Grub4DosConfig HELPGrub4DosConfig HELPThis document is for Grub4DosConfig version 1.8
Grub is well known as a bootup loader for Linux and other operating systems. Puppy Linux is ever using Grub as the bootup loader as well as Syslinux(for floppy disks and for USB flash memories). But there is a difficulty for beginners to apply. Grub requires ext2/ext3 file system, which is special for Linux. Grub4Dos has compatibility with Grub and has a remarkable feature. It can be installed on NTFS/FAT filesystems which are more common on Windows preinstalled PC's.
Grub4Dos supports vfat, ntfs, ext2, ext3, ext4, reiserfs(grub4dosconfig-version 1.7 and later), but the reiserfs support has some limitation.
(Add for v1.6)
Supporting ext4 file system was partially as for the grub4dosconfig-0.4.4.v1.5.x.
It required the help of grub legacy as for the etx4.
grub4dosconfig-0.4.4.v1.6 has now ext4 full support thanks to the 'Wee' for the MBR.
Grub4Dos installs 3 components. One is the Boot Record and other 2 is normal files, 'grldr' and 'menu.lst'. The 'grldr' and 'menu.lst' is usually installed on the 1st partition of the target HDD.
'Boot Record' is the space on a hard disk drive(HDD) special for storing bootup code. 'MBR(Master Boot Record)' is the one at the top of a drive, and normally boots off from the one of the 1st HDD, usually 'sda' or 'hda'. To install on MBR(of the 1st HDD) is the common case. But you can install Grub4Dos on another drive. Note that the order of the HDD can differ between the one Puppy recognizes and the one BIOS/Grub4Dos recognizes at bootup stage. This issue will be discussed on another section of this document.
Maybe it is more safe way if you install Grub4Dos on a USB flash memory drive rather than internal HDD. Note that this way is usable only in case your PC has the ability of booting up from USB drive and you know the BIOS settings to enable it.
If your PC has a floppy disk drive and is able to bootup from it, make a bootup floppy which is Grub4Dos installed. New disk is preferable. You can also use a used disk, but the data on the disk will be all erased. Before you use the floppy disk, make sure there are no important files on it.
The existing MBR may have (the code kicking) 'ntldr' which starts up Windows. If so and you want to use this existing MBR, tick on "Do not rewrite existing Boot Record". In this case, only 'grldr' and 'menu.lst' will be installed. You may need configure to chain 'grldr' from MBR. For example, if you use 'ntldr', add the entry which chain to 'grldr' in 'boot.ini'. See Grub4dos Guide - Loading/Installing Grub4dos.
In other case the boot record was over written by some other than Grub4Dos, you may want to recover Grub4Dos using old 'menu.lst'. Tick "Do not rewrite 'menu.lst'" in this case.
The Boot Record is always installed in case a floppy disk is the target.
The grub4dos is upper compatible with the legacy grub. That is, grub4dos can interpret legacy menu, but the legacy grub cannot interpret some grub4dos menu.
If you are used to the legacy grub and want to manage the 'menu.lst' manually by yourself, you may feel difficulty with the new grub4dos commands. In the case, you can take the "Legacy compatible 'menu.lst'" option. Then the grub4dosconfig avoids two grub4dos commands, 'uuid' and 'find --set-root', both are introduced in the grub4dos. The grub4dosconfig-version 1.8 and later has this option. Note that this option is only for the forks who want and can manage it.
The grub4dosconfig-version 1.7 and later can install the bootloader on the Partition Boot Sector(PBS), but it is not recommended. It works when the partition boot flag is set so that the MBR can load the PBS and execute it. Or you can use the PBS boot co-operating with some bootloader manager. It is not intended to work with the grub4dos as the bootmanager on the MBR because the grub4dos on the MBR can directly access to any drives and partitions without PBS. Installation on the PBS may not work properly on the PCs with multiple drives. Use the PBS boot only if you know what it is and you can manage it.
The grub4dosconfig does not show partitions but only the drives on the list at the beginning. Click 'Show PBS' button if you want to install the bootloader on the PBS.
Installing on the PBS of ext4 partitions requires extlinux-v4.x and chain.c32. If the version of the extlinux is less than 4.0 or lacking the 'chain.c32', you need to install them. To know the version of your system, type 'extlinux --version' on the terminal.
The grub4dosconfig does not support installing on the PBS on reiserfs partitions.
