Re: Changes in GRUB help

[address@hidden]

On Mon, Jan 25, 2010 at 3:22 PM, Colin Watson <address@hidden> wrote:
> On Mon, Jan 25, 2010 at 03:12:51PM -0600, address@hidden wrote:
>> On Mon, Jan 25, 2010 at 7:22 AM, KESHAV P.R. <address@hidden> wrote:
>> > Yes, the patch definitely works. It is part of Fedora's GRUB2 src-rpm
>> > package. But I changed the 10_linux.in file manually before compiling 
>> > grub2.
>> > The strange thing is that even without any initrd line in the menuentry, 
>> > the
>> > Fedora system boots successfully (my guess is that the Fedora's kernel
>> > searches for its compatible initramfs file without relying on grub or
>> > grub2).
>>
>> Linux initramfs is inside the kernel binary, not a separate file, and
>> so needs no extra support from the bootloader.
>
> Linux *can* behave this way if you want it to, but most distributions do
> not set it up like that.  This mode is usually only used by self-built
> kernels, and it's not universal even there since sometimes it's more
> convenient to be able to change the initramfs separately.

Linux 2.6 MUST have an initramfs.  You can either embed one inside the
kernel or let the kernel create one dynamically with hardcoded
content.

I suspect you're thinking of initrd, which is optional.  After
creating or copying the initramfs from within the kernel image (thus
establishing a ramfs mount point), the kernel will decode and copy the
content of any initrd selected by the bootloader to the mounted ramfs.

>
> --
> Colin Watson                                       address@hidden
>
>
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