<html><head><title>Linloader 0.36 instructions</title></head><body>
<h1>Linloader 0.36</h1>
<h2>Introduction</h2>
<p>Linloader is RISC OS command line program for booting Linux on Acorn
RiscPCs, RiscStations, Bush STBs and Castle's Iyonix. It does not provide a boot
menu, or shut down the desktop.
It does kowever boot gzipped kernels. Linloader is released under the
<a href="GPL.txt">GNU GPL</a> and is &copy; Timothy Baldwin and <a href="#credits">others.</a></p>
<p>Note that some links only work in the source distribution.</p>
<h2>Disclaimer</h2>
<p>Linloader is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
<a href="gpl.html">GNU General Public License</a> for more details.</p>
<h2>Using Linloader</h2>
<h3>Options</h3>
<table><thead><tr><td>Short Option<td>Long Option<td>Description</thead><tbody>
<tr><td><var>-k</var><td><var>--kernel</var><td>RISC OS filename of the kernel to be booted, if this option is omitted the first non-option argument is used as the kernel filename.
<tr><td><var>-i</var><td><var>--initrd</var><td>RISC OS filename of the initial ram disc (initrd) to be loaded, alternatively a initial ram disc may be specified by a argument beginning &quot;<var>initrd=</var>&quot;.
<tr><td><var>-c</var><td><var>--no-clear</var><td>Do not clear the screen.
<tr><td><var>-q</var><td><var>--quiet</var><td>Do not display banner.
<tr><td><var>-e</var><td><var>--extra-arguments</var><td>Prompt for extra kernel arguments before clearing the screen or displaying the banner.
<tr><td><td><var>--dry-run</var><td>Do a dry run, do not actually boot the kernel, but instead wait for a keypress, then exit. This is intended for testing Linloader.
<tr><td><var>-h</var><td><var>--help</var><td>Show help text.
<tr><td><td><var>--credits</var><td>Show <a href="#credits">credits.</a>
</tbody></table>
<p>Long options may be abbreviated provided they remain unique, though this feature may be removed in future.
If Linloader is given an option of <var>--</var> then all following arguments are not treated as options,
this is useful if you want to pass an argument to the kernel which begins with <code>-</code>.</p>
<h3>Examples</h3><ul>
<li><kbd>Linloader ADFS::4.$.L.zImage root=/dev/hda3</kbd>
<li><kbd>Linloader  --kernel=ADFS::4.$.L.zImage -- root=/dev/hda3 -b</kbd>
<li><kbd>Linloader ADFS::4.$.L.zImage initrd=ADFS::4.$.L.initrd</kbd>
<li><kbd>Linloader ADFS::4.$.L.zImage --initrd ADFS::4.$.L.initrd</kbd>
<li><kbd>Linloader -k ADFS::4.$.L.zImage -i ADFS::4.$.L.initrd</kbd></ul>
<a name="loadlin"><h3>LOADLIN like options</h3>
<p>By prefixing the arguments with <var>--</var> Linloader can be made to accept options like those of <cite>LOADLIN</cite>.</p></a>
<h2>Building Linloader</h2>
<p>Currently to build Linloader you need <a href="http://www.cdrom.com/pub/infozip/zlib/">zlib</a>, <a href="http://www.arcade.demon.co.uk/oslib/homepage.html">OSLib</a> and Acorn C/C++.
Alternatively it should be possible to use <a href="http://www.youmustbejoking.demon.co.uk/">AS 1.30 2nd March 1999</a> or later with another C complier, after making appropriate modifications to the Makefile.</p>
<a name="credits"><h2>Credits</h2><ul>
<li>Matthias Seifert for the <a href="source/message.html">memory controller identification code</a> which Linloader <a href="../s/mcid">uses.</a>
<li><a href="mailto:linux@arm.linux.org.uk">Russell King</a> for the <a href="http://www.arm.linux.org.uk/">ARM Port</a> of <a href="http:/www.linux.org/">Linux,</a> especially the header file <a href="../h/setup"><cite>asm-arm/setup.h</cite></a> which is used by Linloader.
<li>The <a href="http://www.gnu.org/">Free Software Foundation</a> for <a href="source/getopt.html">GNU getopt.</a>
<li>OSLib developers for <a href="http://www.arcade.demon.co.uk/oslib/homepage.html">OSLib.</a>
<li>John Tygat for the RISC OS port of <a href="http://www.cyclic.com/">CVS.</a>
<li>And it would not be a complete list without Acorn, for Acorn C/C++, however they are not really deserving of a mention.
</ul></a>
<h2>Contacts</h2>
<p>I (Timothy Baldwin) can be contacted at <a href="mailto:tim@reinhouse.freeserve.co.uk">tim@reinhouse.freeserve.co.uk</a>, Linloader can be downloaded from <a href="http://www.reinhouse.freeserve.co.uk/riscos/linloader/">http://www.reinhouse.freeserve.co.uk/riscos/linloader/</a>
<h2>Changes since version 0.20</h2><ul>
<li>The second L in the name is now lower-case.
<li>After major internal arrangements Linloader can now be used as a library,
though the interface is neither documented or stable.
<li>Can now boot gzipped kernels.
<li>AS is no longer required to build Linloader.
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