CHEATCODES AND HINTS FOR GRML
==============================================================================
-These options work from the (isolinux/grub) bootprompt of grml based (live) systems.
+These options work from the (isolinux/grub) bootprompt of Grml based (live) systems.
The following kernel options are available (do NOT use them as 'grml $OPTION',
use them as '$OPTION'!):
grml Use default settings (same as just pressing return)
-grml2ram Copy grml's squashfs file to RAM and
+grml2ram Copy Grml's squashfs file to RAM and
run from there (compare with 'grml toram')
memtest Run Memtest86+ instead of Linux
fb1280x1024 Use fixed framebuffer graphics (1)
-fb1024x768 Use fixed framebuffer graphics (2) [notice: grml's default]
+fb1024x768 Use fixed framebuffer graphics (2) [notice: Grml's default]
fb800x600 Use fixed framebuffer graphics (3)
nofb Disable framebuffer
floppy Boot from floppydisk
debug Get shells during process of booting for debugging
bootchart Create chart of booting sequence in /var/log/bootchart.tgz
forensic Do not touch any harddisks during hardware recognition
-serial Activate ttyS0 and start mgetty
+serial Activate ttyS0 and start a getty
grub Boot Grub bootloader (special all-in-one-image)
dos Boot FreeDOS
bsd Boot MirOS BSD
qemu Boot with special options for use in Qemu
vmware Boot with special options for use in VMware
+Further documentation regarding the init process can be found at:
+* http://git.grml.org/?p=live-initramfs-grml.git;a=blob_plain;f=manpages/live-initramfs.en.7.txt;hb=HEAD
+* http://git.debian.org/?p=kernel/initramfs-tools.git;a=blob_plain;f=initramfs-tools.8;hb=HEAD
+
The following boot options can be combined.
-Notice: not all of the them are available on all the grml flavours.
+Notice: not all of them are available on all the Grml flavours.
For example the X window system is not part of grml-small.
Regional settings:
grml lang=at|de|cn|da|es|fr|it Specify language ($LANG, $LC_ALL, $LANGUAGE - utf8) + keyboard
grml lang=nl|pl|ru|sk|tr|tw|us Specify language ($LANG, $LC_ALL, $LANGUAGE - utf8) + keyboard
grml lang=$LANG-iso Activate $LANG (use like in lines above) with iso-mode instead of utf8
-grml gmt Use GMT-based time
-grml tz=Europe/Vienna Use this timezone for TZ
+grml gmt Use GMT-based time (UTC=yes)
+grml utc Use Coordinated Universal Time (UTC=yes)
+grml localtime Use local time (UTC=no)
+grml tz=Europe/Vienna Use specified timezone for TZ
grml keyboard=us xkeyboard=us Use different keyboard layout (text-console/X)
grml setkeycodes Set some special function keys for MS/HP keyboards
Configuration settings:
-----------------------
-grml myconfig=/dev/fd0 Execute "grml.sh" and extract config.tbz from a partition:
+grml myconfig=/dev/fd0 Set the DCS dir (debs, config, scripts) to the root of this device
+ DCS dir defaults to the live image or a device labeled GRMLCFG
+ If a file /config.tbz exists, it is extracted from there.
/dev/fd0 for floppy disk
/dev/sda1 for USB-stick/first SCSI-device
grml netconfig=server/config.tbz Download file and extract configuration archive
+grml netscript=server/file Download and execute file
grml partconf=/dev/hda2 Copy files specified in /etc/grml/partconf from /dev/hda2
to booting grml system
grml file=foobar.tbz Use specified file as name for configuration archive
use it in combination with myconfig or netconfig
grml persistent Enable persistency feature, more details available at
http://wiki.grml.org/doku.php?id=persistency
-grml home=/dev/hda2 Mount specified partition as grml homedir
-grml home=/dev/sda1/grml.img Mount loopback file as /home/grml
-grml home=scan Automatic search for grml homedir (using file grml.img)
-grml hostname=... Set hostname
+grml hostname=... Set hostname to given argument
+grml hostname Set a random hostname
+ [Note: only available with releases newer than 2010.04]
+grml nodhcphostname Do not to set the hostname according to the dns information
grml distri=... Set distribution name to given argument. If a jpg file named like the
given distri name can be found in directory desktop on the ISO
- (/cdrom/desktop/"$DISTRI") it will be taken as wallpaper for grml
+ (/cdrom/desktop/"$DISTRI") it will be taken as wallpaper for grml
grml debnet Search through local partitions for file /etc/network/interfaces,
copy /etc/network to local system and restart networking then
grml mypath=... Add specified option into $PATH of Zsh
For example when using "grml mypath=/foobar" then /foobar
will be added to the end of $PATH inside Zsh
+grml debs=path-name-wildcard install Debian packages matching the path-name-wildcard in the
+ DCS dir
+grml scripts=path-name execute script (defaulting to grml.sh) inside DCS dir. Path names
+ allowed. If path-name points to a directory, all scripts found in
+ the directory are executed.
