configuration archives manually as well. save-config is just a frontend which
should make it easier to use.
-The grml-autoconfig code has been re-worked in August 2009. This document
-handles both the behavior of Grml releases up to 2009.05 (see
-<<up-to-200905,section 'Behavior up to grml 2009.05'>>) and the current behavior
-(see <<current-versions,section 'Behavior in current Grml versions'>>). Great
-care has been taken to provide maximum backwards compatibility during the
-rewrite.
-
[IMPORTANT]
-Starting with grml release 2009.05 its possible to use root persistency on grml.
+Starting with Grml release 2009.05 its possible to use root persistency on grml.
This means you can store your settings and reuse them on reboot, without having
to deal with this config framework. Visit
-link:http://wiki.grml.org/doku.php?id=persistency for further information.
-
-[[up-to-200905]]
-Behavior up to grml 2009.05
----------------------------
-
-This section applies to all Grml versions older than and including release 2009.05.
-
-Autoconfiguration
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
-By default the booting process tries to mount a device labeled 'GRMLCFG'. This
-provides the possibility to restore a configuration (named config.tbz) and
-execute a script (named grml.sh) without the need to specify any bootparams. If
-you want to disable this feature please take a look at the 'noautoconfig'
-bootparam.
-
-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). If you want to be able to boot from
-your Grml-CD you have to create a multisession CD. See the <<X7,usage
-scenarios>> for more details how to use it or consider booting from a USB device
-(checkout grml2usb).
-
-The following boot parameters are supported. Use them at the (isolinux)
-bootprompt as documented here.
-
-myconfig::
-
- This parameter is for restoring configuration using the file config.tbz
- on the specified device. Usage examples:
-
- myconfig=/dev/sda1 => use file config.tbz from usb-device
- myconfig=/dev/fd0 => use file config.tbz from floppy-disk
- myconfig=/dev/sda1 file=config_foobar.tbz => use file config_foobar.tbz from usb-device
-
-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
- configuration file from specified destination. Usage example:
-
- netconfig=server.tld/path/to/config.tbz => restore configuration using wget to download file config.tbz
-
-netscript::
- Use this parameter to download and run a script from specified
- destination: Usage example:
-
- netcript=server.tld/path/to/script => download and run script/executable from server
-
-extract::
-
- Extract specific directories from configuration archive. Notice: This
- bootparam is useful only with bootparams which are able to extract
- configuration archives.
-
- 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 a script located in the root-directory /scripts/ on
- the Grml media/ISO (note: the directory is known as /live/image/scripts/ on
- a _running_ Grml system then). Usage examples:
-
- scripts => run script [/live/image]/scripts/grml.sh
- scripts=foobar.sh => run script foobar.sh in [/live/image]/scripts/
-
-config::
-
- This parameter restores a configuration using root-directory /config/ on the
- Grml media/ISO (note: the directory is known as /live/image/config on a
- _running_ Grml system then). Usage examples:
-
- config => restore configuration using file config.tbz from directory [/live/image]/config/
- config=config_foobar.tbz => restore configuration using file config_foobar.tbz from directory [/live/image]/config/
-
-debs::
-
- This parameter allows automatic installation of deb packages while booting.
- The debian packages have to be located in the root-directory /debs/ on the
- Grml media/ISO (note: the directory is known as /live/image/debs/ on a
- _running_ Grml system then). Usage examples:
-
- debs => install all debian packages (suffix .deb) from directory [/live/image]/debs/
- debs=01 => install all debian packages (suffix .deb) starting with 01 in the filename from directory [/live/image]/debs/
-
-
-noautoconfig::
-
- Deactivate automounting. By default the command 'mount' tries to mount a
- device with label 'GRMLCFG'. If you specify the noautoconfig bootparam the
- automounting will be deactivated.
-
- noautoconfig => disables auto mounting of label 'GRMLCFG'
+link:http://wiki.grml.org/doku.php?id=persistency[] for further information.
[[current-versions]]
-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. Usage example:
-
- netconfig=server.tld/path/to/config.tbz => restore configuration using wget to download file config.tbz
-
-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.
+include::grml-autoconfig.current.txt[]
[[X7]]
Usage scenarios
You are a fan of the editor vim? Great. You probably have your own ~/.vimrc and
want to use it on the Grml system. You also don't like the default zsh
-configuration and want to use your own ~/.zshrc? How to procede? Copy your
+configuration and want to use your own ~/.zshrc? How to proceed? Copy your
.vimrc and .zshrc to $HOME of user 'grml'. Place additional files in
$HOME/config. Now create a configuration for your files running:
grml netconfig=server.tld/path/to/config.tbz
-You don't have network access but own a floppy drive? Copy the file to a floppy
-disk and boot with:
-
- grml myconfig=/dev/fd0
-
-Floppy is to small or to slow? Ok, let's use a usb device:
+You don't have network access but own a USB device? Copy the file to a USB
+device and boot with something like:
grml myconfig=/dev/sda1
save-config -etc
Now you should have a file named config.tbz containing your configuration files.
