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The Boot Loader
This chapter describes how to configure GRUB, the boot loader used in SUSE Linux
Enterprise®. A special YaST module is available for performing all settings. If you are
not familiar with the subject of booting in Linux, read the following sections to acquire
some background information. This chapter also describes some of the problems fre-
quently encountered when booting with GRUB and their solutions.
This chapter focuses on boot management and the configuration of the boot loader
GRUB. The boot procedure as a whole is outlined in
uring a Linux System
(page 371). A boot loader represents the interface between machine
(BIOS) and the operating system (SUSE Linux Enterprise). The configuration of the
boot loader directly impacts the start of the operating system.
The following terms appear frequently in this chapter and might need some explanation:
Master Boot Record
The structure of the MBR is defined by an operating system–independent conven-
tion. The first 446 bytes are reserved for the program code. They typically hold
part of a boot loader program or an operating system selector. The next 64 bytes
provide space for a partition table of up to four entries (see
Types"
(page 151)). The partition table contains information about the partitioning
of the hard disk and the file system types. The operating system needs this table
for handling the hard disk. With conventional generic code in the MBR, exactly
one partition must be marked active. The last two bytes of the MBR must contain
a static "magic number" (AA55). An MBR containing a different value is regarded
as invalid by some BIOSs, so is not considered for booting.
Chapter 19, Booting and Config-
Section "Partition
The Boot Loader
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Table of Contents
Troubleshooting
