Messages in this thread | | | Date | Tue, 1 Apr 2003 10:00:59 +0100 (BST) | Subject | Announce: Gujin bootloader 0.7 | From | etienne.lorrain@masroude ... |
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I would be glad to hear comments on this new release, available at http://sourceforge.net/projects/gujin http://freshmeat.net/projects/gujin
Gujin is a GPL bootloader rewritten from scratch, it can now be installed on a hard disk (in a small FAT 12/16 partition) or on a floppy. It is still not perfect, but can still: - boot any kernel of any uncompressed size in an E2FS, E3FS or FAT12/16/32 partition using BIOS, EBIOS _or_ IDE CHS/LBA/LBA48. Libraries for E*FS reading and gzip decompression are rewritten from scratch for size optimisation - no known bug after extensive testing. - boot Linux in whatever graphic mode supported by VESA (I use usually 1280x1024 24 bpp) staying in real mode. Use of mouse or joystick to select the kernel to boot. - boot from BIOS startup _or_ starting from DOS. - recognise most of QWERTY AZERTY and QWERTZ keyboards to change the command line and provide more input -:). - boot strange setups like this-other-operating-system in extended partitions and automagic management of partition hiding.
There is a lot of stuff to code and test still, for instance the default function to get Linux i386 real-mode parameter can be overloaded by code present at end of the compressed kernel (linux_param_realfct_size in vmlinuz.* shall use a function like the one in linuxparam.c which would be concatenated at the end of linux.kgz) and processor restrictions in the comment field of the GZIPed kernel has also to be tested (get the Gujin loader to complain if the kernel cannot be run on the current processor, using all the CPUID flags). Also, the late relocation address of the kernel can be modified (because the kernel can now be of any size, it takes DMA-able memory below 16 Mb, precious for the sound buffers, so the default loading address shall be moved to 16 Mbytes and over for up to date systems)
If interrested, you should begin by downloading the install.tgz package because the compiler used is GCC-2.95.3/4 or GCC-3.0.4 due to compiler bugs. Read the doc first !
I am currently writing the ANSI font download (to not use the PC fonts) and will next support more keyboards. My days just have 24 hours and have a limited time to play with Gujin, so I would appreciate some help.
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