Currently the instructions for creating a grub boot floppy are rather terse and do not match the level of detail provided for other steps in the installation process. They are currently, " Code listing 24.1: Creating a GRUB Bootdisk # cd /usr/share/grub/i386-pc/ # cat stage1 stage2 > /dev/fd0 Now reboot and load the floppy. At the floppy's grub> prompt, you can now execute the necessary root and setup commands. " I suggest that the instructions be more detailed such as the instruction provided by cyrillic in http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=118147, where he gives the following specific steps: Since creating a boot floppy with your kernel on it doesn't work for most people (recent kernels are just too big), your best bet is to make a GRUB floppy. Start with a blank floppy in the drive. Code: # mke2fs /dev/fd0 # mount -t ext2 /dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy # mkdir -p /mnt/floppy/boot/grub # emerge grub # cd /boot/grub # cp stage1 stage2 splash.xpm.gz /mnt/floppy/boot/grub/ # nano -w /mnt/floppy/boot/grub/grub.conf <--- setup your boot menu here # umount /mnt/floppy # grub grub> root (fd0) grub> setup (fd0) grub> quit Your grub.conf (on the floppy) should look something like this. Code: default 0 timeout 30 splashimage (fd0)/boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz title Gentoo root (hd0,0) kernel /kernel-2.4.20-gentoo-r6 initrd /initrd-2.4.20-gentoo-r6 If you used a different kernel or a different partition layout, make the apropriate changes in grub.conf You can also press e from the GRUB menu if you need to edit your kernel line, or press c if you want a GRUB command prompt (very handy for rescue/debugging). Reproducible: Always Steps to Reproduce: 1.attempt to follow instructions for creating grub boot floppy in x86 install guide. 2.shrug shoulders and give up Actual Results: I was not able to do the "necessary root and setup commands", because it was not clear at all what the necessary root and setup commands are. Expected Results: It should have provided clear and specific instructions for creating a Grub boot floppy on X86 architecture machines.
I hope someone can enter this in the FAQ? The new installation instructions don't talk about boot floppies anymore...
Afaik bootfloppies are no FAQ and the instructions have been removed from our documents alltogether. Marking this one as WONTFIX.
