1 Behavior in current Grml versions
2 ---------------------------------
4 This section applies to all Grml versions newer than release 2009.05.
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. If a
13 file system labeled GRMLCFG is found, the DCS directory is the root directory of
14 that file system. Alternatively, the myconfig boot parameter can be used to
15 directly specify a device which is then taken as DCS directory
16 (myconfig=/dev/sda1, for example). If your device is labeled different to
17 GRMLCFG the proper label can be set via the autoconfig boot parameter
18 (autoconfig=SOMELABEL, for example).
20 Without any additional boot parameters, the GCA at DCSDIR/config.tbz is
21 automatically unpacked and DCSDIR/scrips/grml.sh is automatically executed on
22 system startup. The 'noautoconfig' boot parameter disables this automatic
28 The following boot parameters are supported. Use them at the (isolinux)
29 bootprompt as documented here.
33 This parameter directly sets DCSDIR to the root directory of the specified
34 device. Usage examples:
36 myconfig=/dev/sda1 => read DCS from usb-device
40 This parameter specifies the label used to determine the DCS device.
41 If undefined the label GRMLCFG is used to find the DCS device.
43 autoconfig=SOMELABEL => search for device labeled SOMELABEL to use as
48 This parameter is for setting a specific partition as home directory. Usage
51 home=/dev/sda3 => use /dev/sda3 as the homepartition
52 home=scan => scan through the available partitions and search
57 This parameter mounts the specified device in read-only mode and tries to
58 copy all files specified in /etc/grml/partconf to the Grml system. This
59 provides the possibility to use the configuration of a harddisk
60 installation. For example using the network configuration (which is
61 specified in /etc/network) is possible using this boot parameter. Usage
64 partconf=/dev/sda2 => try to mount /dev/sda2 and copy files specified
65 in /etc/grml/partconf to the booted Grml system
69 Use this parameter to restore configuration using wget to download a GCA
70 from the specified destination. You can also add variables to change the
71 file name depending on the host configuration. Predefined and useful
72 variables are $ARCH, $HOSTNAME and $KERNEL. Usage example:
74 netconfig=server.tld/path/to/config.tbz => restore configuration using wget to download file config.tbz
75 netconfig=server.tld/config-$ARCH.tbz => download config for specified architecture
78 Use this parameter to download and run a script from specified destination:
79 You can also add variables to change the file name depending on the host
80 configuration. Predefined and useful variables are $ARCH, $HOSTNAME and
81 $KERNEL. The environment variable NETSCRIPT is set to the specified URI.
82 This can be used to detect if the script is executed via the netscript bootoption.
85 netscript=server.tld/path/to/script => download and run script/executable from server
86 netscript=server.tld/script-$HOSTNAME => download and run script/executable for specific host
90 Extract specific directories from the GCA which needs to be specified by
93 extract=/home/grml => extract only /home/grml from archive
94 extract=/etc => extract only /etc from archive
95 extract=/home/grml/config => extract only $HOME/config from archive
99 This parameter executes scripts. If an optional path is given, it is
100 relative to DCSDIR. If the path points to a file, this single file is
101 executed. If no path is given, it defaults to scripts/grml.sh.
102 If the given name points to a directory, all scripts inside it are
103 executed. Usage examples:
105 scripts => run script DCSDIR/scripts/grml.sh
106 scripts=foobar.sh => run script foobar.sh in DCSDIR
107 scripts=foobar => run all scripts inside DCSDIR/foobar directory
111 This parameter restores a configuration using a GCA. If an optional path is
112 given, it is relative to DCSDIR. If no path is given, it defaults to
113 DCSDIR/config.tbz. Usage examples:
115 config => restore configuration using file DCSDIR/config.tbz
116 config=config_foobar.tbz => restore configuration using file DCSDIR/config_foobar.tbz
120 This parameter allows automatic installation of deb packages while booting.
121 The path is relative to DCSDIR, not optional and is a shell wildcard. All
122 Files matching the wildcard are installed in a single dpkg --install call.
123 For backwards compatibility, if no slash is contained in the path, it is
124 taken relative to DCSDIR/debs.
128 debs=*.deb => install all debian packages (suffix .deb) from directory DCSDIR/debs/
129 debs=foo/01*.deb => install all debian packages (suffix .deb) starting with 01 in the filename from directory DCSDIR/foo
133 Search all local partitions and dm devices for file /etc/network/interfaces and
134 copy the directory /etc/network to the grml system and restart networking.
138 Deactivate automounting. By default the scripts try to mount a device with
139 label 'GRMLCFG'. If you specify the noautoconfig bootparam this automounting
142 noautoconfig => disables auto mounting of label 'GRMLCFG'
145 Permanently adjust boot parameters
146 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
148 As you probably know you can adjust boot parameters on the bootprompt. You want
149 to set some boot parameters permanently? That's possible via adding a directory
150 named 'bootparams' to the Grml ISO which has to be located at the root-directory
151 /bootparams/ (note: the directory is known as /lib/live/mount/medium/bootparams/ on a
152 _running_ Grml system then). Place a textfile inside the directory containing
153 the boot parameters which should be appended to default ones (this corresponds
154 to booting without any special parameters).
157 echo lang=de > bootparams/my_bootparams
159 Then burn a multisession CD where directory bootparams is located in the root
163 Not all boot parameters can be used via /bootparams/. This is a limitation of
164 the way the kernel and userspace retrieve boot parameters. Boot parameter
165 regarding the kernel definitely do *NOT* work. Boot parameter related to
166 grml-autoconfig (the main part of the boot process in Grml running in userspace,
167 being all the stuff after startup of udev) are expected to work. Boot parameter
168 related to initrd/initramfs (the part between 'Searching for GRML file' and
169 startup of udev) are *NOT* covered by /bootparams/ as well yet.
171 TIP: the application k3b (not available on the live-CD but available through the
172 Debian repositories) provides an easy to use interface for doing the