Re: Booting a modular kernel through a multiple streams file / Making Linux multiboot capable and grub loading kernel modules at boot time.

[Christian Koenig]

Hi,

On Monday 17 December 2001 23:10, Grover, Andrew wrote:
> > From: Alexander Viro [mailto:[e-mail]]
> >
> > On Mon, 17 Dec 2001, Grover, Andrew wrote:
> > > I don't think multiple streams is a good idea, but did you
> >
> > all see the patch
> >
> > > by Christian Koenig to let the bootloader load modules?
> >
> > That seems to solve
> >
> > > the problem nicely.
> >
> > That puts an awful lot of smarts into bootloader and creates
> > code duplication
> > for no good reason.

I agree, but the problem I have with Initrd is that you could only have 
1 single initrd-image on your hard disk / loaded by the boot-loader.

Imaging my situation, I have some removeable hard-disks, changing it between 
a large amount of Systems all with individual Hardware-configuration.
(Some SCSI, some ide, and a cluster booting with pxegrub/Floppy-Disks).

With the last relleas of my patch I'm now capable to have a grub menu.lst 
looking like:

tile Kernel 2.4.14 Adaptec xyz/ne2000
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.14 root=/dev/sdxyz ...

# Loading SCSI-Drivers
modulesfromfile /etc/modules-adaptec /lib/modules/2.4.14/modules.dep 

# Loading Network-Drivers
modulesfromfile /etc/modules-ne2000 /lib/modules/2.4.14/modules.dep

tile Kernel 2.4.14 Tecram xyz / Inter EExpresPro 

# Loading SCSI-Drivers
modulesfromfile /etc/modules-tecram /lib/modules/2.4.14/modules.dep 

# Loading Network-Drivers
modulesfromfile /etc/modules-eepro /lib/modules/2.4.14/modules.dep 
......

Could you Imaging what work it would be to create an individual initrd-Image 
/ Kernel Image for every system I have. Beside this I sometimes have the 
Problem that I come to a system never seen bevore and have to boot with my 
Floppy Disk's. (I'm now looking forward that grub someday gets capable to use 
cd-roms directly).

I know this it isn't the best solution to add a module-loader to the Kernel, 
but did you have a better idea ?

MfG, Christian Koenig.