMMPI=; h=From:To:Cc:Subject:Date:Message-ID:MIME-Version; b=St6VoBG2TdI+HIA1QmbsbfRsB0/ukUxz2DumNMlrx2Cxh8PmTJKdmUt7dIwCSGc6CcoxOGHRpLj1gHfwEzBuNuB/gOuOSbA/SZ1eO8RD0RxRcqUaTmgtMIwSCHWTIpCkqXy1CVtwmbDSMRpuTDWVzQT+sBkjwQf+TN8UhnuKzFU= ARC-Authentication-Results: i=1; smtp.subspace.kernel.org; dmarc=pass (p=none dis=none) header.from=ncf.edu; spf=pass smtp.mailfrom=ncf.edu; dkim=pass (2048-bit key) header.d=ncf.edu header.i=@ncf.edu header.b=nArcbWdV; arc=none smtp.client-ip=209.85.128.175 Authentication-Results: smtp.subspace.kernel.org; dmarc=pass (p=none dis=none) header.from=ncf.edu Authentication-Results: smtp.subspace.kernel.org; spf=pass smtp.mailfrom=ncf.edu Authentication-Results: smtp.subspace.kernel.org; dkim=pass (2048-bit key) header.d=ncf.edu header.i=@ncf.edu header.b="nArcbWdV" Received: by mail-yw1-f175.google.com with SMTP id 00721157ae682-60491cb9571so8708297b3.0 for ; Wed, 07 Feb 2024 09:10:12 -0800 (PST) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=ncf.edu; s=google; t=1707325811; x=1707930611; 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=d/mkFhlXDAxUXvqhk2kRlbT3+ot3xAj8hCZnTSBVNwE=; b=nArcbWdVgYgRLBywOyBOXHS7GMytos/PVLCaOB6pmXxOtyTHhLQV+naazNfPp4bt2y 06NmR+NCE0K833OVA/1GDVhKJ+bjADQ77jqgFBSxNOz880004KJZzerR8wO7ho3RVXM/ CfP9Srj7BikXhSPBqXweUmHHBvkeB8Sq98EcqfoLPfulA94nuicXCD7JCK4HroYW/yox JjBEMxXnbQkZ9f38bFUX84ahwsh2wSGXha9iQ0r4jDZ1qU42mf0OGhjYMR9pwBm/FFYF qD8d4PTUj13QyHUiNI0Qyiu6VUW42RSfihkI626vLzT72eBo7uPxVjB3qTfwUBct/Vac ojZQ== X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20230601; t=1707325811; x=1707930611; 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=d/mkFhlXDAxUXvqhk2kRlbT3+ot3xAj8hCZnTSBVNwE=; b=J6wzUjwhlin5TMLCSCKoaGFgtCkYmmubb+UZqog6VlCQLVWixZbDSjAXt+7RJvB8ow qR4alWVk4oZ4utzLy6zQA0fATsWneRQIs1Dk9jpAOA6p1h568t1VwrWeG2qbCWIuZH6o JbHHl33Lel9QLsS4eo4Yw4h2ud3rusY4zduwDkXUczj2quUCMTxitI1casNetd6kMKr4 uwfFhdTanMJotkTq6Zaz5RtWxL31xCdW0+LWCdbK5VBHJjZmF+W6LVlVMX2Hh30jx9yK vi0dTtn0+jyCD+iBuoldvgtA1Ff+itoSzDwTQZho83TUMdBngRjprBgryG2V4lJyXHAs wGtw== X-Gm-Message-State: AOJu0YzDwYWjlEZwmtZNs9ACC93CUU4EkSOy8brGt+Y/TzU8I3dVid2c cH9jxUw3Fy8wYoN7y1BTOgsp+V6NEKhSFMMfiKHnl8wHbAHZbnkKFwJKZP8nyQ== X-Google-Smtp-Source: AGHT+IG8nj/wmUjz51qpJvNt+t13UZaIJFps1CBpT0pYmxbMFYZ5L2lqP3rdW83sRZdPMM9e7l4hvg== X-Received: by 2002:a81:c149:0:b0:5ff:cb36:24cd with SMTP id e9-20020a81c149000000b005ffcb3624cdmr5633474ywl.7.1707325811221; Wed, 07 Feb 2024 09:10:11 -0800 (PST) X-Forwarded-Encrypted: i=1; AJvYcCUN7c2/3/GjjjbkV4Uz3RtnWu6UNzu06OWN/d8Ry1OUKxfLpkPFiXwC8sGXAlSozdXiBZEAit8ZuwZbZbrY/ZgnuuqqDoq5pPbBcLn8+D5wd6CM/vXVjS/pv97Pi2Hs/aK9KsJ4W2g= Received: from Lux.hsd1.fl.comcast.net ([2601:580:8201:d0::11c6]) by smtp.gmail.com with ESMTPSA id p63-20020a819842000000b006040f198d3esm332814ywg.142.2024.02.07.09.10.10 (version=TLS1_3 cipher=TLS_AES_256_GCM_SHA384 bits=256/256); Wed, 07 Feb 2024 09:10:10 -0800 (PST) From: Hunter Chasens To: corbet@lwn.net Cc: linux-doc@vger.kernel.org, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, Hunter Chasens Subject: [PATCH v4] docs: admin-guide: Update bootloader and installation instructions Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2024 12:10:07 -0500 Message-ID: <20240207171007.45405-1-hunter.chasens18@ncf.edu> X-Mailer: git-send-email 2.43.0 Precedence: bulk X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org List-Id: List-Subscribe: List-Unsubscribe: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable 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 | 69 ++++++++++++++++++---------- 1 file changed, 45 insertions(+), 24 deletions(-) diff --git a/Documentation/admin-guide/README.rst b/Documentation/admin-gui= de/README.rst index 9a969c0157f1..62377f7bd523 100644 --- a/Documentation/admin-guide/README.rst +++ b/Documentation/admin-guide/README.rst @@ -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 + install script recognised by the kernel's installer. Most popular + distributions will have a recognized install script. You may want to + check your distribution's setup first. =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 a storage device without the assistance=20 + of a bootloader such as LILO or GRUB, is no longer supported in BIOS=20 + (non-EFI systems). On UEFI/EFI systems, however, you can use EFISTUB=20 + which allows the motherboard to boot directly to the kernel. + On modern workstations and desktops, it's generally recommended to use a + bootloader as difficulties can arise with multiple kernels and secure b= oot. + For more details on EFISTUB, + see "Documentation/admin-guide/efi-stub.rst". + + - It's important to note that as of 2016 LILO (LInux LOader) is no longer= in + active development, though as it was extremely popular, it often comes = up + in documentation. Popular alternatives include GRUB2, rEFInd, Syslinux, + systemd-boot, or EFISTUB. For various reasons, it's not recommended to = use + software that's no longer in active development. + + - Chances are your distribution includes an install script and running + ``make install`` will be all that's needed. Should that not be the case + you'll have to identify your bootloader and reference its documentation= or + 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 + 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 + (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, 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 2.43.0