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29 <h1 align="center">FAQ for grml</h1>
31 <p><strong>Up2date:</strong> 2011-12-09 - applies to Grml releases version 2011.12</p>
33 <p><a name="toc"></a><strong>Index:</strong></p>
35 <p class="toc"><a href="#general">General:</a></p>
37 <li><a href="#whatis">What is Grml?</a></li>
38 <li><a href="#get">Where do I get Grml?</a></li>
39 <li><a href="#whatmeans">What does Grml mean?</a></li>
40 <li><a href="#releasename">What about the release name?</a></li>
41 <li><a href="#requirements">Requirements for running Grml</a></li>
42 <li><a href="#bootoptions">Which bootoptions does Grml support?</a></li>
43 <li><a href="#usbboot">How do I boot Grml from a USB stick?</a></li>
44 <li><a href="#persistency">Is it possible to store my settings?</a></li>
47 <p class="toc"><a href="#problems">Problems</a>:</p>
49 <li><a href="#known_issues">Are there any known issues with this release? How about reporting bugs?</a></li>
50 <li><a href="#password">What are the passwords of users on Grml?</a></li>
51 <li><a href="#version">How do I find out the version of Grml</a></li>
52 <li><a href="#language">How do I change the language/keyboard settings?</a></li>
53 <li><a href="#wms">Which window managers can I use?</a></li>
54 <li><a href="#lvm">Where are my LVM devices?</a></li>
55 <li><a href="#swraid">Where are my Software-RAID devices?</a></li>
56 <li><a href="#booting">Which ways exist to boot Grml?</a></li>
57 <li><a href="#timezone">How do I configure timezone on my Grml system?</a></li>
58 <li><a href="#hdinstall">Is it possible to install Grml to harddisk?</a></li>
61 <p class="toc"><a href="#software">Software:</a></p>
63 <li><a href="#sw_general">General</a></li>
64 <li><a href="#sw_version">Which package(s) and which version is available?</a></li>
65 <li><a href="#zsh">Why is zsh the default shell?</a></li>
66 <li><a href="#bash">Is a bash available?</a></li>
70 <p class="toc"><a href="#stuff">Support / Unanswered stuff</a></p>
72 <li><a href="#questions">Further questions?</a></li>
73 <li><a href="#support">Commercial Support</a></li>
76 <h2><a name="general"></a><a href="#toc">General</a></h2>
78 <h3><a name="whatis"></a><a href="#toc">What is Grml?</a></h3>
80 <p>Grml is a bootable CD (Live-CD) based
81 on <a href="http://www.debian.org/">Debian</a>. It is not
82 necessary to install anything to a harddisk. Grml includes a
83 collection of GNU/Linux software especially for system
84 administrators. It specializes on administrative tasks like
85 installation, deployment and system rescue.</p>
87 <h3><a name="get"></a><a href="#toc">Where do I get Grml?</a></h3>
89 <p>Grml is open source, you can download it from the mirrors
90 listed at <a href="/download">grml.org/download/</a>.</p>
92 <h3><a name="whatmeans"></a><a href="#toc">What does Grml mean?</a></h3>
94 <p>Grml comes close to 'argl' or 'grrr' in English. People use
95 this when they want to express their dissatisfaction with
96 software (amongst other things).</p>
98 <h3><a name="releasename"></a><a href="#toc">What about the release name?</a></h3>
100 <p>Codename of Grml 2011.12 is "Knetch Rootrecht". It's a wordplay on
101 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Companions_of_Saint_Nicholas">Knecht
102 Ruprecht</a>, which translates as Farmhand Ruprecht or Servant
105 <h3><a name="requirements"></a><a href="#toc">Requirements for running Grml</a></h3>
109 <li>Intel-compatible CPU (i586 or later, preferably Pentium class or higher)</li>
111 <li>>=128MB of RAM (>=256MB recommended)</p>
113 <li>either a bootable CD-/DVD-ROM drive,
114 a <a href="#usbboot">USB-boot capable system</a> or a
115 network card for booting via network/PXE (check
116 out <a href="#terminalserver">grml-terminalserver</a>)</li>
120 <h3><a name="accessibility"></a><a href="#toc">What does accessibility at Grml mean?</a></h3>
122 <p>The Grml kernel includes support for speakup and software
123 like brltty (using bootoption 'grml blind
124 brltty=type,port,tbl') and espeakup.</p>
126 <h3><a name="bootoptions"></a><a href="#toc">Which bootoptions does Grml support?</a></h3>
129 href="http://git.grml.org/?p=grml-live.git;a=blob_plain;f=templates/GRML/grml-cheatcodes.txt;hb=HEAD">grml-cheatcodes
130 file</a> (also available via <a href="http://grml.org/cheatcodes/">grml.org/cheatcodes/</a>). Of
132 href="http://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt">kernel-parameters.txt</a>
133 of the Linux kernel applies to Grml as well.</p>
135 <h3><a name="usbboot"></a><a href="#toc">How do I boot Grml from a USB stick?</a></h3>
137 <!-- TODO: needs to be improved! -->
