LOADER.4TH (8) | Special files and drivers | Unix Manual Pages

DESCRIPTION

The file that goes by the name of loader.4th is a set of commands designed to manipulate loader.conf(5) files. The default /boot/loader.rc includes loader.4th and uses one of its commands to automatically read and process the standard loader.conf(5) files. Other commands exists to help the user specify alternate configurations.

The commands of loader.4th by themselves are not enough for most uses. Please refer to the examples below for the most common situations, and to loader(8) for additional commands.

Before using any of the commands provided in loader.4th, it must be included through the command:

include loader.4th

This line is present in the default /boot/loader.rc file, so it is not needed (and should not be re-issued) in a normal setup.

The commands provided by it are:

boot boot kernelname [...] boot directory [...] boot-flag ...
	Boot as specified by the loader.conf(5) files read. Depending on the arguments passed, it can override boot flags and either the kernel name or the search path for kernel and modules.
boot-conf boot-conf kernelname [...] boot-conf directory [...] boot-conf-flag ...
	Works like boot described above, but instead of booting immediately, uses autoboot, so it can be stopped.
start	Reads `/boot/defaults/loader.conf`, all other loader.conf(5) files specified in it, and then proceeds to boot as specified in them. This is the command used in the default `/boot/loader.rc` file, and it uses the `autoboot` command (see loader(8)), so it can be stopped for further interaction with loader(8).
initialize	Initialize the supporting library so commands can be used without executing start first. Like start, reads `/boot/defaults/loader.conf` and all other loader.conf(5) files specified in it. Returns a flag on the stack to indicate if any configuration file was successfully loaded.
read-conf filename	Reads and processes a loader.conf(5) file. Does not proceed to boot.
enable-module module	Enables the loading of module.
disable-module module	Disables the loading of module.
toggle-module module	Toggles the loading of module on and off.
show-module module	Shows the information gathered in the loader.conf(5) files about the module module.
retry	Used inside loader.conf(5) files to specify the action after a module loading fails.
ignore	Used inside loader.conf(5) files to specify the action after a module loading fails.

FILES

`/boot/loader`	The loader(8).
`/boot/loader.4th`
	loader.4th itself.
`/boot/loader.rc`	loader(8) bootstrapping script.
`/boot/defaults/loader.conf`
	File loaded by the start command.

EXAMPLES

Standard /boot/loader.rc:

include /boot/loader.4th
start

Load a different kernel with the standard configuration:

set kernel="kernel.old"
unload
boot-conf

Read an additional configuration file and then proceed to boot:

unload
read-conf /boot/special.conf
boot-conf

Disable the loading of the splash screen module and bitmap and then proceed to boot:

unload
disable-module splash_bmp
disable-module bitmap
boot-conf

HISTORY

AUTHORS

BUGS

Created by Blin Media, 2008-2013

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