Difference between revisions of "COMP 3000 Lab 4 2010"
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# Add a new grub menu item which limits the standard kernel to 256M. | # Add a new grub menu item which limits the standard kernel to 256M. | ||
# Add a second virtual disk and make it bootable: put the kernel and initial ram disk on it and then install grub. Can you boot off of this disk? What does it do? | # Add a second virtual disk and make it bootable: put the kernel and initial ram disk on it and then install grub. Can you boot off of this disk? What does it do? | ||
# | # Examine the standard kernel's initial ram disk (initrd). What program is first run in this environment? What does it do? | ||
# What programs does upstart start on boot? | # What programs does upstart start on boot? | ||
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===Kernel command line options=== | ===Kernel command line options=== | ||
===GRUB configuration=== | |||
*On Ubuntu the user configuration is stored in /etc/default/grub. The main grub files are stored in /boot/grub. You can update grub's config with the update-grub command. | |||
===How GRUB works=== | ===How GRUB works=== | ||
=== | ===Examining RAM disks=== | ||
*Ubuntu (Debian) store initial RAM disks in the cpio format. 'zcat <file> | cpio -i' will extract its contents. | |||
===Upstart/init=== | ===Upstart/init=== | ||
Revision as of 12:11, 1 November 2010
All of the following should be done with an Ubuntu 10.04 distribution or equivalent. We recommend experimenting in a virtual environment because some of the exercises could make your system unbootable. (In fact, take a snapshot of your working system before starting these exercises so you can easily revert.)
Questions
- Change the grub command line at boot to limit the total available RAM to 256M. You'll need to get to select an entry and edit it from within grub.
- Add a new grub menu item which limits the standard kernel to 256M.
- Add a second virtual disk and make it bootable: put the kernel and initial ram disk on it and then install grub. Can you boot off of this disk? What does it do?
- Examine the standard kernel's initial ram disk (initrd). What program is first run in this environment? What does it do?
- What programs does upstart start on boot?
Hints
Please add your hints below to help your fellow students!
Kernel command line options
GRUB configuration
- On Ubuntu the user configuration is stored in /etc/default/grub. The main grub files are stored in /boot/grub. You can update grub's config with the update-grub command.
How GRUB works
Examining RAM disks
- Ubuntu (Debian) store initial RAM disks in the cpio format. 'zcat <file> | cpio -i' will extract its contents.