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The Linux BootPrompt-HowTo

by Paul Gortmaker.

v1.4, Mar 21, 2003

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This is the BootPrompt-Howto, which is a compilation of all the possible boot time arguments that can be passed to the Linux kernel at boot time. A discussion of how the kernel sorts boot time arguments, along with an overview of some of the popular software used to boot Linux kernels is also included.

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1. Introduction

• 1.1 Intended Audience and Applicability
• 1.2 Related Documentation
• 1.3 New Versions of this Document

2. Overview of Boot Prompt Arguments

• 2.1 LILO (LInux LOader)
• 2.2 LoadLin
• 2.3 The ``rdev'' utility
• 2.4 How the Kernel Sorts the Arguments
• 2.5 Setting Environment Variables.
• 2.6 Passing Arguments to the `init' program

3. General Non-Device Specific Boot Args

• 3.1 Root Filesystem options
• 3.2 Options Relating to RAM Disk Management
• 3.3 Boot Arguments Related to Memory Handling
• 3.4 Other Misc. Kernel Boot Arguments

4. Boot Arguments to Control PCI Bus Behaviour (`pci=')

• 4.1 The `pci=assign-busses' Argument
• 4.2 The `pci=bios' and `pci=nobios' Arguments
• 4.3 The `pci=conf1' and `pci=conf2' Arguments
• 4.4 The `pci=irqmask=' Argument
• 4.5 The `pci=lastbus=' Argument
• 4.6 The `pci=noacpi' Argument
• 4.7 The `pci=nopeer' Argument
• 4.8 The `pci=nosort' Argument
• 4.9 The `pci=off' Argument
• 4.10 The `pci=usepirqmask' Argument
• 4.11 The `pci=rom' Argument

5. Boot Arguments for Video Frame Buffer Drivers

• 5.1 The `video=map:...' Argument
• 5.2 The `video=scrollback:...' Argument
• 5.3 The `video=vc:...' Argument

6. Boot Arguments for SCSI Peripherals.

• 6.1 Arguments for Upper and Mid-level Drivers
• 6.2 Arguments for SCSI Host Adapter Drivers

7. Hard Disks

• 7.1 IDE Disk/CD-ROM Driver Parameters
• 7.2 Old MFM/RLL/Standard ST-506 Disk Driver Options (`hd=')
• 7.3 XT Disk Driver Options (`xd=', `xd_geo=')

8. The Sound Drivers

• 8.1 Individual Sound Device Driver Arguments

9. CD-ROMs (Non-SCSI/ATAPI/IDE)

• 9.1 Old CD-ROM Driver Arguments

10. Serial and ISDN Drivers

• 10.1 The ISDN drivers
• 10.2 The Serial drivers

11. Other Hardware Devices

• 11.1 Ethernet Devices (`ether=', `netdev=')
• 11.2 The Floppy Disk Driver (`floppy=')
• 11.3 The Bus Mouse Driver (`bmouse=')
• 11.4 The MS Bus Mouse Driver (`msmouse=')
• 11.5 The Printer Driver (`lp=')
• 11.6 The Parallel port IP driver (`plip=')

12. Copying, Translations, Closing, etc.

• 12.1 Copyright and Disclaimer
• 12.2 Closing

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