-If you want to use it with a floppy disk copy the file to a floppy and boot via
-using the following command on bootprompt:
-
- grml myconfig=/dev/fd0
-
-Floppy is to small or to slow? Ok, let's use a usb device:
+If you want to use it with a USB device copy the file to it and boot via
+using the following command on boot prompt:
grml myconfig=/dev/sda1
You do have an existing harddisk installation and want to use its configuration?
-Let's say the debian system is located in /dev/sda2. You want to use the
+Let's say the Debian system is located in /dev/sda2. You want to use the
directory /etc/network. This directory is activated by default in
/etc/grml/partconf so we don't have to do any further work. We just need to
activate it via using the following commandline on bootprompt:
mkdir debs/ && cp foobar.deb debs/
-Notice: This directory will be located in /live/image after burning the second
+Notice: This directory will be located in /lib/live/mount/medium after burning the second
session.
Now create the second session containing this directory:
Run your own commands on startup
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-You know that booting with 'grml service=foobar' executes /etc/init.d/foobar
-when booting Grml. But you want to setup a more complex network configuration,
-adjust some other stuff and so on on your own? Just write a script named grml.sh
-which does the job and use own of the mentioned bootparams. Let's say you have
-placed grml.sh on your usb device (usb stick) then use the following commandline
-on bootprompt:
+You know that booting with 'grml services=foobar' executes
+/etc/init.d/foobar when booting Grml. But you want to setup a more
+complex network configuration, adjust some other stuff and so on, on
+your own? Just write a script named grml.sh which does the job and use
+one of the mentioned boot parameters. Let's say you have placed grml.sh
+on your usb device (usb stick) then use the following commandline on
+bootprompt:
grml myconfig=/dev/sda1
-Or even better: create a floppy disk with label GRMLCFG running:
+Or even better: create a device with label GRMLCFG running (adjust /dev/sdX1
+according to your needs):
- fdformat /dev/fd0 # format the floppy disk if not done already
- mkfs.ext2 -L GRMLCFG /dev/fd0 # now create ext2 filesystem with label GRMLCFG on it:
+ mkfs.ext3 -L GRMLCFG /dev/sdX1 # warning: this destroys all data on /dev/sdX1
TIP: several filesystems provide the possibility to provide a label. For
example FAT provides this through: 'mkfs.vfat -n GRMLCFG /dev/sda1' (attention:
this will destroy data on /dev/sda1 of course!). Take a look at the
documentation/manpage of the filesystem you want to use.
-Now place your configuration archive (see save-config and the other usage
-scenarios) and the script grml.sh on the floppy disk. Now you can boot your
-system without specifying any bootparameters on bootprompt because devices
-labeled with GRMLCFG are mounted readonly and used by default. If you did not
-label your device you can use the device anyway using 'grml myconfig=/dev/ice'
-on the bootprompt.
+Now place your configuration archive (see save-config and the other
+usage scenarios) and the script grml.sh on the device. Now you can boot
+your system without specifying any boot parameters on bootprompt because
+devices labeled with GRMLCFG are mounted readonly and used by default.
+If you did not label your device you can use the device anyway using
+'grml myconfig=/dev/sdX' (adjust /dev/sdX) on the bootprompt.
Debug remote systems
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/dev/sda2 will be taken.
Or you use a standard Grml medium and have grml read IP address, netmask and
-default gateway from another medium like a floppy or an USB stick. Take a look
-at the script saveconfig and the boot parameter myconfig.
+default gateway from another medium like a USB stick. Take a look at the script
+saveconfig and the boot parameter myconfig.
Or you put a grml.iso file on your hard disk (maybe in /boot/grml) or on an USB
stick, use grub to boot from there and place debs, configuration scripts or Grml
-configuraton archives alongside the .iso.
-
-Use persistent home directory
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
-You want to use a persistent home directory which includes all the files located
-in $HOME. Use the script mkpersistenthome to create such a persistent home
-directory. You have the options to either use a specific partition as your home
-directory or add a loopback file named grml.img on the specified partition (the
-default).
-
-TIP: /dev/external in the partition selection of mkpersistenthome is an usb
-device without partitions. /dev/external1 corresponds to the first partition on
-an usb device (usually an usb stick).
-
-After running the script mkpersistenthome you can use the boot parameter home to
-activate the home directory. If you are using the option with the loopback file
-(grml.img) you can boot via:
-
- grml home=scan
-
-which will scan through the partitions and if a file grml.img is found it will
-be mounted as your $HOME-directory. If you want to use a partition as your home
-directory specify the device as an option. If you want to use /dev/sda2 as your
-$HOME boot via:
-
- grml home=/dev/sda2
-
-Notice: the files located in /etc/skel will be copied to the partition (but will
-not overwrite any files).
+configuration archives alongside the .iso.
Bugs
----
-If you find a bug please report it. See link:http://grml.org/bugs/ for details
+If you find a bug please report it. See link:http://grml.org/bugs/[] for details
about how to report bugs.
See also
--------
-grml-autoconfig(8), mkpersistenthome(1), restore-config(1), save-config(1)
+grml-autoconfig(8), restore-config(1), save-config(1)
Author
------
projects / grml-autoconfig.git / blobdiff