+Behavior in current Grml versions
+---------------------------------
+
+This section applies to all Grml versions newer than release 2009.05.
+
+The central concept of grml-autoconfig is the DCS directory which holds debs,
+configuration and scripts which are used during system startup.
+
+Determination of DCS directory
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+The DCS directory defaults to the root directory of the GRML live image. If a
+file system labeled GRMLCFG is found, the DCS directory is the root directory of
+that file system. Alternatively, the myconfig boot parameter can be used to
+directly specify a device which is then taken as DCS directory
+(myconfig=/dev/sda1, for example).
+
+Without any additional boot parameters, the GCA at DCSDIR/config.tbz is
+automatically unpacked and DCSDIR/scrips/grml.sh is automaitcally executed on
+system startup. The 'noautoconfig' boot parameter disables this automatic
+behavior.
+
+Boot Parameters
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+The following boot parameters are supported. Use them at the (isolinux)
+bootprompt as documented here.
+
+myconfig::
+
+ This parameter directly sets DCSDIR to the root directory of the specified
+ device. Usage examples:
+
+ myconfig=/dev/sda1 => read DCS from usb-device
+ myconfig=/dev/fd0 => read DCS from floppy-disk
+
+home::
+
+ This parameter is for setting a specific partition as home directory. Usage
+ examples:
+
+ home=/dev/sda3 => use /dev/sda3 as the homepartition
+ home=scan => scan through the available partitions and search
+ for file grml.img
+
+partconf::
+
+ This parameter mounts the specified device in read-only mode and tries to
+ copy all files specified in /etc/grml/partconf to the Grml system. This
+ provides the possibility to use the configuration of a harddisk
+ installation. For example using the network configuration (which is
+ specified in /etc/network) is possible using this boot parameter. Usage
+ example:
+
+ partconf=/dev/sda2 => try to mount /dev/sda2 and copy files specified
+ in /etc/grml/partconf to the booted Grml system
+
+netconfig::
+
+ Use this parameter to restore configuration using wget to download a GCA
+ from the specified destination. You can also add variables to change the
+ file name depending on the host configuration. Predefined and useful
+ variables are $ARCH, $HOSTNAME and $KERNEL. Usage example:
+
+ netconfig=server.tld/path/to/config.tbz => restore configuration using wget to download file config.tbz
+ netconfig=server.tld/config-$ARCH.tbz => download config for specified architecture
+
+netscript::
+ Use this parameter to download and run a script from specified destination:
+ You can also add variables to change the file name depending on the host
+ configuration. Predefined and useful variables are $ARCH, $HOSTNAME and
+ $KERNEL. Usage example:
+
+ netcript=server.tld/path/to/script => download and run script/executable from server
+ netscript=server.tld/script-$HOSTNAME => download and run script/executable for specific host
+
+extract::
+
+ Extract specific directories from the GCA which needs to be specified by
+ other means.
+
+ extract=/home/grml => extract only /home/grml from archive
+ extract=/etc => extract only /etc from archive
+ extract=/home/grml/config => extract only $HOME/config from archive
+
+scripts::
+
+ This parameter executes scripts. If an optional path is given, it is
+ relative to DCSDIR. If it points to a directory, all scripts inside this
+ directory are executed. If the path points to a file, this single file is
+ executed. If no path is given, it defaults to scripts/grml.sh. Usage
+ examples:
+
+ scripts => run script DCSDIR/scripts/grml.sh
+ scripts=foobar.sh => run script foobar.sh in DCSDIR
+ scripts=foobar => run all scripts inside DCSDIR/foobar directory
+
+config::
+
+ This parameter restores a configuration using a GCA. If an optional path is
+ given, it is relative to DCSDIR. If no path is given, it defaults to
+ DCSDIR/config.tbz. Usage examples:
+
+ config => restore configuration using file DCSDIR/config.tbz
+ config=config_foobar.tbz => restore configuration using file DCSDIR/config_foobar.tbz
+
+debs::
+
+ This parameter allows automatic installation of deb packages while booting.
+ The path is relative to DCSDIR, not optional and is a shell wildcard. All
+ Files matching the wildcard are installed in a single dpkg --install call.
+ For backwards compatibility, if no slash is contained in the path, it is
+ taken relative to DCSDIR/debs.
+
+ Usage examples:
+
+ debs=*.deb => install all debian packages (suffix .deb) from directory DCSDIR/debs/
+ debs=foo/01*.deb => install all debian packages (suffix .deb) starting with 01 in the filename from directory DCSDIR/foo
+
+
+noautoconfig::
+
+ Deactivate automounting. By default the scripts try to mount a device with
+ label 'GRMLCFG'. If you specify the noautoconfig bootparam this automounting
+ will be deactivated.
+
+ noautoconfig => disables auto mounting of label 'GRMLCFG'
+
+
+Permanently adjust boot parameters
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+As you probably know you can adjust boot parameters on the bootprompt. You want
+to set some boot parameters permanently? That's possible via adding a directory
+named 'bootparams' to the Grml ISO which has to be located at the root-directory
+/bootparams/ (note: the directory is known as /live/image/bootparams/ on a
+_running_ Grml system then). Place a textfile inside the directory containing
+the boot parameters which should be appended to default ones (this corresponds
+to booting without any special parameters).
+
+ mkdir bootparams
+ echo lang=de > bootparams/my_bootparams
+
+Then burn a multisession CD where directory bootparams is located in the root
+directory of the CD.
+
+[NOTE]
+Not all boot parameters can be used via /bootparams/. This is a limitation of
+the way the kernel and userspace retrieve boot parameters. Boot parameter
+regarding the kernel definitely do *NOT* work. Boot parameter related to
+grml-autoconfig (the main part of the boot process in Grml running in userspace,
+being all the stuff after startup of udev) are expected to work. Boot parameter
+related to initrd/initramfs (the part between 'Searching for GRML file' and
+startup of udev) are *NOT* covered by /bootparams/ as well yet.
+
+TIP: the application k3b (not available on the live-CD but available through the
+Debian repositories) provides an easy to use interface for doing the
+multisession task.
+
projects / grml-autoconfig.git / commitdiff