nPartition Administrator's Guide, Second Edition

elilo.conf File Boot Options You can specify the following options, among others, in an
elilo.conf file to configure a Linux device's boot behavior. For more details refer to the
documentation for the Linux distribution you are using.
• prompt — Specifies to make the "ELILO boot" prompt available without requiring anything
to be typed.
• timeout=tsecs — Sets the timeout duration in tenths of seconds. Following the timeout period,
either the default boot entry is selected, or if no default is specified the first boot entry is
selected.
• default=name — Sets the boot option entry that is selected by default. The name listed
must match the name specified by a label option in the same elilo.conf file. When no
default is specified, then the first boot entry is chosen if no other boot entry is requested.
• image=kernel — Specifies the Linux kernel to boot. Typically, the kernel specified is a vmlinuz
file. For example, the file vmlinuz-2.4.18-e.12smp is a kernel that resides on the EFI
partition as \efi\redhat\vmlinuz-2.4.18-e.12smp.
• label=name — The name defined by the label option is the identifier you can reference
to invoke the boot entry for loading.
You can use the specified name at the "ELILO boot" prompt, or in a default option line
in the same elilo.conf file, to cause the boot entry to be used for loading Linux.
• initrd=image — Specifies the initial RAM disk image used to initialize and start services
for booting the Linux kernel. The image file typically resides on the EFI partition in the same
directory as the corresponding Linux kernel file specified by the image option.
• read-only — Specifies that the root disk partition (specified by the root option) cannot
be modified during the Linux boot process.
• root=diskptn — Indicates which device (diskptn) to mount as the root disk partition.
• append="options" — Specifies boot-time kernel options that are passed to the Linux kernel
when it is loaded.
Using Linux Loader (ELILO) Commands
You can control the Linux boot process by using the ELILO Linux loader commands to select a
non-default Linux boot configuration, specify additional boot options, or load a Linux kernel
whose path you explicitly specify.
See “Booting to the Linux Loader (ELILO.EFI)” (page 152) for details on accessing ELILO, using
ELILO and elilo.conf, and managing the elilo.conf file.
ELILO Linux Loader Commands The following commands are available for use when interacting
with the ELILO Linux loader (the "ELILO boot" prompt).
Esc Enter
Exit the ELILO Linux loader.
Tab
List all entries (labels) in the current elilo.conf file.
? (question mark)
List all disk devices available to the ELILO Linux loader.
Linux Booting Using ELILO Commands and Options The following list describes uses of ELILO
to load Linux.
• Select a non-default Linux boot configuration to be loaded.
1. Access the "ELILO boot" prompt.
2. Type the Tab key to list all boot configuration entries in the elilo.conf file.
3. Enter the name of the boot entry you want to load.
ELILO boot: Tab
linux linux-up (or any kernel file name: [dev_name:]/path/file)
ELILO boot: linux-up
154 Booting and Resetting nPartitions