VMELILO.CONF(5)

NAME
vmelilo.conf - configuration file for vmelilo

DESCRIPTION

/etc/vmelilo.conf is an ASCII file which defines the configuration for vmelilo. The file is divided into sections, a global options section and one or more boot record sections.

The global options section extends from the start of the file to the first boot record. While the start of each boot record is marked with a line containing the text [boot] and extends to the start of the next section or the end of the file, whichever appears first. Versions of vmelilo prior to version 1.2.0 required that the start of the global options be marked with a line containing the text [options]. This is no longer required but is accepted for backwards compatability.

Blank lines and lines beginning with a '#' are ignored and may be used to improve readability and add comments. A backslash at the end of a non-comment line indicates that the next line is a continuation of the current line. All white space characters between the last non-white character before the backslash and the first non-white character of the following line are replaced with single space character. A backslash at the end of a comment line is ignored.

Each configuration parameter is specified using the following syntax:

    option = value

Where 'option' is the name of the configuration parameter and 'value' is what it is set to. Each configuration parameter must begin on a new line. The value of each option can be one of 4 possible types:

1.  Numeric values are used to specify timeouts, delays and memory sizes. By default they are interpreted as decimal but they can be specified in binary, octal and hexadecimal by prefixing them with 0b, 0 and 0x respectively. Additionally by suffixing the number with a 'K' or an 'M' they are multiplied by 1024 or 1024*1024 respectively.

2.  Boolean flag values are used to turn an option on or off and are specified as either "Yes", "No", "True", "False" or a number that is either zero (false) or non-zero (true). A boolean option may be given without a value in which case it is taken to be true.

3.  A pathlist to a file.

4.  Strings which are arbitrary sequences of characters used to specify labels and command line parameters.

    Valid global options are:

boot = /dev/<device>
    Block special device to install the boot block on. Currently ramdisk, loopback and non-partition SCSI disk devices can have the boot block installed on them.

default = label
    Label or alias name of default boot record. If `default' is omitted, the boot section appearing first in the configuration file is used.

message = message-file
    Specifies a file containing a message that is displayed before the boot prompt. Lilo must be rerun if the message file is changed or moved.

debug [= flag]
    Enable loader debug mode. Flag should be either true or false, if not specified 'flag' is taken to be true.

prompt [= flag]
    Forces entering the boot prompt without expecting any prior key-presses. Unattended reboots are impossible if `prompt' is set and `timeout' isn't. Flag should be either true or false, if not specified 'flag' is taken to be true.

delay = secs
    Specifies the number of seconds the boot loader should wait before booting the default image. The boot loader doesn't wait if `delay' is omitted or is set to zero.

timeout = secs
    Sets a timeout in seconds for keyboard input. If no key is pressed for the specified time, the default image is automatically booted. Similarly, password input is aborted if the user is idle for too long. The default timeout is zero (infinite).

cmdline = args
    Specifies the default kernel command line to use. May be overridden on a per image basis.

append = args
    Specifies the default string that should always be appended to the kernel command line. May be overridden on a per image basis.

root = root-device
    Specifies the device that should be mounted as root. May be overridden on a per image basis.

read-only [= flag]
    If true specifies that the root device should be mounted read only. May be overridden on a per image basis.

read-write [= flag]
    If true specifies that the root device should be mounted read write. May be overridden on a per image basis.

console = console-device[,optione]
    Specifies the device the kernel sends the console output to. May be overridden on a per image basis.

password = password
    Specifies a password that is required to boot all images. May be overridden on a per image basis.

restricted [= flag]
    Specifies that the password is only required to enter kernel command line parameters at boot time. May be overridden on a per image basis. If a particular boot configuration is restricted but has no password defined vmelilo will reject any kernel command line parameters entered at boot time. Flag should be either true or false, if not specified 'flag' is taken to be true.

image = kernel-image

kernel = kernel-image
    Specifies a default kernel image file to be used if none is specified in the boot section. The image should be in ELF format and may be compressed with gzip if required.

master-password = password
    Specifies a password that is required to enter master mode at the boot prompt. If this option is not specified no password is required. While in master mode additional commands may be entered at the LILO Boot: prompt. Enter su at the boot prompt to switch to master mode. Then enter exit to leave.

The boot records define the kernel images and configurations you can select at boot time. Any number of boot sections can be specified. A boot section looks like:

    [boot]
    option = value
        .
        .
        .

Valid boot section options are:

label = name
    Specifies the name by which the boot loader identifies the boot configuration. A label option must be specified for each boot section.

alias = name
    An alternative name by which the boot loader can identify the boot section.

password = password
    Specifies a password that is required to boot this configuration. This password overrides the default password specified in the global options section. An empty password can be specified to remove the effect of a default password.

restricted [= flag]
    Specifies that the password is only required to enter kernel command line parameters at boot time. Overrides the restricted option specified in the global options section. Flag should be either true or false, if not specified 'flag' is taken to be true.

cmdline = args
    Specifies the kernel command line. Overrides the default kernel command line specified in the global options section. If command line parameters are entered at boot time they are appended after the parameters specified here.

append = args
    Specifies extra kernel command line parameters that should always be appended to the kernels command line. Overrides the default value specified in the global options section.

root = root-device
    Specifies the device that should be mounted as root. The root-device name can be prefixed with /dev/ to indicate a device name or can be specified as a hexadecimal number indicating the devices major/minor numbers. Overrides the default value specified in the global options section.

read-only [= flag]
    If true specifies that the root device should be mounted read only. Overrides the default value specified in the global options section.

read-write [= flag]
    If true specifies that the root device should be mounted read write. Overrides the default value specified in the global options section.

console = console-device[,optione]
    Specifies the device the kernel sends the console output to. Normally this would be, ttyS0, the first serial port. If booting a 2.0.xx kernel this option is ignored as the kernel is hard coded to use ttyS0 regardless. Overrides the default value specified in the global options section.

memsize = size
    Specifies the amount of system RAM in bytes that the kernel can use. If not specified the boot loader will scan for and detect the amount of available memory.

ramdisk = ramdisk-file
    Specifies the name of a file containing an initrd ramdisk image that is to be loaded at boot time.

symbols = symbol-file
    Specifies the name of a file containing symbol information to be loaded into the BVMBug symbol table. The format of the symbol file is that of the System.map file created when a kernel is compiled. Note: an unedited System.map file will probably contain too many symbols to be loaded into the symbol table at once.

image = kernel-image

kernel = kernel-image
    Specifies the kernel image file to be used. If not specified the default image specified in the global options section is used. The image should be in ELF format and may be compressed with gzip if required.

callmonitor [= flag]

calldbg [= flag]
    Causes the boot loader to call the resident ROM debug monitor immediately prior to executing the loaded kernel. Flag should be either true or false, if not specified 'flag' is taken to be true.

    WARNING: Do NOT use this option if your boot ROMs are configured to use the bottom 64K of memory for local storage. The Linux kernel is loaded over this memory region and will probably cause the ROM code to crash when it is called.

FILES

/etc/vmelilo.conf

SEE ALSO
vmelilo(8) gzip(1) /usr/share/doc/vmelilo/examples/vmelilo.conf

BUGS
The option to load symbols is ignored by the MVME boot loader.