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BOOT0CFG(8)		    System Manager's Manual		   BOOT0CFG(8)

NAME
       boot0cfg	-- boot	manager	installation/configuration utility

SYNOPSIS
       boot0cfg	 [-Bv]	[-b boot0] [-d drive] [-f file]	[-m mask] [-o options]
		[-s slice] [-t ticks] disk

DESCRIPTION
       The FreeBSD `boot0' boot	manager	permits	the operator  to  select  from
       which disk and slice an i386 machine (PC) is booted.

       Note  that  what	 are referred to here as "slices" are typically	called
       "partitions" in non-BSD documentation relating to the  PC.   Typically,
       only non-removable disks	are sliced.

       The  boot0cfg  utility  optionally installs the `boot0' boot manager on
       the specified disk; and allows various  operational  parameters	to  be
       configured.

       On  PCs,	a boot manager typically occupies sector 0 of a	disk, which is
       known as	the Master Boot	Record (MBR).  The MBR contains	both code  (to
       which  control is passed	by the PC BIOS)	and data (an embedded table of
       defined slices).

       The options are:

       -B      Install the `boot0' boot	manager.  This option causes MBR  code
	       to be replaced, without affecting the embedded slice table.

       -b boot0
	       Specify which `boot0' image to use.  The	default	is /boot/boot0
	       which   will  use  the  video  card  as	output,	 alternatively
	       /boot/boot0sio can be used for output to	the  COM1  port.   (Be
	       aware  that  nothing will be output to the COM1 port unless the
	       modem signals DSR and CTS are active.)

       -d drive
	       Specify the drive number	used by	the PC BIOS in referencing the
	       drive which contains the	specified disk.	 Typically  this  will
	       be  0x80	 for  the  first  hard drive, 0x81 for the second hard
	       drive, and so on; however any integer between 0 and 0xff	is ac-
	       ceptable	here.

       -f file
	       Specify that a backup copy of the  preexisting  MBR  should  be
	       written	to  file.   This file is created if it does not	exist,
	       and replaced if it does.

       -m mask
	       Specify slices to be enabled/disabled, where mask is an integer
	       between 0 (no slices enabled) and  0xf  (all  four  slices  en-
	       abled).

       -o options
	       A comma-separated string	of any of the following	options	may be
	       specified (with "no" prepended as necessary):

	       packet  Use  the	 disk packet (BIOS INT 0x13 extensions)	inter-
		       face, as	opposed	to the legacy  (CHS)  interface,  when
		       doing  disk  I/O.   This	 allows	booting	above cylinder
		       1023, but requires specific BIOS	support.  The  default
		       is `packet'.

	       setdrv  Forces  the  drive containing the disk to be referenced
		       using drive number definable by means of	the -d option.
		       The default is `nosetdrv'.

	       update  Allow the MBR to	be updated by the boot manager.	  (The
		       MBR  may	 be updated to flag slices as `active',	and to
		       save slice selection information.)   This  is  the  de-
		       fault; a	`noupdate' option causes the MBR to be treated
		       as read-only.

       -s slice
	       Set  the	default	boot selection to slice.  Values between 1 and
	       4 refer to slices; a value of 5 refers to the option of booting
	       from a second disk.

       -t ticks
	       Set the timeout value to	ticks.	(There are approximately  18.2
	       ticks per second.)

       -v      Verbose:	display	information about the slices defined, etc.

FILES
       /boot/boot0     The default `boot0' image
       /boot/boot0sio  Image for serial	consoles (COM1,9600,8,N,1,MODEM)

EXIT STATUS
       The boot0cfg utility exits 0 on success,	and >0 if an error occurs.

EXAMPLES
       To boot slice 2 on the next boot:

	     boot0cfg -s 2 ad0

       To enable just slices 1 and 2 in	the menu:

	     boot0cfg -m 0x3 ad0

SEE ALSO
       geom(4),	boot(8), fdisk(8)

AUTHORS
       Robert Nordier <rnordier@FreeBSD.org>.

BUGS
       Protection  mechanisms  in the geom(4) subsystem	might prevent boot0cfg
       from being able to update the MBR on a mounted disk.  Instructions  for
       temporarily  disabling  these protection	mechanisms can be found	in the
       geom(4) manpage.

       Use of the `packet' option may cause `boot0' to fail, depending on  the
       nature of BIOS support.

       Use  of	the `setdrv' option with an incorrect -d operand may cause the
       MBR to be written to the	wrong disk.  Be	careful!

FreeBSD	6.1		       February	21, 1999		   BOOT0CFG(8)

Want to link to this manual page? Use this URL:
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