Red Hat Linux 7 Unleashed

Red Hat Linux 7 Unleashed

By William Ball

Using LOADLIN.EXE to Boot Linux

LOADLIN.EXE is a program that uses the DOS MBR to boot Linux. This handy program by Hans Lermen also passes along kernel options. LOADLIN.EXE is very helpful when you must boot from DOS to properly initialize modems or sound cards to make them work under Linux.

You need to do two things before using LOADLIN.EXE:

  1. Copy LOADLIN.EXE to a DOS partition (for example, C:\LOADLIN).
  2. Put a copy of your kernel image (/vmlinuz) on your DOS partition.

For example, type the following from the DOS command line to boot Linux:


   loadlin c:\vmlinuz root=/dev/hda3 ro

Make sure you insert your root partition in the command line. The ro stands for read-only. When you are first booting a Linux partition, it should be mounted as read-only to prevent data loss.

If you have a UMSDOS filesystem, you can type this:


   loadlin c:\vmlinuz root=/dev/hda1 rw

The rw stands for read/write. Starting a UMSDOS filesystem this way is safe. Again, make sure you substitute your own partition. LOADLIN.EXE accepts a number of options; see its documentation in the LOADLIN.TGZ file under the dosutils directory on the first CD-ROM.

Jump-starting a Red Hat Install with LOADLIN

Another great use for LOADLIN is to jump-start a Linux install from the DOS command line. This method can be a lifesaver for notebook users without access to a boot floppy and CD-ROM drive! You'll need to partition your hard drive for Linux first. To use LOADLIN to start an install, use a remote computer on your LAN to copy the Red Hat directory from CD-ROM onto a DOS partition (usually at C:\RedHat). Next, copy the directory autoboot from the CD-ROM's dosutils directory to C:\. You can then use LOADLIN to boot to an install with C:\loadlin C:\autoboot\vmlinuz initrd=C:\autoboot\initrd.img. You'll then use a "Hard Drive" install to install Red Hat Linux!

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