From: "D. Stimits" <stimits@idcomm.com>
To: kernel-list <linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org>
Subject: bzImage, root device Q
Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2001 01:41:31 -0600 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <3B57E0AB.F5D6B2E2@idcomm.com> (raw)
When booting to a bzImage kernel, bytes 508 and 509 can be used to name
the minor and major number of the intended root device (although it can
be overridden with a command line parameter). Other characteristics are
also available this way, through bytes in the kernel. rdev makes a
convenient way to hex edit those bytes.
What I'm more curious about is how does the kernel know what filesystem
_type_ the root is? Are there similar bytes in the bzImage, and can rdev
change this? And is there a command line syntax to allow specifying
filesystem type (e.g., something like "vmlinuz root=/dev/scd0,iso9660"
or "vmlinuz root=/dev/scd0,xfs")? Or is this limited in some way,
requiring mount on one or a few known filesystem types ("linux native"
subset comes to mind), followed by a chroot or pivot_root style command
(which in turn means no direct root mount of some filesystem types)?
D. Stimits, stimits@idcomm.com
next reply other threads:[~2001-07-20 7:41 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 2+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2001-07-20 7:41 D. Stimits [this message]
2001-07-20 10:46 ` bzImage, root device Q Jesse Pollard
Reply instructions:
You may reply publicly to this message via plain-text email
using any one of the following methods:
* Save the following mbox file, import it into your mail client,
and reply-to-all from there: mbox
Avoid top-posting and favor interleaved quoting:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posting_style#Interleaved_style
* Reply using the --to, --cc, and --in-reply-to
switches of git-send-email(1):
git send-email \
--in-reply-to=3B57E0AB.F5D6B2E2@idcomm.com \
--to=stimits@idcomm.com \
--cc=linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org \
/path/to/YOUR_REPLY
https://kernel.org/pub/software/scm/git/docs/git-send-email.html
* If your mail client supports setting the In-Reply-To header
via mailto: links, try the mailto: link
Be sure your reply has a Subject: header at the top and a blank line
before the message body.
This is a public inbox, see mirroring instructions
for how to clone and mirror all data and code used for this inbox