The boot flag on a partition is basically for the sake of indicating which partition is to be chained from the master boot record. The Grub4Dos as the master boot record, it need not the boot flag because it knows what to do next by the 'menu.lst' file.
But some BIOS does not boot up from the drive which has no boot flag. In such case, you need the boot flag. It can be any partition on the drive you want to boot up from. The boot flag is allowed at only one partition for a drive, but do not worry. You can boot up from any partition via Grub4Dos regardless the boot flag.
It is better to set the boot flag on removable media such as USB flash/HDD drives. Even though it can boot up without the flag with your PC, it may fail with another PC. And note that some BIOS cannot handle boot flags on Linux partitions. it is wise to format the 1st partition with fat16(or fat32) and set the boot flag on it for the USB drives.
The boot flag can be managed by the GParted or some other tools.
(v1.8 and later)
You can make background image behind the bootup menu.
The image will need to be in the .xpm format and must be 640x480 pixels with a maximum of 14 colors.
Place the image file with name 'splash.xpm' at the same place of the 'menu.lst' file.
You can make your original splash image by using the mtpaint or the gimp.
(Grub4dos Guide - Creating a Splash Image)
You may need to manually edit the menu.lst to enable the splash image. Comment out (add '#' at the head of the line) the 'color' line, and uncomment (remove'#') the 'splashimage' line.
#color white/blue black/cyan white/black cyan/black splashimage=/splash.xpm
(For distributors) You can place your original splash image at '/usr/share/grub4dos/splash.xpm' to make copy automatically associated with the 'menu.lst'. But the splash image for the default is not recommended because it makes trouble with chain loading another menu.lst without splash image.
Grub4DosConfig searches in the internal HDD and connected external HDD and lists up installed Puppy's and other Linux operating systems.
You can rewrite the string in the boxes which will be showed in the menu at bootup. Erase it (fill with blank) if you want to remove the item from the bootup menu. But caution! These 2 (rewrite or erase) is only you can do for this dialog. You cannot add new item nor arrange the order here. You can manually edit the 'menu.lst' after install finished.
Options(Add for v1.6)
You can add boot options for 'frugal' installed Puppy and for full installed Puppy/Linux.
See the 'Adding bootup options' section of this document.
Keep the entry as is if you are unsure.
At least one item of Windows menu are displayed here no matter they are installed or not. Erase the items if you do not need boot up Windows. But the last (was 'top' before v1.8) entry is recommended to leave. Especially in case you install Grub4Dos on removable devices because they might be useful with other PC's.
If you make folders of same name, even they are on different disk drives or partitions, it must confuse the loader and fails the bootup as the result. Change names of the folders if the error noted. Then restart Grub4DosConfig.
(Add for v1.6)
v1.6 and later can manage this case. It is not recommended but you can continue. Press 'OK'.
Refer to Grub4dos Guide - Configuration File Entries for the detail of writing 'menu.lst'.
Grub4DosConfig produce 'menu.lst' automatically. But you might need editing 'menu.lst' in case Puppy is full installed. In case Puppy is frugal installed and other operating systems are only Windows, probably you can use the automatically produced 'menu.lst' with no problem.
There is a trap in booting up full installed Puppy and/or other Linux OS. You need to specify the partition of the Linux kernel('vmlinuz') and the position of the root file system. The previous is direction to the Grub4Dos at the bootup process and the latter is direction to the Linux kernel.
The trap is:
Drives which Grub4Dos recognizes and the drives the Linux kernel recognizes are not always the same.
Moreover, those current running Puppy recognizes might differ from them.
In most case, the first HDD is called '(hd0)' by Grub4Dos and 'sda' by (Puppy)Linux. The first partition is called '(hd0,0)' by Grub4Dos and 'sda1' by (Puppy)Linux. But 'sda' can be 'hda'. And the others may be more complex.
You may need to rewrite '(hd0,0)' to '(hd1,0)', or '/dev/sda1' to '/dev/hda1' on the 'menu.lst'
(Add for v1.6)
The grub4dosconfig-0.4.4.v1.6 and later uses the partition UUID instead of '(hdn,0)', where the number n depends on the drive order.
The UUID is a unique code for the partition itself, independent from the drive arrangement.
You need to care only the issue of 'root=/dev/sda1' or something.
The old 'menu.list' must be exist if Grub4Dos or Grub was installed. They may be at top('/'), '/boot' or '/boot/grub' directory. They can be renamed such as like 'menu-2009-08-12-144950.lst'. If exists, you can copy entries from the old 'menu.list'.