140 out <a href="http://wiki.grml.org/doku.php?id=usb#grml2usb">grml2usb</a>
142 <a href="http://wiki.grml.org/doku.php?id=usb">usb webpage in the
145 <h3><a name="store"></a><a name="persistency"></a><a href="#toc">Is it possible to store my settings?</a></h3>
148 a <a href="http://wiki.grml.org/doku.php?id=persistency">persistency
151 <h2><a name="problems"></a><a href="#toc">Problems</a></h2>
153 <a name="release"></a> <!-- old anchor -->
154 <a name="bugreport"></a> <!-- old anchor -->
155 <h3><a name="known_issues"></a><a href="#toc">Are there any known issues? How about reporting bugs?</a></h3>
157 <p>Please visit the <a href="/bugs/">bug webpage</a>.</p>
159 <h3><a name="password"></a><a href="#toc">What are the passwords of users on Grml?</a></h3>
161 <p>There are no default passwords - all accounts are locked by
162 default for security reasons. Even local logins are not
163 possible (unless you set a password or create new user
164 accounts as root). You can create valid passwords using "sudo
165 passwd [username]" from the shell individually.</p>
167 <h3><a name="version"></a><a href="#toc">How do I find out the version of Grml</a></h3>
169 <p>Run 'grml-version' or use the following command:</p>
172 $ cat /etc/grml_version</pre>
174 <h3><a name="language"></a><a href="#toc">How do I change the language/keyboard settings?</a></h3>
176 <p>By default Grml uses english settings. But it is possible to
177 change the settings via using either the bootparam(s) lang,
178 keyboard and xkeyboard or via executing grml-lang when Grml is
179 already running. Usage examples:</p>
182 grml lang=de # enter this at the bootprompt and you will get
183 # german keyboard layout and german $LANG, $LC_ALL,
185 grml keyboard=de xkeyboard=de lang=at # enter this at the bootprompt
186 # and you will get german keyboard and austrian
188 % grml-lang de # enter this in the shell to switch keyboard layout
189 # and $LANG settings in a running Grml system
192 <p>Note: run grml-setlang to get a dialog based frontend for
193 /etc/default/locale. Run grml-setkeyboard to get a dialog
194 based frontend for /etc/sysconfig/keyboard.</p>
197 <h3><a name="wms"></a><a href="#toc">Which window managers can I use?</a></h3>
199 <p>Starting with the 2011.12 release Grml provides just
200 the <a href="http://www.fluxbox.org/">Fluxbox</a> window
204 <h3><a name="lvm"></a><a href="#toc">Where are my LVM devices?</a></h3>
206 <p>LVM (Logival Volumes) is <strong>not</strong> started by default to
207 avoid any possible damage to your data. To get access to present LVM
208 devices just execute:</p>
211 # /etc/init.d/lvm2 start
213 or use the shorter version:
218 <p>If you want to enable LVM by default just boot using the 'lvm'
219 bootoption which automatically enables LVM.</p>
221 <h3><a name="swraid"></a><a href="#toc">Where are my Software-RAID devices?</a></h3>
223 <p>Software-RAID (usually known as the mdadm stuff) is
224 <strong>not</strong> started by default to avoid any possible damage to
225 your data. To get access to present SW-RAID devices just execute:</p>
228 # /etc/init.d/mdadm-raid start
230 or use the shorter version:
235 <p>If you want to enable SW-RAID by default just boot using
236 the 'swraid' bootoption which enables automatic assembling of
237 software raid arrays.</p>
239 <a name="terminalserver"></a>
240 <h3><a name="booting"></a><a href="#toc">Which ways exist to boot Grml?</a></h3>
242 <!-- TODO: needs rework -->
244 <p>Of course running from CD/DVD is a common way to boot
245 Grml. But Grml provides many more ways to boot:</p>
247 <p>It is possible to boot Grml via USB (e.g. USB stick or
248 harddisk), firewire, or running from a Compact Flash disk. It
249 works out of the box; you don't need to modify anything. Check
250 out <a href="http://wiki.grml.org/doku.php?id=usb">the usb
251 webpage in the grml-wiki</a> for more details.</p>
253 <p>Your computer can not boot from CD-ROM but provides a
254 floppy disk? Take a look
255 at <a href="http://btmgr.sourceforge.net/">btmgr</a>, <a href="http://ubcd4win.com/faq.htm#floppy">ubcd4win</a>
256 or <a href="http://linux.simple.be/tools/sbm">sbm</a>. They
257 provide support for booting from CD-ROM via a special floppy
260 <p>grml-terminalserver makes it possible to boot your system
262 using <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preboot_Execution_Environment">PXE</a>
263 (Preboot Execution Environment). If your network card does not
264 provide support for booting via PXE you can still boot it
265 either using the provided grub image by grml-terminalserver
266 (for example via floppy drive) or
267 using <a href="http://etherboot.org/wiki/index.php">gPXE</a>.
