Stefan Reinauer wrote:
- Al Boldi a1426z@gawab.com [060924 06:46]:
I was thinking more like loading another bootloader. This way, there is no need to fuss around with user-interface, image-type, or fs-level access, but instead just load a no-frills MBR.
why would you want to "load an mbr" if you can easily read files from all kinds of existing filesystems as well?
Modularization.
This is opensource. If a new filesystem comes into existance, you can boot from it.
So maybe leave the bootloader chainloaded as a separate module from the block-driver.
Thanks for the pointer, but it looks like the sourceforge cvs is dead, and ADLO seems to be some sort of a 16bit BIOS compatibility layer, when all that is needed is a simple MBR chainloader.
No, "a simple MBR chainloader" is not all that is needed. The code that you will find in an MBR will do bios callbacks, and you need to answer those, or you will jump to nirvana.
Ok, that's why we need a block-driver to chainload the MBR.
What is your requirement? Loading Windows?
Loading Linux, on an i440bx with a brain-dead AwardBIOS that can't boot USB, nor can it boot disks >32GB. Filo does the trick, but has its issues wrt APM and its inability to remember boot commands like LiLo can.
Would chainloading LiLo be possible?
Thanks!
-- Al