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GNU GRUB is multiboot boot loader software package from the GNU project. It serves most commonly to allow dual-booting of two or more operating systems installed on a single computer. In technical terms, a multiboot boot loader is one which can load any executable file with a multiboot header present in the first 8 KB of the file. Such a header consists of 32 bits of "magic" number, 32 bits of flags, a further 32 bits of magic number, followed by data about the executable image. It is based on a previous package called GRand Unified Bootloader. It is the official bootloader of the GNU operating system and is used by most distributions of GNU/Linux. Multiboot Specification is standard developed by Free Software Foundation which describes method of loading various kernels. ...
In computing, booting is a bootstrapping process that starts operating systems when the user turns on a computer system. ...
Computer software (or simply software) refers to one or more computer programs and data held in the storage of a computer for some purpose. ...
For the African animal gnu, see wildebeest. ...
Dual booting or dual-booting is the act of installing multiple operating systems on a computer, and being able to choose which one to boot when switching on the computer. ...
In computing, an operating system (OS) is the system software responsible for the direct control and management of hardware and basic system operations. ...
A kilobyte (derived from the SI prefix kilo-) is a unit of information or computer storage equal to either 1024 or 1000 bytes. ...
In computer programming, a magic number is a special constant used for some specific purpose. ...
GNU is a free software operating system. ...
A Linux distribution or GNU/Linux distribution (or a distro) is a Unix-like operating system plus application software comprising the Linux kernel, the GNU operating system, assorted free software and sometimes proprietary software, all created by individuals, groups or organizations from around the world. ...
Tux, a penguin, is the official Linux mascot. ...
While traditional boot loaders maintain a table of blocks on the hard disk, GRUB can browse the file system. As of 2005 it supports the following file systems: For blocks on Wikipedia, please see Wikipedia:Blocking policy. ...
Typical hard drives of the mid-1990s. ...
In computing, a file system is a method for storing and organizing computer files and the data they contain to make it easy to find and access them. ...
2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Systems administrators can also deploy the GRand Unified Bootloader on a floppy disk. The ext2 or second extended file system is a file system for the Linux kernel. ...
The ext3 or third extended filesystem is a journalled file system that is coming into increasing use among users of the Linux operating system. ...
The ReiserFS is a general-purpose computer file system designed and implemented by a team at Namesys led by Hans Reiser, who is referred to as the projects Benevolent Dictator for Life. ...
Silicon Graphics, Inc. ...
XFS is a high-performance journaling file system created by Silicon Graphics for their IRIX operating system. ...
UNIX file system (UFS) is a file system used by many Unix and Unix-like operating systems. ...
File Allocation Table (FAT) is a file system that was developed for MS-DOS and is the primary file system for consumer versions of Microsoft Windows up to and including Windows Me. ...
Microsoft Windows is a range of operating environments and operating systems for personal computers and servers. ...
NTFS or NT File System is the standard file system of Windows NT and its descendants Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. ...
International Business Machines Corporation (IBM, or colloquially, Big Blue) NYSE: IBM (incorporated June 15, 1911, in operation since 1888) is headquartered in Armonk, NY, USA. The company manufactures and sells computer hardware, software, and services. ...
JFS is a journaling filesystem created by IBM. It is available under an open source license. ...
A floppy disk is a data storage device that is composed of a circular piece of thin, flexible (i. ...
Other popular examples of bootloaders include LILO and SYSLINUX. LILO (LInux LOader) is a boot loader for Linux. ...
The SYSLINUX Project covers a suite of lightweight bootloaders, for starting up computers in the Linux operating system. ...
Currently under development, GRUB 2 has replaced the former GRUB (i.e. version 0.9x), which has, in turn, become GRUB Legacy. GRUB 2 aims at merging sources from PUPA in order to create the next generation of GNU GRUB. Development of GRUB Legacy has ceased. Chrysalis of Gulf Fritillary in Georgetown, South Carolina Pupation of Aglais urticae A pupa (plural: pupae or pupas) is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. ...
GRUB supports the addition of 14 color backgrounds to replace the normal black background. Popular operating system distributions that include GRUB often use custom backgrounds with the distribution logo. Users can make their own backgrounds as well.
GRUB boot process
- The BIOS finds a bootable device (hard disk) and moves control to the master boot record (MBR, the first 512 bytes of the hard disk).
- The MBR contains GRUB stage 1. Given the small size of the MBR, Stage 1 does little more than load the next stage of GRUB (which may reside physically elsewhere on the disk). Stage 1 can either load stage 1.5, or it can load Stage 2 directly.
- GRUB Stage 1.5 is located in the first 30 kilobytes of hard disk immediately following the MBR. Stage 1.5 loads Stage 2.
- GRUB Stage 2 (loaded by Stage 1 or 1.5) receives control, and displays to the user the GRUB boot menu.
- GRUB loads the user-selected (or default) kernel into memory and passes control on to the kernel. (For less well-supported operating systems, GRUB hands off control to another bootloader which then continues the process of loading that kernel).
This article is about the software. ...
In the IBM PC architecture the master boot record (MBR), or partition sector, is the 512-byte (½ kibibyte) boot sector, i. ...
The word kernel has a a variety of meanings in a several fields. ...
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