<!DOCTYPE RefEntry PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook V4.1//EN">
<refentry id="abootconf">

<refmeta>
<refentrytitle>abootconf</refentrytitle>
<manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
<refmiscinfo>abootconf</refmiscinfo>
</refmeta>

<refnamediv>
<refname>abootconf</refname>
<refpurpose>
Configure the location of the configuration file for the secondary boot
loader <application>aboot</application>(8) for Linux/Alpha.
</refpurpose>
</refnamediv>

<refsynopsisdiv>
 <cmdsynopsis>
   <command>abootconf</command> <arg choice="plain">/dev/xxx num</arg>
 </cmdsynopsis>
</refsynopsisdiv>

<refsect1><title>COPYRIGHT</title>
<para>
<application>abootconf</application> is Copyright (C) 1996 Linus Torvalds, David Mosberger-Tang and Michael Schwingen
</para>
</refsect1>

<refsect1><title>DESCRIPTIONS</title>
<para>
<indexterm><primary>abootconf</primary></indexterm>
<indexterm><primary>aboot</primary></indexterm>
<application>abootconf</application> is used to change the partition<indexterm><primary>partition
</primary></indexterm>
the alpha Linux boot loader <application>aboot</application>(8)
looks for its configuration file in. The configuration file is stored
in <filename>etc/aboot.conf</filename>(5)
relative to the root of the file system in this partition.
</para>
<para> 
<application>abootconf</application> requires the boot device
(e.g. <filename>/dev/hdb</filename>, <filename>/dev/sda</filename>) and the
partition
to be used (e.g. 3). Thus if you want to boot from partition E: on your second
SCSI disk you would enter</para>
<para>
<command>
abootconf <parameter>/dev/sdb 5</parameter>
</command>
</para>
</refsect1>
<refsect1><title>NOTES</title>
<para>
<application>abootconf</application> is not needed if you are booting
your alpha system via <application>milo</application>. 
</para>
<para>
For each disk one partition can be activated to contain the configuration
for <application>aboot</application>(8) which is located in
<filename>etc/aboot.conf</filename>(5).
The disk chosen to boot from is selected at
the SRM prompt as the second argument, e.g.
</para>
<para>
<command>
boot <parameter>dqa</parameter>
</command>
</para>
<para>
to boot from your first IDE hard disk. See the HP SRM-Manual and
<application>aboot</application>(8)
for details.
</para>
<para>
<application>aboot</application>(8) can load a kernel from an
arbitrary partition and can even use a different
root partition than the one <filename>etc/aboot.conf</filename>
belongs to. Hence you would usually
set up one <filename>etc/aboot.conf</filename> with all combinations and
would not require <application>abootconf</application> except for initial
set up. You can then
boot the requested
Linux kernel by giving the appropriate flags at the SRM prompt, e.g. to boot
the entry labeled 2 you would use
</para>
<para>
<command>
boot <parameter>dqa -fl "2"</parameter>
</command>
</para>
<para>
See the HP SRM manual and <filename>aboot.conf</filename>(5)
for details.
</para>
<para>
To show the current setting simply omit the last argument (i.e. the partition
number).
</para>
<para>
Note that you have to rerun <application>abootconf</application> if you updated
<application>aboot</application>(8).
</para>
<para>
Strictly speaking <application>abootconf</application> is not necessary as
you can specify the partition which <filename>etc/aboot.conf</filename>
resides on at the SRM-Prompt by prepending the partition number and a colon
in the flags-parameter, i.e. if <filename>etc/aboot.conf</filename>
resided on the fourth partition and you want to boot the entry labeled 2
you could also issue
</para>
<para>
<command>
boot <parameter>dqa -fl "4:2"</parameter>
</command>
</para>
<para>
at the SRM prompt.
</para>
<para>
Note that this applies to Linux only as <ProductName>VMS</ProductName>, <ProductName>Tru64</ProductName>, *BSD and
<ProductName>Windows NT</ProductName> each have their own secondary boot loader.
</para>
<para>
Also note that for initial hard disk setup <application>abootconf</application>
is no longer needed as <application>swriteboot</application>(8) contains the
entire functionality of <application>abootconf</application>.
</para>
</refsect1>
<refsect1><title>AUTHOR</title>
<para>
This man page was written by Helge Kreutzmann <email>debian@helgefjell.de</email> for the Debian GNU/Linux project but may be used by others.
</para>
</refsect1>
<refsect1><title>FILES</title>
<para><filename>etc/aboot.conf</filename></para>
</refsect1>
<refsect1><title>SEE ALSO</title>
<para><application>aboot</application>(8), <application>swriteboot</application>(8), <filename>aboot.conf</filename>(5), HP SRM Manual (<ULink URL="http://h18002.www1.hp.com/alphaserver/download/srm_reference.pdf"></ULink>)</para>
</refsect1>
</refentry>
