1GRUBBY(8) System Manager's Manual GRUBBY(8)
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6 grubby - command line tool for configuring grub, lilo, and elilo
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10 grubby [--add-kernel=kernel-path] [--args=args]
11 [--bad-image-okay] [--boot-filesystem=bootfs]
12 [--bootloader-probe] [--config-file path]
13 [--copy-default] [--default-kernel]
14 [--grub] [--lilo] [--yaboot] [--silo] [--zipl]
15 [--info=kernel-path] [--initrd=initrd-path]
16 [--make-default] [-o path] [--version]
17 [--remove-kernel=kernel-path] [--remove-args=args]
18 [--set-default=kernel-path] [--title=entry-title]
19 [--add-multiboot=multiboot-path] [--mbargs=args]
20 [--remove-multiboot=multiboot-path] [--remove-mbargs=args]
21
24 grubby is a command line tool for updating and displaying information
25 about the configuration files for the grub, lilo, elilo (ia64), yaboot
26 (powerpc) and zipl (s390) boot loaders. It is primarily designed to be
27 used from scripts which install new kernels and need to find informa‐
28 tion about the current boot environment.
29 On Intel x86 platforms, grub is the default bootloader and the configu‐
31 ration file is in /boot/grub/grub.conf. On Intel ia64 platforms, elilo
32 mode is used and the default location for the configuration file is
33 /boot/grub/grub.conf. On PowerPC platforms, yaboot parsing is used and
34 the configuration file should be in /etc/yaboot.conf.
35 There are a number of ways to specify the kernel used for --info,
37 --remove-kernel, and --update-kernel. Specificying DEFAULT or ALL
38 selects the default entry and all of the entries, respectively. If a
39 comma separated list of numbers is given, the boot entries indexed by
40 those numbers are selected. Finally, the title of a boot entry may be
41 specified by using TITLE=title as the argument; all entries with that
42 title are used.
43
46 --add-kernel=kernel-path
47 Add a new boot entry for the kernel located at kernel-path.
48 --args=kernel-args
51 When a new kernel is added, this specifies the command line
52 arguments which should be passed to the kernel by default (note
53 they are merged with the arguments from the template if --copy-
54 default is used). When --update-kernel is used, this specifies
55 new arguments to add to the argument list. Multiple, space sepa‐
56 rated arguments may be used. If an argument already exists the
57 new value replaces the old values. The root= kernel argument
58 gets special handling if the configuration file has special han‐
59 dling for specifying the root filesystem (like lilo.conf does).
60 --bad-image-okay
63 When grubby is looking for a entry to use for something (such as
64 a template or a default boot entry) it uses sanity checks, such
65 as ensuring that the kernel exists in the filesystem, to make
66 sure entries that obviously won't work aren't selected. This
67 option overrides that behavior, and is designed primarily for
68 testing.
69 --boot-filesystem=bootfs
72 The grub boot loader expects file paths listed in it's configu‐
73 ration path to be relative to the top of the filesystem they are
74 on, rather then relative to the current root filesystem. By
75 default grubby searches the list of currently mounted filesys‐
76 tems to determine this. If this option is given grubby acts as
77 if the specified filesystem was the filesystem containing the
78 kernel (this option is designed primarily for testing).
79 --bootloader-probe
82 grubby tries to determine if grub or lilo is currently
83 installed. When one of those bootloaders is found the name of
84 that bootloader is displayed on stdout. Both could be installed
85 (on different devices), and grubby will print out the names of
86 both bootloaders, one per line. The probe for grub requires a
87 commented out boot directive grub.conf identical to the standard
88 directive in the lilo configuration file. If this is not present
89 grubby will assume grub is not installed (note that anaconda
90 places this directive in grub.conf files it creates). This
91 option is only available on ia32 platforms.
92 --config-file=path
96 Use path as the configuration file rather then the default.
97 --copy-default
100 grubby will copy as much information (such as kernel arguments
101 and root device) as possible from the current default kernel.
102 The kernel path and initrd path will never be copied.
103 --default-kernel
106 Display the full path to the current default kernel and exit.
107 --elilo
110 Use an elilo style configuration file.
111 --grub Use a grub style configuration file instead of lilo style. This
114 is the default on ia32 platforms.
115 --info=kernel-path
118 Display information on all boot entries which match kernel-path.
119 I
120 --initrd=initrd-path
123 Use initrd-path as the path to an initial ram disk for a new
124 kernel being added.
125 --lilo Use a lilo style configuration file.
128 --make-default
131 Make the new kernel entry being added the default entry.
132 --remove-args=kernel-args
135 The arguments specified by kernel-args are removed from the ker‐
136 nels specified by --update-kernel. The root argument gets spe‐
137 cial handling for configuration files that support separate root
138 filesystem configuration.
139 --remove-kernel=kernel-path
142 Removes all boot entries which match kernel-path. This may be
143 used along with --add-kernel, in which case the new kernel being
144 added will never be removed.
145 --set-default=kernel-path
148 The first entry which boots the specified kernel is made the
149 default boot entry.
150 --title=entry-title
153 When a new kernel entry is added entry-title is used as the
154 title (lilo label) for the entry. If entry-title is longer then
155 maximum length allowed by the bootloader (15 for lilo, unlimited
156 for grub and elilo) the title is shortened to a (unique) entry.
157 --update-kernel=kernel-path
160 The entries for kernels matching kernel-path are updated. Cur‐
161 rently the only items that can be updated is the kernel argument
162 list, which is modified via the --args and --remove-args
163 options.
164 --version
167 Display the version of grubby being run and then exit immedi‐
168 ately.
169 --yaboot
172 Use an yaboot style configuration file.
173 --zipl Use an zipl style configuration file.
176
179 The Multiboot Specification provides a genreic interface for boot load‐
180 ers and operating systems. It is supported by the GRUB bootloader.
181 --add-multiboot=multiboot-path
184 Add a new boot entry for the multiboot kernel located at multi‐
185 boot-path. Note that this is generally accompanied with a
186 --add-kernel option.
187 --remove-multiboot=multiboot-path
190 Removes all boot entries which match multiboot-path.
191 --mbargs=multiboot-args
194 When a new multiboot kernel is added, this specifies the command
195 line arguments which should be passed to that kernel by default
196 When --update-kernel is used, this specifies new arguments to
197 add to the argument list. Multiple, space separated arguments
198 may be used. If an argument already exists the new value
199 replaces the old values.
200 --remove-mbargs=multiboot-args
203 The arguments specified by multiboot-args are removed from the
204 kernels specified by --update-kernel.
205
209 The command line syntax is more than a little baroque. This probably
210 won't be fixed as grubby is only intended to be called from shell
211 scripts which can get it right.
212
215 grub(8), lilo(8), yaboot(8), mkinitrd(8)
216
219 Erik Troan
220 Jeremy Katz
221 Peter Jones
222 Tue Jan 18 2005 GRUBBY(8)