Re: grub (was: Re: RAIDframe for dom0?)

[Christian Smith <csmith%micromuse.com@localhost>]

On Wed, 17 Aug 2005, Daniel Carosone wrote:

>> Enough said?
>
>Not quite, I want my turn to vent :)
>
> [...]
>
>Every time I want to install a new kernel, I need to edit a config
>file to make it boot? Huh?


That's not true. If you want it to change any configuration as a result of
installing a new kernel, then yes, you have to edit the configuration file
(duh) but GRUB has a command line to load and boot any kernel image on a
supported filesystem. The configuration file is just the default
configuration upon boot.


>
>Perhaps all these cases are the fault of someone configuring it
>poorly, but a boot loader shouldn't be so complex as to have such
>problems or need such configuration.  Will it have a built-in mail
>reader in the next version?


Perhaps a generic bootloader does need to be this complex. The NetBSD
bootloader is simpler because it just loads NetBSD of a FFS partition. Xen
uses GRUB because they didn't want to write YABL (Yet Another...). Fair
play, I say.


>
>This and many other little annoyances are strong enough antigens to
>prime the immune system: automatic allergic reaction on later contact.


As to the general moans about code quality, I couldn't comment, but the
serial line issues appear to be mis-configuration. The user has probably
specified both console and serial line terminal, which will cause grub to
use the first that responds. If only one or the other terminal is
specified, then only that will be used.

Documentation wise, I've found grub to be confusing to start with, but
once I was familiar with it's "issues" (BIOS scanning being the biggest
issue IMHO) it's pretty straight forward. Quite comprehensive
documentation can be found at the GRUB site:
http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/manual/
http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/manual/html_node/index.html

And hell, I wiped out a HD the first time I played with NetBSD. Any new
system is likely to be daunting, but it didn't put me off long term.

Not using Xen because it uses GRUB really is cutting off your nose to
spite your face!


>
>--
>Dan.

Christian

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