Linux in a Nutshell, Fourth Edition

Boot-Time Kernel Options

The earlier sections of this chapter described some of the options you can specify when you boot Linux. There are many more options that can be specified. This section touches on the ways to pass options to the kernel and then describes some of the kinds of parameters you might want to use. The parameters in this section affect the kernel and therefore apply regardless of which boot loader you use.

As always with Unix systems, there are a number of choices for the boot process itself. If you are using Loadlin, you can pass parameters to the kernel on the command line or in a file.

If LILO is your boot loader, you can add to or override the parameters specified in /etc/lilo.conf during the boot process as follows:

• If prompt is set in /etc/lilo.conf, LILO always presents the boot prompt and waits for input. At the prompt, you can choose the operating system to be booted. If you choose Linux, you also can specify parameters.

• If prompt isn’t set, press Control, Shift, or Alt when the word “LILO” appears. The boot prompt will then appear. You also can press the Scroll Lock key before LILO is printed and not have to wait poised over the keyboard for the right moment.

• At the boot prompt, specify the system you want to boot or press Tab to get a list of the available choices. You then can enter the name of the image to boot. For example:

  LILO boot: <press Tab>
  linux   test   dos
  boot: linux

  You also can add boot command options:

  boot: linux single

• If you don’t provide any ...