1 Behavior in current Grml versions
2 ---------------------------------
4 This section applies to all Grml versions newer than release 2013.02.
6 The central concept of grml-autoconfig is the DCS directory which holds debs,
7 configuration and scripts which are used during system startup.
9 Determination of DCS directory
10 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
12 The DCS directory defaults to the root directory of the GRML live image
13 (Note: the directory is known as /lib/live/mount/medium/ on a _running_
14 Grml system then!). If a file system labeled GRMLCFG is found, the DCS
15 directory is the root directory of that file system. Alternatively, the
16 myconfig boot parameter can be used to directly specify a device which
17 is then taken as DCS directory (myconfig=/dev/sda1, for example). If
18 your device is labeled different to GRMLCFG the proper label can be set
19 via the autoconfig boot parameter (autoconfig=SOMELABEL, for example).
21 Without any additional boot parameters, the GCA at DCSDIR/config.tbz is
22 automatically unpacked and DCSDIR/scripts/grml.sh is automatically executed on
23 system startup. The 'noautoconfig' boot parameter disables this automatic
29 The following boot parameters are supported. Use them at the (isolinux)
30 bootprompt as documented here.
34 This parameter directly sets DCSDIR to the root directory of the specified
35 device. Usage examples:
37 myconfig=/dev/sda1 => read DCS from usb-device
41 This parameter specifies the label used to determine the DCS device.
42 If undefined the label GRMLCFG is used to find the DCS device.
44 autoconfig=SOMELABEL => search for device labeled SOMELABEL to use as
49 This parameter is for setting a specific partition as home directory. Usage
52 home=/dev/sda3 => use /dev/sda3 as the homepartition
53 home=scan => scan through the available partitions and search
58 This parameter mounts the specified device in read-only mode and tries to
59 copy all files specified in /etc/grml/partconf to the Grml system. This
60 provides the possibility to use the configuration of a harddisk
61 installation. For example using the network configuration (which is
62 specified in /etc/network) is possible using this boot parameter. Usage
65 partconf=/dev/sda2 => try to mount /dev/sda2 and copy files specified
66 in /etc/grml/partconf to the booted Grml system
70 Use this parameter to restore configuration using wget to download a GCA
71 from the specified destination. You can also add variables to change the
72 file name depending on the host configuration. Predefined and useful
73 variables are $ARCH, $HOSTNAME and $KERNEL. Usage example:
75 netconfig=server.tld/path/to/config.tbz => restore configuration using wget to download file config.tbz
76 netconfig=server.tld/config-$ARCH.tbz => download config for specified architecture
79 Use this parameter to download and run a script from specified destination:
80 You can also add variables to change the file name depending on the host
81 configuration. Predefined and useful variables are $ARCH, $HOSTNAME and
82 $KERNEL. The environment variable NETSCRIPT is set to the specified URI.
83 This can be used to detect if the script is executed via the netscript bootoption.
86 netscript=server.tld/path/to/script => download and run script/executable from server
87 netscript=server.tld/script-$HOSTNAME => download and run script/executable for specific host
91 Extract specific directories from the GCA which needs to be specified by
94 extract=/home/grml => extract only /home/grml from archive
95 extract=/etc => extract only /etc from archive
96 extract=/home/grml/config => extract only $HOME/config from archive
100 This parameter executes scripts. If an optional path is given, it is
101 relative to DCSDIR. If the path points to a file, this single file is
102 executed. If no path is given, it defaults to scripts/grml.sh.
103 If the given name points to a directory, all scripts inside it are
104 executed. Usage examples:
106 scripts => run script DCSDIR/scripts/grml.sh
107 scripts=foobar.sh => run script foobar.sh in DCSDIR
108 scripts=foobar => run all scripts inside DCSDIR/foobar directory
112 This parameter restores a configuration using a GCA. If an optional path is
113 given, it is relative to DCSDIR. If no path is given, it defaults to
114 DCSDIR/config.tbz. Usage examples:
116 config => restore configuration using file DCSDIR/config.tbz
117 config=config_foobar.tbz => restore configuration using file DCSDIR/config_foobar.tbz
121 This parameter allows automatic installation of deb packages while booting.
122 The path is relative to DCSDIR, not optional and is a shell wildcard. All
123 Files matching the wildcard are installed in a single dpkg --install call.
124 For backwards compatibility, if no slash is contained in the path, it is
125 taken relative to DCSDIR/debs.
129 debs=*.deb => install all debian packages (suffix .deb) from directory DCSDIR/debs/
130 debs=foo/01*.deb => install all debian packages (suffix .deb) starting with 01 in the filename from directory DCSDIR/foo
134 Search all local partitions and dm devices for file /etc/network/interfaces and
135 copy the directory /etc/network to the grml system and restart networking.
139 Deactivate automounting. By default the scripts try to mount a device with
140 label 'GRMLCFG'. If you specify the noautoconfig boot parameter this
141 automounting will be deactivated.
143 noautoconfig => disables auto mounting of label 'GRMLCFG'
146 Permanently adjust boot parameters
147 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
149 As you probably know you can adjust boot parameters on the bootprompt.
150 You want to set some boot parameters permanently? That's possible via
151 adding a directory named 'bootparams' to the Grml ISO which has to be
152 located at the root-directory /bootparams/ (Note: the directory is known
153 as /lib/live/mount/medium/bootparams/ on a _running_ Grml system then!).
154 Place a textfile inside the directory containing the boot parameters
155 which should be appended to default ones (this corresponds to booting
156 without any special parameters).
159 echo lang=de > bootparams/my_bootparams
161 Then burn a multisession CD where directory bootparams is located in the root
165 Not all boot parameters can be used via /bootparams/. This is a limitation of
166 the way the kernel and userspace retrieve boot parameters. Boot parameter
167 regarding the kernel definitely do *NOT* work. Boot parameter related to
168 grml-autoconfig (the main part of the boot process in Grml running in userspace,
169 being all the stuff after startup of udev) are expected to work. Boot parameter
170 related to initrd/initramfs (the part between 'Searching for GRML file' and
171 startup of udev) are *NOT* covered by /bootparams/ as well yet.
173 TIP: the application k3b (not available on the live-CD but available through the
174 Debian repositories) provides an easy to use interface for doing the