Bug 19100 – the documented method for creating a bootable grub floppy is too complicated

• Product: [OLD] Docs-user
• Status: RESOLVED FIXED

[Description hawke 2003-04-10 15:27:03 UTC]

It describes creating a filesystem on the floppy, copying stage1 and stage2, and
using the grub tool to root(fd0) setup(fd0).



Reproducible: Always
Steps to Reproduce:
read the manual.
Actual Results:  
I noted that the instructions are not as simple and efficient as they could be.

Expected Results:  
Given a simpler and more efficient method to create a grub floppy.

A better way than the method documented in the install guide is to run the
single command line:

cat /boot/grub/stage1 /boot/grub/stage2 > /dev/fd0

At that point the floppy will be bootable, and function as well as the complex
method described in the guide.

[Comment 1 Gerald Normandin (RETIRED) 2003-04-18 16:28:41 UTC]

bug 19548  should resolve your problem. It's a floppy image that allows systems that do not support booting the cd to do so.

[Comment 2 hawke 2003-05-01 22:07:59 UTC]

I was not describing difficulties I have with the instructions, but merely a suggestion to improve the manual.

[Comment 3 Sven Vermeulen (RETIRED) 2003-05-07 02:42:34 UTC]

I'll take a look on this one

[Comment 4 Sven Vermeulen (RETIRED) 2003-05-07 02:48:33 UTC]

You say it's bootable then. Does this mean that you don't even need to configure it, i.e.

grub> root (fd0)
grub> setup (hd0)
grub> quit

[Comment 5 hawke 2003-05-07 11:03:57 UTC]

If you intended to say:

grub> root (fd0)
grub> setup(fd0)
grub> quit

then that is correct.

You also don't need:

# mke2fs /dev/fd0
# mount /dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy

...etc.

Code listing 24.1: Creating a GRUB Bootdisk is completely replaceable with

cat /boot/grub/stage1 /boot/grub/stage2 > /dev/fd0

[Comment 6 Sven Vermeulen (RETIRED) 2003-05-08 03:43:34 UTC]

Proposed new document is at http://cvs.gentoo.org/~swift/gentoo-x86-install.html; if accepted by the reviewing team it will be committed.

[Comment 7 Gerald Normandin (RETIRED) 2003-05-08 08:41:36 UTC]

What if the system does not support booting the cd to begin with, so you cannot install....

[Comment 8 Sven Vermeulen (RETIRED) 2003-05-08 11:00:08 UTC]

That isn't a problem: just read the alternative installation guide available on gentoo.org. 

[Comment 9 Sven Vermeulen (RETIRED) 2003-05-08 17:49:53 UTC]

Fixed in cvs.