NAME¶

yabootconfig - generates a simple /etc/yaboot.conf

SYNOPSIS¶

yabootconfig [ -t|--chroot directory\] [ -b|--boot device ] [ -r|--root device ] [ --kernel-args "kernel_args"\] [ -q|--quiet ] [ --noinstall ] [ --debug ] [ -h|--help ] [ -V|--version ]

DESCRIPTION¶

This manual page explains yabootconfig the configurator for the yaboot(8) boot loader enabling GNU/Linux to be booted by OpenFirmware. Specifically it inspects the running system, generates a working /etc/yaboot.conf(5) and then runs mkofboot(8) to make the system bootable.

yabootconfig requires an 800K bootstrap partition on the same disk as the root partition. It must be type “Apple_Bootstrap” for PowerMacs, and type “0x41 PPC PReP Boot” for IBM CHRP hardware.

The bootstrap(8) must not be mounted anywhere on your filesystem, especially not on top of /boot. Yaboot is able to load the kernels from the ext2fs root partition so that is where they should be kept. mkofboot will refuse to operate on the bootstrap(8) partition if it is mounted.

yabootconfig requires ofpath(8) in order to get the OpenFirmware device name for the root disk on PowerMacs.

OPTIONS¶

-t, --chroot directory

Cause yabootconfig to work as if directory is the / directory. This is useful when booting from a rescue floppy or CDROM in which case you mount your true root filesystem on /target or /mnt. yabootconfig will generate <chroot>/etc/yaboot.conf and pass the “-C <chroot>/etc/yaboot.conf” arguments to mkofboot(8). Example: yabootconfig --chroot /target

-r, --root device

Normally yabootconfig will automatically determine the root partition by inspecting <chroot>/etc/fstab(5). This option forces it to use device instead of auto-detecting it. This option is only intended to be used by distribution installers which should already know with absolute certainty what the root partition device is.

-b, --boot device

Normally yabootconfig will automatically find your bootstrap partition, this option forces it to use device instead of auto-detecting it. This option is only intended to be used by distribution installers which should already know with absolute certainty what the bootstrap partition device is. The bootstrap partition is where mkofboot(8) will install the bootloader onto, this device should be that of your bootstrap(8) partition. For example, if your bootstrap partition is located on your first primary IDE drive in the second partition, your device would be: /dev/hda2. IMPORTANT: The bootstrap partition WILL BE ERASED when yabootconfig runs mkofboot(8).

--kernel-args

This option allows you to specify additional kernel arguments which will be placed in an append= configuration variable in /etc/yaboot.conf(5). You must quote the arguments you supply to this option. Example: --kernel-args "video=ofonly"

-q, --quiet

Normally yabootconfig will ask permission and explain what it is about to do before proceeding, this option prevents yabootconfig from asking any questions or displaying any informational messages except errors. This option also prevents yabootconfig from interactively asking the user to locate a kernel image if it fails to find one in the standard locations. This option is only intended to be used by distribution installers which may run yabootconfig in the background in order to make the disk bootable after OS installation.

--noinstall

Normally yabootconfig will automatically run mkofboot(8) after it successfully generates a valid <chroot>/etc/yaboot.conf. This option causes yabootconfig to only generate the config file without installing the bootstrap.

--debug

This option causes yabootconfig to output some boring details useful only for debugging yabootconfig itself.

-h, --help

Print out usage information and exit.

-V, --version

Print out the version number and exit.

FILES¶

/etc/fstab - static information about the filesystems


/etc/yaboot.conf - bootloader/ybin configuration file

AUTHORS¶

yabootconfig and this man page was written by Ethan Benson.
yaboot was written by Benjamin Herrenschmidt.

REPORTING BUGS¶

Report bugs to <erbenson@alaska.net>

SEE ALSO¶

bootstrap(8), fstab(5), mkofboot(8), ofpath(8), yaboot(8), yaboot.conf(5),