268 For more information, refer to
269 the <a href="/terminalserver/">grml-terminalserver
272 <h3><a name="timezone"></a><a href="#toc">How do I configure
273 timezone on my Grml system?</a></h3>
275 <h4>Available bootoptions relevant in live-cd mode:</h4>
278 <li>utc: set UTC, if your system clock is set to UTC (GMT)
279 <li>gmt: set UTC, if your system clock is set to UTC (GMT) [like bootoption utc]
280 <li>tz=$option: set timezone to corresponding $option, usage example:
284 <h4>Further information:</h4>
286 <p>Manpages: hwclock(8) tzselect(1) tzconfig(8); <a
287 href="http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/system-administrator/ch-sysadmin-time.html">Debian
288 GNU/Linux System Administrator's Manual Chapter 16 - Time</a> and <a
289 href="http://wiki.debian.org/TimeZoneChanges">TimeZoneChanges in the
292 <h3><a name="hdinstall"></a><a href="#toc">Is it possible to install Grml to harddisk?</a></h3>
294 <p>Short anwer: No.</p>
296 <p><strong>ProTip</strong>: If you want to get a plain Debian
298 at <a href="/grml-debootstrap/">grml-debootstrap</a>.</p>
301 <h2><a name="software"></a><a href="#toc">Software</a></h2>
303 <h3><a name="sw_version"></a><a href="#toc">Which package(s) and which
304 version is available?</a></h3>
306 <p>If you want to get details about the provided packages and the
307 package versions without booting the Grml ISO check out the dpkg_...
308 files in the <a href="/files/#debian">Debian-Information section on
309 grml.org/files/</a>.</p>
311 <h3><a name="zsh"></a><a href="#toc">Why is Zsh the default shell?</a></h3>
313 <p>Short answer: because <a href="/zsh/">Zsh rocks</a>, really!</p>
315 <p>Longer answer taken
316 from <a href="http://zsh.sourceforge.net/FAQ/zshfaq01.html#l3">ZSH
317 FAQ: 1.2: What is it?</a>:</p>
319 <cite> Zsh is a UNIX command interpreter (shell) which of the
320 standard shells most resembles the Korn shell (ksh); its
321 compatibility with the 1988 Korn shell has been gradually
322 increasing. It includes enhancements of many types, notably in
323 the command-line editor, options for customising its
324 behaviour, filename globbing, features to make C-shell (csh)
325 users feel more at home and extra features drawn from tcsh
326 (another `custom' shell).</cite>
328 <p>If you don't know zsh take a look
329 at <a href="http://zsh.sourceforge.net/FAQ/zshfaq02.html#l9">ZSH
330 FAQ: How does zsh differ from ...?</a>, 'man zsh | less -p
331 COMPATIBILITY', the <a href="/zsh/">Grml zsh reference
332 card</a> and '<a href="/zsh/">man zsh-lovers</a>'.</p>
334 <p>If you are a bash user and don't know zsh yet, don't be
335 afraid. Bash is largely a subset of Zsh and you don't have to
336 throw away your knowledge about shell stuff.</p>
338 <h3><a name="bash"></a><a href="#toc">Is a bash available?</a></h3>
340 <p>Grml uses <a href="#zsh">Zsh</a> as the default interactive shell
341 but a current version of Bash available on Grml as well.</p>
343 <h2><a name="stuff"></a><a href="#toc">Support / Unanswered stuff</a></h2>
345 <h3><a name="questions"></a><a href="#toc">Further questions</a></h3>
347 <p>Do you have a question which is not answered in the FAQ or
348 in the provided <a href="/docs/">documentation</a> (execute
349 "grml-info" on your Grml system for offline
350 documentation)? Also check out 'grml-tips $KEYWORD' on your
351 Grml system. Take a look at
352 <a href="/">the Grml website</a> and <a href="http://wiki.grml.org/">the
353 grml-wiki</a>. A good place to become part of the community is the <a
354 href="/mailinglist/">Grml mailinglist</a>.</p>
356 <h3><a name="support"></a><a href="#toc">Commercial Support</a></h3>
358 <p>You want to deploy Grml in your data center, use it as part of your
359 business or have an emergency case? You're happy with Grml but would
360 like to get your very own live cd (providing your favourite software
361 selection, special configuration, setup and your bootsplash)?
362 Please get in <a href="/contact/">touch with us</a>.</p>
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