Linux 101

The Linux Boot Process

The Boot Process

MBR
BIOS Boot Sector Kernel
(Master Boot Record)

primary bootloader secondary bootloader bootable partition

(primary)

• Linux boot loaders can be installed into both the MBR or a boot sector
• Linux does NOT require the partition to be primary
• Most important Linux Boot Loaders are:

LILO GRUB
Linux Loader Grand Unified Bootloader
Detailed Boot Process

CPU BIOS BIOS BIOS

special
POWER executes performs initializes finds
hardware
BIOS POST hardware first MBR
OxFFFFFFF0

primary boot loader

loads
BIOS secondary boot loader
loads
primary boot
loader
Ox00007C00
Kernel
boot loader Initializes devices
loads
Mounts root partition
kernel
Executes initial program /sbin/init
LILO (Linux Loader)

Configuration file: /etc/lilo.conf

Global Configuration Per-image options

boot=/dev/hda overrides
prompt
timeout=50
message=/boot/message lilo [options]
lba32
default=linux stanza
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.0-0.43.6
label=linux
initrd=/boot/initrd-2.4.0-0.43.6.img needs indent
read-only
root=/dev/hda5

other=/dev/hda1
label=dos
GRUB (Grand Unified Bootloader)

/boot/grub/menu.lst
Configuration file: /boot/grub/grub.conf
OR

Global Configuration Per-image options

overrides

default=0
timeout=30

title Red Hat Linux

root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.33 root=/dev/sda3

grub
grub-install <device>
The init Program
/sbin/init PID 1

Reads runlevel configuration from: /etc/inittab

Stage of OS operation that defines the funcionality provided by the system

Runlevels
0 - shutdown
1 - single user (1, S, s, single)
2 - Debian – full X GUI
3 - full multi-user, console init <runlevel>
4 - undefined
5 - Red Hat – full X GUI
6 - reboot
The inittab File
/etc/inittab

Some distributions migrated from inittab to event.d

Ubuntu has no inittab

id:runlevels:action:process

entry applied to process to run

how to treat
function
the process
(wait, respawn)
SysV Startup Scripts

/etc/init.d/rc
Main script: /etc/rc.d/rc OR

/etc/init.d/rc?.d
Service scripts: /etc/rc.d/rc?.d
/etc/rc?.d
OR
? = runlevel number

Script filename: (S | K)[0-9]*name

chkconfig --list
chkconfig --level <levels> <script> (on | off)
chkconfig --add <script>