[Tfug] (return to) grub question

[Joel Howard]

After messing around a little, I discovered that boot prompts run 
through grub can be made to appear in /proc/cmdline by including them in 
the kernel line (not in the debian altoptions section), like so:

title           Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.11
root            (hd0,1)
kernel          /vmlinuz-2.6.11 root=/dev/hda9 ro mem=512M mem=nopentium 
nmi_watchdog=1
savedefault
boot

Pat Legg deserves credit for this little discovery, and also thanks 
again for showing me the Slackware grub config file -- it's like a Kia 
next to Debian's Cadillac, but it looks like it would be a lot easier to 
park! 
Unfortunately these boot prompts did nothing to help with the "dazed and 
confused" kernel message I keep getting whenever doing anything with X 
(hmmm, or the mouse in X).  Suspecting hardware conflicts or failure.
JH


Joel Howard wrote:

> OK I'm back --yes I'm running Debian though sometimes it runs me...
> Matt - My original test (changing 512MB RAM to 256MB) was only to see 
> if the boot parameter actually "took" when I booted.  Apparently not...
> I started with Mr. Hooper's suggestion (and thanks) pointing me to 
> /proc/cmdline -- the only thing there was root=/dev/hda9 ro.  None of 
> my boot parameters seem to be making it, so I started from scratch by 
> running update-grub and generating a new grub menu.lst, left the 
> automagic section alone (it detected my kernels OK), and edited in the 
> boot stuff which is not in the automagic section (from original 
> question):
>
> # altoptions=nmi_watchdog=1
> # altoptions=mem=512MB
> # altoptions=mem=nopentium
>
> (syntax correct?)
> Then I rebooted and went back to /proc/cmdline.  It remained 
> unchanged.  Maybe I should be using that copt xyz thing?
> Joel H.
>
>
>
> Matthew Eskes wrote:
>
>> John,
>> Ah, wasnt not aware of that. I have never had to use any of those 
>> commands in automagic. *shrug*
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Gruenenfelder" 
>> <johng at as.arizona.edu>
>> To: "Tucson Free Unix Group" <tfug at tfug.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, June 15, 2005 4:11 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Tfug] grub question
>>
>>
>>> On Wed, Jun 15, 2005 at 04:06:22PM -0700, Matthew Eskes wrote:
>>>
>>>> Actually, thats not quite the right thinking...
>>>> The GRUB config file is parsed like any other confile file in Linux,
>>>> meaning that if there is is a hash mark there, it is ignored. For 
>>>> those
>>>> options to take effect, you still need to uncomment them. This 
>>>> leads me to
>>>> somewhat of any odd question, if you have a half gig of RAM, why 
>>>> are you
>>>> wanting to use only a quarter gig? Anyway, even if it is in 
>>>> "automagic", if
>>>> you need to make a change, you still need to uncomment them, iirc.
>>>>
>>>> Matt
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Actually, though he did not specifically state it, I believe Joel is 
>>> using
>>> Debian.  In the Debian GRUB config file, there are "automagic" 
>>> sections where
>>> you can set parameters for all GRUB menu items to use.  These are 
>>> hidden
>>> behind hash marks because they are not valid GRUB lines.
>>>
>>> Which brings me to a point for Joel:
>>>
>>> Though you don't need to run any program to make GRUB itself use the 
>>> new file,
>>> if you change the automagic sections, you must run update-grub in 
>>> order for
>>> the changes to take effect.  Have you done this?
>>>
>>>
>>> -- 
>>> --John Gruenenfelder    Research Assistant, Steward Observatory, U 
>>> of Arizona
>>>                        johng at as.arizona.edu
>>> Try Weasel Reader for PalmOS  --  http://gutenpalm.sf.net
>>> "This is the most fun I've had without being drenched in the blood
>>> of my enemies!"
>>>        --Sam of Sam & Max
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>>
>>
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