Produced 'menu.lst' has normal boot options. You can add another options like 'acpi=off'.
Grub4DosConfig adds 'pmedia=usbflash' or 'pmedia=usbhd' option in case the drive is connected to USB interface. Rewrite them if they are wrong. You are better to take the boot option 'pmedia=ataflash' for SSD instead of 'pmedia=atahdd', 'pmedia=usbhdd' for USB HDD rather than 'pmedia=usbflash'.
Refer to BootParms.
Classic Puppy's (1.x-3.x) have special boot parameter than Puppy-4.x/5.x. You need to manually edit the boot parameters. As for the Classic Pup-2.x, visit the topic on Forum.
You can change the order of the menu items. Cut the lines from the 'title'-line to the line before the next 'title'-line, and paste them to proper position. The default item is defined at the 'default'-line. the top item is numbered as '0', next is '1' and so on.
If you are used to the Grub legacy, you find strange entries in the 'menu.lst' the Grub4DosConfig' made.
Don't worry. Grub4Dos is upper compatible with the Grub legacy.
So, you can use the command of the Grub legacy you are used to.
For exsample, 'find --set-root' and 'uuid xxxx-xxxx-xxxx' are the Grub4Dos specific commands to locate the partition.
You can use classic 'root (hd0,1)' or something instead of 'find --set-root' or 'uuid xxxx-xxxx-xxxx'.
For example, next 2 works almost equally.
# for Grub4Dos only title Windows Vista/2008/7 (sda2:PBS) uuid 6C54F6966CE8F58D chainloader +1
# both Grub4dos and Grub legacy work title Windows Vista/2008/7 (sda2:PBS) root (hd0,1) chainloader +1
There may be another redundant items on the menu for some OS already listed up on the preceding entries. You can delete them editing the 'menu.lst' if you are sure.
These items are on the 2nd page, appears choosing the 'Advanced menu' as for the grub4dosconfig version 1.8 and later.
(v1.8 and later)
This mode boots up Puppy with 'pfix=ram,nox' and other concervative options.
Normally, 'pfix=ram,nox acpi=off apm=off nosmp noapic nodma nopcmcia'.
It is usefull if your Puppy has auto-start desktop but your hardware fails to start X automatically.
Type 'xorgwizard' to configure X after the boot succeed.
This menu item is available only for the frugal installation.
This mode boots up Puppy with 'pfix=ram'. Then the Puppy boots up without any pupsave. It is usefull when your pupsave is corrupt. Another case is you are trying new version of Puppy and do not want to update old pupsave. Also usefull when you do not want to mount the HDD to manipulate it, for example, to restructure the partitions. But note that it depends on the Puppy version if the HDD is mounted or not with this mode. This menu item is available only for the frugal installation.
(v1.8 and later)
The grub4dosconfig makes back up the existing old menus.
You can go back with choosing the "Previous menu" at boot.
(v1.6.3 and later)
Grub4DosConfig gives menu entries to chain-load the Partition Boot Sectors, like '(sda2:PBS)'.
It does not always mean you can boot up from the partition.
there may be cases boot flag is set but the boot loader is not there.
These items may be redundant because the OS is already listed up on the preceding entries.
(v1.8 and later)
Grub4DosConfig gives menu entries to chain-load the Master Boot Records, like 'Boot from sdb'.
Note that the drive information associated may be wrong if the drive order is changed by the BIOS setting.
Also note that the grub4dosconfig does not ensure any boot loaders are there.
These items may be redundant because the OS is already listed up on the preceding entries.
When you install the Grub4Dos on removable media, the Grub4DosConfig adds 'Find Grub menu on HDD' entry at the boot menu. You can bootup from the Grub4Dos installed media and switch the boot menu to the one on the HDD. It can be a rescue if you installed grub(legacy) or Grub4Dos on the HDD but the MBR or something corrupted. This menu is not available with the legacy compatible menu.
(Add for v1.6)
Some of recent Linux uses 'Grub2' instead of legacy grub.
The Grub4Dos and Grub2 can coexist.
If your Linux installed Grub2, and you are not contented with bootup directly from the Grub4Dos,
you can chain load the Grub2 from the Grub4Dos by selecting 'Find Grub2' from the boot menu.
This menu is not available with the legacy compatible menu.
That's all. Take care!
Sep 2009 Shinobar
Nov 2010: Add for v1.6
Jan 2011: Add for v1.7
Oct 2011: Add for v1.7.1
Jun 2012: Add for v1.8