<> ## Need a Grub2 version of this page, then redirect there ||<>|| == Making a GRUB boot floppy == GRUB (GRand Unified Bootloader) is the boot manager installed by default in recent versions of Ubuntu Linux. It is an effort by the GNU project to provide a boot-loader that supports the greatest number of operating systems. This document explains how to make a boot floppy that can either boot an installed operating system or present you with a Grub command shell so that you can enter commands directly. It assumes that you are making the diskette on an Ubuntu Linux box. 1. Obtain root privileges. {{{ sudo -s }}} 2. Format the floppy with the ext2 file-system: {{{ mke2fs /dev/fd0 }}} 3. Mount the floppy and copy the files that Grub Legacy needs to make it bootable: {{{ mount /dev/fd0 /media/floppy mkdir /media/floppy/boot mkdir /media/floppy/boot/grub cd /boot/grub cp stage1 stage2 /media/floppy/boot/grub }}} If you want to boot the operating system already installed on the machine you are making the floppy from, also copy '''/boot/grub/menu.lst''' and '''/boot/grub/device.map''' to the corresponding directories on the floppy. 4. Unmount the floppy '''umount /dev/fd0''', then start Grub in interactive mode by typing grub. You will see the Grub command prompt '''grub >'''. Enter these commands: {{{ device (fd0) /dev/fd0 root (fd0) setup (fd0) quit }}} 5. At this point, you have a bootable floppy. If you added the extra files mentioned above, you should get a standard Grub screen when you boot from it, just as if you had booted from the hard drive. 6. If you want to be extra cautious, you can save a copy of the current machine's master boot record to a file on the floppy. The following example assumes you booted from the floppy, mounted the floppy and the master boot record is on device sda; the file containing the boot record is named '''boot.mbr'''. {{{ dd if=/dev/sda of=/media/floppy/boot.mbr bs=512 count=1 }}} To restore it, you would just reverse the parameters of the dd command: {{{ dd if=/media/floppy/boot.mbr of=/dev/hda bs=512 count=1 }}} == Boot a floppy image without a floppy drive == Some computers don't have a floppy drive and can't boot from a Cd. One way of getting the Cd to boot is from a boot-loader floppy image. You'll need the memdisk file from the '''syslinux''' package. To get it run {{{ sudo apt-get install syslinux }}} Copy the memdisk file to the grub folder {{{ sudo cp /usr/lib/syslinux/memdisk /boot/grub/ }}} There is a floppy image on the *ubuntu CD that can be used if you don't feel like making one. Mount the Cd and copy it to the grub folder as well. {{{ sudo cp //install/sbm.bin /boot/grub/ }}} Next you have to make some changes to '''/boot/grub/menu.lst'''. Open it as root and add {{{ title Floppy Image kernel /boot/grub/memdisk initrd /boot/grub/sbm.bin }}} above "title Ubuntu x.xx, memtest86+". Save the changes. Now you should be able to boot the floppy image without a floppy drive and boot from the Cd.