Handbook:IA64/Blocks/Bootloader

Installing elilo

On the IA64 platform, the boot loader is called elilo. First install the software on the system:

root #emerge --ask sys-boot/elilo

Its configuration file is called /etc/elilo.conf and a sample file is installed in the typical docs directory (/usr/share/doc/elilo-<version>/). Here is another sample configuration:

FILE /etc/elilo.confExample elilo configuration

boot=/dev/sda1
delay=30
timeout=50
default=Gentoo
append="console=ttyS0,9600"
prompt
  
image=/vmlinuz
	label=Gentoo
	root=/dev/sda3
	read-only
  
image=/vmlinuz.old
	label=Gentoo.old
	root=/dev/sda3
	read-only

The boot line tells elilo the location of the boot partition (in this case, /dev/sda1). The delay line sets the number of 10th of seconds before automatically booting the default when in non-interactive mode. The timeout line is just like the delay line but for interactive mode. The default line sets the default kernel entry (which is defined below). The append line adds extra options to the kernel command line. The prompt sets the default elilo behavior to interactive.

The sections that start with image define different bootable images. Each image has a nice label, a root filesystem, and will only mount the root filesystem read-only.

If, while building the Linux kernel, an initramfs was also configured to boot from, then it is necessary to change the configuration by referring to this initramfs file and telling the initramfs where the root device is at:

FILE /etc/elilo.confUpdated configuration to reflect use of initramfs

image=/vmlinuz
	label=Gentoo
	initrd=/initramfs-genkernel-ia64-3.16.5-gentoo
	append="initrd=initramfs-genkernel-ia64-3.16.5-gentoo root=/dev/sda3 console=ttyS0,9600"
	read-only

When the configuration is done, run elilo --efiboot. The --efiboot option adds a menu entry for Gentoo Linux to the EFI Boot Manager:

root #elilo --efiboot