+grml config=path-name unpack archive that path-name points to
grml noautoconfig Disable searching for device labeled GRMLCFG
-Notice: Take a look at http://grml.org/config/ and /usr/share/doc/grml-saveconfig/grml-config.html
+Notice: Take a look at http://grml.org/config/ and 'man 1 grml-autoconfig'
for more information regarding the configuration framework of grml.
Booting related options:
------------------------
-grml2ram Copy grml's squashfs file to RAM and run from there
+grml2ram Copy Grml's squashfs file to RAM and run from there
grml toram Copy the whole CD/medium to RAM and run from there
grml toram=filename.squashfs Copy the specified file to RAM and run from there
Usage example: grml toram=grml-medium.squashfs
Notice: grml2ram is an alias for this option which
corresponds with the grml flavour settings by default
-grml tohd=/dev/sda1 Copy grml's squashfs file to harddisk partition for later
+grml tohd=/dev/sda1 Copy Grml's squashfs file to harddisk partition for later
use via "grml bootfrom=/dev/sda1"
grml bootfrom=/dev/sda1 Use the squashfs file from directory 'live' of the specified device
Setup can be done booting 'grml tohd=/dev/sda1' or
running 'rsync -a --progress /live/image/live /mnt/sda1/'
+grml bootfrom=removable Restrict search for the live media to removable type only.
+grml bootfrom=removable-usb Restrict search for the live media to usb mass storage only.
grml isofrom=/dev/sda1/grml.iso Use specified ISO image for booting
Useful when booting as a rescue system from harddisk - just boot
the according grml kernel and initrd using the bootoptions
"boot=live isofrom=/dev/sda1/grml.iso"
Notice: "fromiso" does the same as "isofrom", it's just there
to prevent any typing errors
-grml findiso=/grml_2009.05.iso Look for the specified ISO file on all disks where it usually
+grml findiso=/grml_2010.04.iso Look for the specified ISO file on all disks where it usually
looks for the .squashfs file (so you don't have to know the device name
- as in isofrom=....). [Available since grml 2009.05]
+ as in isofrom=....).
+grml fetch=$IP/filename.squashfs Download a squashfs image from a given url, copying to ram and booting it.
+ Due to current limitations in busyboxs wget and DNS resolution, an URL
+ can not contain a hostname but an IP only.
grml live-media-path=live Sets the path to the live filesystem on the medium
By default, it is set to /live
grml module=grml Instead of using the default "$name.module" another file can
on "/live" directory of the live medium
Useful for Multiboot USB pen, see
http://wiki.grml.org/doku.php?id=tips#multiboot_usb_pen
+grml bootid=mybootid Use specified argument as identifier for the ISO.
+ mybootid is specified in /conf/bootid.txt on the ISO.
+ [Note: only available since release 2010.04]
+grml ignore_bootid Disable bootid verification.
