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Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/i386/boot.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | Documentation/i386/boot.txt | 79 |
1 files changed, 46 insertions, 33 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/i386/boot.txt b/Documentation/i386/boot.txt index 95ad15c3b01f..147bfe511cdd 100644 --- a/Documentation/i386/boot.txt +++ b/Documentation/i386/boot.txt @@ -1,17 +1,14 @@ - THE LINUX/I386 BOOT PROTOCOL - ---------------------------- + THE LINUX/x86 BOOT PROTOCOL + --------------------------- - H. Peter Anvin <hpa@zytor.com> - Last update 2007-05-23 - -On the i386 platform, the Linux kernel uses a rather complicated boot +On the x86 platform, the Linux kernel uses a rather complicated boot convention. This has evolved partially due to historical aspects, as well as the desire in the early days to have the kernel itself be a bootable image, the complicated PC memory model and due to changed expectations in the PC industry caused by the effective demise of real-mode DOS as a mainstream operating system. -Currently, the following versions of the Linux/i386 boot protocol exist. +Currently, the following versions of the Linux/x86 boot protocol exist. Old kernels: zImage/Image support only. Some very early kernels may not even support a command line. @@ -372,10 +369,17 @@ Protocol: 2.00+ - If 0, the protected-mode code is loaded at 0x10000. - If 1, the protected-mode code is loaded at 0x100000. + Bit 5 (write): QUIET_FLAG + - If 0, print early messages. + - If 1, suppress early messages. + This requests to the kernel (decompressor and early + kernel) to not write early messages that require + accessing the display hardware directly. + Bit 6 (write): KEEP_SEGMENTS Protocol: 2.07+ - - if 0, reload the segment registers in the 32bit entry point. - - if 1, do not reload the segment registers in the 32bit entry point. + - If 0, reload the segment registers in the 32bit entry point. + - If 1, do not reload the segment registers in the 32bit entry point. Assume that %cs %ds %ss %es are all set to flat segments with a base of 0 (or the equivalent for their environment). @@ -504,7 +508,7 @@ Protocol: 2.06+ maximum size was 255. Field name: hardware_subarch -Type: write +Type: write (optional, defaults to x86/PC) Offset/size: 0x23c/4 Protocol: 2.07+ @@ -520,11 +524,13 @@ Protocol: 2.07+ 0x00000002 Xen Field name: hardware_subarch_data -Type: write +Type: write (subarch-dependent) Offset/size: 0x240/8 Protocol: 2.07+ A pointer to data that is specific to hardware subarch + This field is currently unused for the default x86/PC environment, + do not modify. Field name: payload_offset Type: read @@ -545,6 +551,34 @@ Protocol: 2.08+ The length of the payload. +Field name: setup_data +Type: write (special) +Offset/size: 0x250/8 +Protocol: 2.09+ + + The 64-bit physical pointer to NULL terminated single linked list of + struct setup_data. This is used to define a more extensible boot + parameters passing mechanism. The definition of struct setup_data is + as follow: + + struct setup_data { + u64 next; + u32 type; + u32 len; + u8 data[0]; + }; + + Where, the next is a 64-bit physical pointer to the next node of + linked list, the next field of the last node is 0; the type is used + to identify the contents of data; the len is the length of data + field; the data holds the real payload. + + This list may be modified at a number of points during the bootup + process. Therefore, when modifying this list one should always make + sure to consider the case where the linked list already contains + entries. + + **** THE IMAGE CHECKSUM From boot protocol version 2.08 onwards the CRC-32 is calculated over @@ -553,6 +587,7 @@ initial remainder of 0xffffffff. The checksum is appended to the file; therefore the CRC of the file up to the limit specified in the syssize field of the header is always 0. + **** THE KERNEL COMMAND LINE The kernel command line has become an important way for the boot @@ -584,28 +619,6 @@ command line is entered using the following protocol: covered by setup_move_size, so you may need to adjust this field. -Field name: setup_data -Type: write (obligatory) -Offset/size: 0x250/8 -Protocol: 2.09+ - - The 64-bit physical pointer to NULL terminated single linked list of - struct setup_data. This is used to define a more extensible boot - parameters passing mechanism. The definition of struct setup_data is - as follow: - - struct setup_data { - u64 next; - u32 type; - u32 len; - u8 data[0]; - }; - - Where, the next is a 64-bit physical pointer to the next node of - linked list, the next field of the last node is 0; the type is used - to identify the contents of data; the len is the length of data - field; the data holds the real payload. - **** MEMORY LAYOUT OF THE REAL-MODE CODE |