menu enchancement

menu enchancement

[Yoshinori K. Okuji]

I've implemented some important features in the menu interface. That is, 
timeout and booting. Please test it. It should be now possible to boot 
an OS from the menu interface.

However, there are still several missing features which can be found in 
GRUB Legacy:

- Editing a boot entry

- Password

- Multiple fallback entries

- Saving a boot entry

- Coloring (this is useless, IMHO)

But one good thing is that GRUB 2 supports nested menus, although this 
is not usable until we implement the command "configfile".

I wish to see these features:

- Graphical interface

- Support for different geometries

- Message translation

Probably support for different geometries is difficult, because the 
current code assumes that the screen is at least 80x25. If you want to 
support smaller one, you need to adjust the messages as well as the 
hardcoded coordinates.

Next, I will work on editing a boot entry and password support.

Okuji

Re: menu enchancement

[Marco Gerards]

"Yoshinori K. Okuji" <okuji@enbug.org> writes:

> I've implemented some important features in the menu interface. That is, 
> timeout and booting. Please test it. It should be now possible to boot 
> an OS from the menu interface.

I noticed (I love the commit-grub mailinglist :)).  I will test it on
both PC and PPC.

> However, there are still several missing features which can be found in 
> GRUB Legacy:

[...]

> - Saving a boot entry

Was this possible on GRUB Legacy?  How does this work?

> - Coloring (this is useless, IMHO)

I agree.

> - Graphical interface

I hope the user interface will be modular some way.  Of course this
means I am willing to work on this.

> - Support for different geometries

[...]

> Probably support for different geometries is difficult, because the 
> current code assumes that the screen is at least 80x25. If you want to 
> support smaller one, you need to adjust the messages as well as the 
> hardcoded coordinates.

This is something that is important to me.  The console on the
powerbook I have is a lot bigger than 80x25.  So this is on my
personal todo already.

> Next, I will work on editing a boot entry and password support.

Cool!

Thanks,
Marco

Re: menu enchancement

[Yoshinori K. Okuji]

On Friday 10 September 2004 23:24, Marco Gerards wrote:
> > - Saving a boot entry
>
> Was this possible on GRUB Legacy?  How does this work?

Oh, you don't know? I'm really surprised, since it was discussed many 
times on bug-grub.

The current implementation uses a file on a filesystem as a storage to 
record an entry. Please take a look at the section "How to make your 
system robust" in the manual. It should be interesting, IMO.

> > - Graphical interface
>
> I hope the user interface will be modular some way.  Of course this
> means I am willing to work on this.

I agree. But, honestly, I don't know how to make it better. ;)

> This is something that is important to me.  The console on the
> powerbook I have is a lot bigger than 80x25.  So this is on my
> personal todo already.

If yours is larger, there should be no problem... Do you want to use it 
from corner to corner? It sounds "too much" for me...

BTW, I wrote a summary of commands in the wiki. If you find out anything 
wrong, please fix it!

http://www.autistici.org/grub/CommandList?action=show

Okuji

Re: menu enchancement

[Marco Gerards]

"Yoshinori K. Okuji" <okuji@enbug.org> writes:

> On Friday 10 September 2004 23:24, Marco Gerards wrote:
>> > - Saving a boot entry
>>
>> Was this possible on GRUB Legacy?  How does this work?
>
> Oh, you don't know? I'm really surprised, since it was discussed many 
> times on bug-grub.
>
> The current implementation uses a file on a filesystem as a storage to 
> record an entry. Please take a look at the section "How to make your 
> system robust" in the manual. It should be interesting, IMO.

Sure, I will do that.  I think that was around a period I was very
busy and did not read all the emails there in detail.

>> > - Graphical interface
>>
>> I hope the user interface will be modular some way.  Of course this
>> means I am willing to work on this.
>
> I agree. But, honestly, I don't know how to make it better. ;)

That is something to think about.  It will be fun. :)

>> This is something that is important to me.  The console on the
>> powerbook I have is a lot bigger than 80x25.  So this is on my
>> personal todo already.
>
> If yours is larger, there should be no problem... Do you want to use it 
> from corner to corner? It sounds "too much" for me...

No, but it just has to work properly.  I think an interface to get the
dimensions is the best.

> BTW, I wrote a summary of commands in the wiki. If you find out anything 
> wrong, please fix it!

Sure!

Thanks,
Marco

Re: menu enchancement

[Marco Gerards]

"Yoshinori K. Okuji" <okuji@enbug.org> writes:

> BTW, I wrote a summary of commands in the wiki. If you find out anything 
> wrong, please fix it!
>
> http://www.autistici.org/grub/CommandList?action=show

Sure.  Just two things I noticed:

- help

Why do you want this?  Just use `ls --help' instead.  Or do you want
it to show the --usage of all commands?


- pager

I made a variable `pager' for this like we discussed a long time ago.
Or do you want this to be turned into a command?

--
Marco

Re: menu enchancement

[Yoshinori K. Okuji]

On Saturday 11 September 2004 02:08, Marco Gerards wrote:
> - help
>
> Why do you want this?  Just use `ls --help' instead.  Or do you want
> it to show the --usage of all commands?

Just type "help" in GRUB Legacy. How do you get this kind of listings 
only with --help?

I think "help COMMAND" should be equivalent to "COMMAND --help". "help" 
with no argument should provide a good formating of available commands.

> - pager
>
> I made a variable `pager' for this like we discussed a long time ago.
> Or do you want this to be turned into a command?

No. I forgot it.

Okuji