Date: Sun, 24 Apr 2011 19:16:16 -0700 From: Devin Teske <dteske@vicor.com> To: Andriy Gapon <avg@freebsd.org> Cc: FreeBSD Hackers <freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org>, Devin Teske <devin.teske@fisglobal.com> Subject: Re: New Boot-Loader Message-ID: <0FD3E833-6FD2-400F-90B4-1C3A137AB304@vicor.com> In-Reply-To: <4D907951.6020804@freebsd.org> References: <16FA7C02-86B0-46E6-A923-BC61357478FA@vicor.com> <4D907951.6020804@freebsd.org>
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On Mar 28, 2011, at 5:04 AM, Andriy Gapon wrote: >=20 > Would also be cool to have an option to boot "something else" (like e.g. > memtest86). Maybe a special directory with loadable binaries and a speci= al menu > entry to select one of them. As surprising as this release is, I've actually got plans to one day releas= e our ISOLINUX based boot loader configuration that we use to do this very = thing. We use the vesamenu.c32 module to present a menu containing memtest8= 6 and many many other tools and at the top of that menu is our entry for ch= ain-loading to FreeBSD (as a default). >=20 > Probably even better to have a mechanism for pluggable menu entries like = a special > directory that would have .4th files each of which would represent one ex= tra menu > option. So instead of hacking system .4th files, one could easily extend= main > menu with custom entries. My menu.4th module (that I released today -- see druidbsd.sf.net) does prov= ide you with what you need to create not only an extended menu of your own = design, but to create multiple menus through a system of separate .4th file= s. I in-fact actually used it to that very end in one of our custom boot me= nus. Each .4th file would call "menu-clear" and then set the appropriate "m= enu_caption[N]" variables, forming an array of values of 1-9 for N (9 is th= e maximum), before finally calling menu-create (which then read in the vari= ables set in the environment and generating the menu). This is precisely on= e of the intended designs of my menu. It also has hooks for providing not o= nly toggle-state menu options but cycle-state options (for example, setting= "kernel[0]", "kernel[1]", and "kernel[2]", then having a menu item that up= on keypress would allow cycling between the three (or more) options. Though these advanced features and topics are not used in the distributed c= ode, I did not remove the underlying functions that are required/used to en= able such extended functionality. For example, you'll still find "cycle_men= uitem" in menu.4th, though it's not used by anything (waiting for some ente= rprising soul like yourself to put it to use -- though on a side-note, we'r= e still using these functions in our custom boot menus on our automated ins= tallers where we change out the logos, mascots, colors, and use the higher = level functions not required in the standard FreeBSD boot process). >=20 > Just a dream... Not a dream. I somehow think you were channeling our progress. That or grea= t minds think alike. --=20 Devin > --=20 > Andriy Gapon --=20 Cheers, Devin Teske -> CONTACT INFORMATION <- Business Solutions Consultant II FIS - fisglobal.com 510-735-5650 Mobile 510-621-2038 Office 510-621-2020 Office Fax 909-477-4578 Home/Fax devin.teske@fisglobal.com -> LEGAL DISCLAIMER <- This message contains confidential and proprietary information of the sender, and is intended only for the person(s) to whom it is addressed. Any use, distribution, copying or disclosure by any other person is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify the e-mail sender immediately, and delete the original message without making a copy. -> END TRANSMISSION <- _____________ The information contained in this message is proprietary and/or confidentia= l. If you are not the intended recipient, please: (i) delete the message an= d all copies; (ii) do not disclose, distribute or use the message in any ma= nner; and (iii) notify the sender immediately. In addition, please be aware= that any message addressed to our domain is subject to archiving and revie= w by persons other than the intended recipient. Thank you. _____________
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