+ [Note: only available since release 2010.04]
+
Debugging related settings:
---------------------------
-debug Get shells during process of booting, using GNU screen, most verbose
-grml debug Get shells during process of booting, using GNU screen, verbose
+debug Get shells during process of booting, using GNU screen, be very verbose
+grml debug Get shells during process of booting, using GNU screen, be verbose
+grml debug=1 Get shells during process of booting, using GNU screen, be verbose and
+ display shell code being executed in initramfs.
grml debug=noscreen Get shells during process of booting, verbose, but without using GNU screen
grml nocolor Disable colorized output while booting
grml log Log error messages while booting to /tmp/grml.log.`date +%Y%m%d`"
grml gcc=3.4 gpp=3.4 Link /usr/bin/gcc, /usr/bin/cpp and /usr/bin/c++ to specified version
grml startx{=windowmanager} Start X window system automatically
Default window manager (if not provided): wm-ng (wrapper around fluxbox)
+grml nostartx If using startx as default bootoption the nostartx *disables* automatic
+ startup of X again. (This bootoption is relevant for grml based derivatives
+ which decide to enable startx by default only, plain grml does not use
+ automatic startup of X by default.)
Accessibility related settings:
-------------------------------
grml swap Activate present/detected swap partitions
grml noswraid Disable scanning for software raid arrays (creates /etc/mdadm/mdadm.conf)
grml swraid Enable automatic assembling of software raid arrays
+grml nodmraid Do not enable present dmraid devices.
+grml dmraid=on Automatically enable any present dmraid devices.
+grml dmraid=off Actively try to stop any present dmraid devices.
grml nolvm Disable scanning for Logical Volumes (LVM)
grml lvm Automatically activate Logival Volumes (LVM) during boot
grml readonly Make sure all harddisk devices (/dev/hd* /dev/sd*) are forced to read-only mode
+grml ethdevice=... Use specified network device for network boot instead of default (eth0)
grml xmodule=ati|fbdev|i810|mga Use specified X.org-Module (1)
grml xmodule=nv|radeon|savage|s3 Use specified X.org-Module (2)
grml xmodule=radeon|svga|i810 Use specified X.org-Module (3)
grml pci=bios Workaround for bad PCI controllers
grml ide2=0x180 nopcmcia Boot from PCMCIA-CD-ROM (some notebooks)
grml mem=128M Specify Memory size in MByte
-grml dma Enable DMA accelleration for ALL IDE-Drives
-grml nodma ide=nodma Disable DMA accelleration for ALL IDE-Drives
+grml libata.force=[ID:]VAL Force configurations for libata.
+ Usage example: grml libata.force=1:pio4
+ to force pio4 mode on device "ata1:00:"
+grml libata.dma=0 Disable DMA on PATA and SATA devices
+grml libata.ignore_hpa=1 Disable host protected area (which should enable the whole disk)
grml vga=normal [video=ofonly] No-framebuffer mode (does not influence X)
grml vga=ask [video=ofonly] Display menu for framebuffer mode
Additional notes:
-----------------
-*) Try "grml pci=irqmask=0x0e98" if (you have a notebook and) your
-PS/2 mouse doesn't work. (Possibly caused by a BIOS-flaw on your board,
-BIOS updates can help.) Sometimes, switching to the text console with
-Control-Alt-F1 and back to the X-screen with Control-Alt-F7 solves the
-problem without rebooting, since the X server reinitializes the mouse
-driver during that procedure.
-
-*) If your grml-CD makes strange noises during boot, or you see frequent
+*) If your Grml-CD makes strange noises during boot, or you see frequent
errors like "squashfs: read error", or programs are crashing randomly,
then your CD image is probably defective or incomplete, your CD-burner
created a defective CD due to wrong writing speed or bad media or your
directory live, containing the squashfs compressed filesystem file,
must be located in the top level directory of the CD.
-*) Caution: screensavers: Don't start xlock/vlock or any other screensaver
-that requires a password. There are no default passwords on grml,
-i.e. all accounts are LOCKED unless you explicitly set a password.
-See also README.txt about this issue.
-Hint: If you accidentially started a screensaver switch to one of the
-textconsoles by Control-Alt-F1 and kill the screensaver (or just set a
-password for the grml user). Take a look at the script grml-lock.
+*) Caution: screensavers: Don't start vlock or any other screensaver
+that requires a password manually. There are no default passwords on
+the live system - all accounts are LOCKED by default for security reasons.
+Instead just invoke the script grml-lock which prompts for setting a
+password.
# EOF