From e3c8cd3719b2ce245be0be4ce2542deb39d18617 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Colin Watson Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2010 12:13:48 +0100 Subject: [PATCH] * docs/grub.texi (Changes from GRUB Legacy): New section. (Future): Fix typo. --- ChangeLog | 5 ++++ docs/grub.texi | 71 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++- 2 files changed, 75 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog index 57209d1f0..badca6588 100644 --- a/ChangeLog +++ b/ChangeLog @@ -1,3 +1,8 @@ +2010-07-02 Colin Watson + + * docs/grub.texi (Changes from GRUB Legacy): New section. + (Future): Fix typo. + 2010-07-02 Colin Watson * util/grub-mkconfig_lib.in (grub_file_is_not_garbage): Sometimes diff --git a/docs/grub.texi b/docs/grub.texi index ba5b43a1c..cf73a2d38 100644 --- a/docs/grub.texi +++ b/docs/grub.texi @@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ This edition documents version @value{VERSION}. * Overview:: What exactly GRUB is and how to use it * History:: From maggot to house fly * Features:: GRUB features +* Changes from GRUB Legacy:: Differences from previous versions * Role of a boot loader:: The role of a boot loader @end menu @@ -190,6 +191,74 @@ extents, and by the end of 2009 multiple major distributions were installing it by default. +@node Changes from GRUB Legacy +@section Differences from previous versions + +GRUB 2 is a rewrite of GRUB (@pxref{History}), although it shares many +characteristics with the previous version, now known as GRUB Legacy. Users +of GRUB Legacy may need some guidance to find their way around this new +version. + +@itemize @bullet +@item +The configuration file has a new name (@file{grub.cfg} rather than +@file{menu.lst} or @file{grub.conf}), new syntax (@pxref{Configuration}) and +many new commands (@pxref{Commands}). Configuration cannot be copied over +directly, although most GRUB Legacy users should not find the syntax too +surprising. + +@item +@file{grub.cfg} is typically automatically generated by +@command{grub-mkconfig} (@pxref{Simple configuration}). This makes it +easier to handle versioned kernel upgrades. + +@item +Partition numbers in GRUB device names now start at 1, not 0 (@pxref{Naming +convention}). + +@item +The configuration file is now written in something closer to a full +scripting language: variables, conditionals, and loops are available. + +@item +A small amount of persistent storage is available across reboots, using the +@command{save_env} and @command{load_env} commands in GRUB and the +@command{grub-editenv} utility. + +@item +GRUB 2 has more reliable ways to find its own files and those of target +kernels on multiple-disk systems, and has commands (@pxref{search}) to find +devices using file system labels or Universally Unique Identifiers (UUIDs). + +@item +GRUB 2 is available for several other types of system in addition to the PC +BIOS systems supported by GRUB Legacy: PC EFI, PC coreboot, PowerPC, SPARC, +and MIPS Lemote Yeeloong are all supported. + +@item +Many more file systems are supported, including but not limited to ext4, +HFS+, and NTFS. + +@item +GRUB 2 can read files directly from LVM and RAID devices. + +@item +A graphical terminal and a graphical menu system are available. + +@item +GRUB 2's interface can be translated, including menu entry names. + +@item +The image files (@pxref{Images}) that make up GRUB have been reorganised; +Stage 1, Stage 1.5, and Stage 2 are no more. + +@item +GRUB 2 puts many facilities in dynamically loaded modules, allowing the core +image to be smaller, and allowing the core image to be built in more +flexible ways. +@end itemize + + @node Features @section GRUB features @@ -2655,7 +2724,7 @@ Once we get your report, we will try to fix the bugs. We started the next generation of GRUB, GRUB 2. GRUB 2 includes internationalization, dynamic module loading, real memory management, multiple architecture support, a scripting language, and many other -nice feature. If you are interested in the development of GRUB 2, take +nice features. If you are interested in the development of GRUB 2, take a look at @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/grub.html, the homepage}.