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GRUBBY(8) GRUBBY(8)
NAME
grubby - command line tool for configuring grub, lilo, and elilo
SYNOPSIS
grubby [--add-kernel=kernel-path] [--args=args]
[--bad-image-okay] [--boot-filesystem=bootfs]
[--bootloader-probe] [--config-file path]
[--copy-default] [--default-kernel]
[--grub] [--lilo] [--yaboot] [--silo] [--zipl]
[--info=kernel-path] [--initrd=initrd-path]
[--make-default] [-o path] [--version]
[--remove-kernel=kernel-path] [--remove-args=args]
[--set-default=kernel-path] [--title=entry-title]
[--add-multiboot=multiboot-path] [--mbargs=args]
[--remove-multiboot=multiboot-path] [--remove-mbargs=args]
DESCRIPTION
grubby is a command line tool for updating and displaying information about the configuration files for the grub, lilo,
elilo (ia64), yaboot (powerpc) and zipl (s390) boot loaders. It is primarily designed to be used from scripts which
install new kernels and need to find information about the current boot environment.
On Intel x86 platforms, grub is the default bootloader and the configuration file is in /boot/grub/grub.conf. On Intel
ia64 platforms, elilo mode is used and the default location for the configuration file is /boot/grub/grub.conf. On Pow-
erPC platforms, yaboot parsing is used and the configuration file should be in /etc/yaboot.conf.
There are a number of ways to specify the kernel used for --info, --remove-kernel, and --update-kernel. Specificying
DEFAULT or ALL selects the default entry and all of the entries, respectively. If a comma separated list of numbers is
given, the boot entries indexed by those numbers are selected. Finally, the title of a boot entry may be specified by
using TITLE=title as the argument; all entries with that title are used.
OPTIONS
--add-kernel=kernel-path
Add a new boot entry for the kernel located at kernel-path.
--args=kernel-args
When a new kernel is added, this specifies the command line arguments which should be passed to the kernel by
default (note they are merged with the arguments from the template if --copy-default is used). When --update-ker-
nel is used, this specifies new arguments to add to the argument list. Multiple, space separated arguments may be
used. If an argument already exists the new value replaces the old values. The root= kernel argument gets special
handling if the configuration file has special handling for specifying the root filesystem (like lilo.conf does).
--bad-image-okay
When grubby is looking for a entry to use for something (such as a template or a default boot entry) it uses san-
ity checks, such as ensuring that the kernel exists in the filesystem, to make sure entries that obviously won't
work aren't selected. This option overrides that behavior, and is designed primarily for testing.
--boot-filesystem=bootfs
The grub boot loader expects file paths listed in it's configuration path to be relative to the top of the
filesystem they are on, rather then relative to the current root filesystem. By default grubby searches the list
of currently mounted filesystems to determine this. If this option is given grubby acts as if the specified
filesystem was the filesystem containing the kernel (this option is designed primarily for testing).
--bootloader-probe
grubby tries to determine if grub or lilo is currently installed. When one of those bootloaders is found the name
of that bootloader is displayed on stdout. Both could be installed (on different devices), and grubby will print
out the names of both bootloaders, one per line. The probe for grub requires a commented out boot directive
grub.conf identical to the standard directive in the lilo configuration file. If this is not present grubby will
assume grub is not installed (note that anaconda places this directive in grub.conf files it creates). This
option is only available on ia32 platforms.
--config-file=path
Use path as the configuration file rather then the default.
--copy-default
grubby will copy as much information (such as kernel arguments and root device) as possible from the current
default kernel. The kernel path and initrd path will never be copied.
--default-kernel
Display the full path to the current default kernel and exit.
--elilo
Use an elilo style configuration file.
--grub Use a grub style configuration file instead of lilo style. This is the default on ia32 platforms.
--info=kernel-path
Display information on all boot entries which match kernel-path. I
--initrd=initrd-path
Use initrd-path as the path to an initial ram disk for a new kernel being added.
--lilo Use a lilo style configuration file.
--make-default
Make the new kernel entry being added the default entry.
--remove-args=kernel-args
The arguments specified by kernel-args are removed from the kernels specified by --update-kernel. The root argu-
ment gets special handling for configuration files that support separate root filesystem configuration.
--remove-kernel=kernel-path
Removes all boot entries which match kernel-path. This may be used along with --add-kernel, in which case the new
kernel being added will never be removed.
--set-default=kernel-path
The first entry which boots the specified kernel is made the default boot entry.
--title=entry-title
When a new kernel entry is added entry-title is used as the title (lilo label) for the entry. If entry-title is
longer then maximum length allowed by the bootloader (15 for lilo, unlimited for grub and elilo) the title is
shortened to a (unique) entry.
--update-kernel=kernel-path
The entries for kernels matching kernel-path are updated. Currently the only items that can be updated is the ker-
nel argument list, which is modified via the --args and --remove-args options.
--version
Display the version of grubby being run and then exit immediately.
--yaboot
Use an yaboot style configuration file.
--zipl Use an zipl style configuration file.
MULTIBOOT OPTIONS
The Multiboot Specification provides a genreic interface for boot loaders and operating systems. It is supported by the
GRUB bootloader.
--add-multiboot=multiboot-path
Add a new boot entry for the multiboot kernel located at multiboot-path. Note that this is generally accompanied
with a --add-kernel option.
--remove-multiboot=multiboot-path
Removes all boot entries which match multiboot-path.
--mbargs=multiboot-args
When a new multiboot kernel is added, this specifies the command line arguments which should be passed to that
kernel by default When --update-kernel is used, this specifies new arguments to add to the argument list. Multi-
ple, space separated arguments may be used. If an argument already exists the new value replaces the old values.
--remove-mbargs=multiboot-args
The arguments specified by multiboot-args are removed from the kernels specified by --update-kernel.
BUGS
The command line syntax is more than a little baroque. This probably won't be fixed as grubby is only intended to be
called from shell scripts which can get it right.
SEE ALSO
grub(8), lilo(8), yaboot(8), mkinitrd(8)
AUTHORS
Erik Troan
Jeremy Katz
Peter Jones
Tue Jan 18 2005 GRUBBY(8)
