extipl(8)

NAME

extipl - a partition-selectable boot loader/installer for

IBM-PC compatible computers.

SYNOPSIS

extipl subcommand arguments ...

DESCRIPTION

This manual page describes briefly the extipl command.

extipl stands for "Extended IPL". That is an IBM's HD-IPL

compatible boot strap code for IBM-PC compatible computers. But

it allows to select one of partitions, or one of several BIOS

supported HDDs. extipl is the installer of ExtIPL. This version

(v5.0) has 4 IPLs and three of them now supports the LBA access

for large HDD.

built-in IPLs
gemini The default IPL which has simple GUI-like menu

function. The label for each partition in the 1st HDD can be

modified for easy recognition. Delay for auto-boot also can be

changed from 1 to 999, or forever (default is 15 seconds). This

also supports the booting from any BIOS supported HDD, and can

change the active partition on the 1st HDD. This IPL actually

consists of two code blocks: pollux (in MBR) and castor (in sev

eral sectors following the MBR). Therefore named after the famous

twin in the sky, Gemini.

taurus The simple IPL which does not have the selector

function. It just loads the OS loader from the active parti

tions. The difference from the conventional IPL is the support

of LBA access for the large HDD and the support of booting from

logical partitions. This IPL is named after the zodiac signs fol

lowed by gemini.

aquila This IPL can select partitions in the 1st HDD to

boot up from. LBA access and booting from logical partition are

supported. Unlike the gemini IPL, selection menu is much more

simple, and can not change the active partition. The name is

taken from the constellation, and the old famous movie.

scorpius

This is the IPL in the old version of extipl. It

uses CHS access only, i.e. does not support LBA access. Selection

menu is very simple, but it does support booting from any BIOS

supported HDDs. This name is also taken from another constella

tion and the movie.

COMMANDS

save device-filename-of-HD [file]

Store the current content of MBR in the specified

HDD to a file "filename". Saved content of MBR can be restored

by "extipl restore" described below. If you omit the filename,

the default value "./master.ipl" is used. Back up file is set to

be read-only.

restore device-filename-of-HD file

Restore the MBR from the specified file which con

tains partition information and the OS booter.
You are asked as:

C)ode: restore ipl code only T)able: restore partition table only A)ll: restore ipl code and partition table restore (c/t/a)?

Reply 'c', 't', or 'a'. It is not examined whether

specified file is valid copy of MBR. Filename cannot be omitted.

install device-filename-of-HD @IPL_NAME

Install one of the four Extended-IPL boot code to

MBR in the hard disk specified with the argument device-filename

of-HD. IPL_NAME is one of the following: gemini, taurus, aquila,

and scorpius. The default IPL is gemini.

Before installation, you are forced to back up MBR

to a file, and are prompted:

Enter file name to save:

If you press <Enter> key only, MBR will be saved

into "./fdiskIPL.<nnn>", where <nnn> is a number from 001 to 999.

That number is incremented automatically if that file exists al

ready.

fdtest device-filename-of-FD @IPL_NAME

Install one of the four Extended-IPL boot code to a

floppy disk specified with the argument "device-filename-of-FD."

You can't use Extended-IPL installed floppy for any other pur

pose. IPL_NAME is one of the following: gemini, taurus, aquila,

and scorpius. The default IPL is gemini.

This is for testing or trying Extended-IPL, but you

can use a floppy with Extended-IPL to boot your PC if it doesn't

boot from hard disk.

show device-filename-of-HD

Display the content of the partition tables in a

hard disk specified with the argument "device-filename-of-HD".

The content of an extended partition is also displayed.

[Example]
# extipl show /dev/hda
=========
Partition TABLE on "/dev/hda"
=========

[1] 0B: MS-Win FAT32 1866MB
[2] 06: DOS FAT16(>32MB) 125MB

A[3] A5: FreeBSD/old NetBSD/386BSD 2596MB

[4] 05: Extended DOS -

( 1) 83: Linux native 256MB
( 2) 83: Linux native 1153MB
( 3) 83: Linux native 86MB
( 4) 82: Linux swap/Solaris x86 62MB

chgboot device-filename-of-HD

Change the bootable partition in the specified de

vice interactively. If you mark an extended partition bootable,

you can also mark a partition in the bootable extended partition

bootable.

The follwing keys are understood:

Number : mark the selected partition bootable.

w : write back the modified parition table to the

device.

q : quit without any modification to the device

c : clear the bootable mark.

b : back to the parent partition when you are in an

extended partition. If you are in the top level partition, quit

without any modification.

Please read the documantation for more details.

clrboot device-filename-of-HD

marks all partition to be not bootable in a hard

disk specified with the argument "device-filename-of-HD". This

force Extended-IPL to enter partition selection even if shift key

is not pressed down. Original booter in MBR cannot boot OS if

all partition is marked non-bootable. You have to use Extended

IPL to boot something. If BIOS loader of MBR checks the validity

of MBR strictly, it consider the MBR invalid.

In such a case, YOU BECOME UNABLE TO BOOT ANY OS IN

YOUR HARDDISK. BE extremely CAREFUL.

Please read the documantation for more details.

OPTION

extipl command accepts some option flags for speciallized

purpose. Please read the documentation and the source code for

more details.

Options includes:

-d : debug

Option flag for debugging boot code. If you specify

this option, extipl does not install the specified boot code, but

writes out the binary image of boot sector into the file named

"./_BootSec.<nnn>" where <nnn> is the automatic increment

counter.

You can check the content of that image using dump

tool or ndisasm, disassembler for i8086. It may be usefull to im

prove the boot code for Extended-IPL or to develop your own IPL

code.

-f : force install

This option affects only the subcommand "install".

If you specify this option, extipl does not prompt for the name

of backup file and does not prompt for confirmation of install,

but do write it's IPL boot code into MBR in the specified hard

disk silently, and save the contents of the original MBR into

"./fdiskIPL.<nnn>", where <nnn> is a number from 001 to 999. That

number is incremented automatically if that file exists already.

If you don't need that back up file, please remove

it manually.

Usage of the gemini IPL

Initial load

When the boot sequence is started, the string "ex

tipl" is shown on the screen, and the timer is counting. Default

delay for auto startup is 15 seconds (can be modified from the

menu later).

Press <Enter> to boot up from the active partition

immediately. Any other key such as <Space> interrupts this count

down, and the selector menu is displayed.

Selector Menu

The selector menu is divided into three parts: top

line, lower left, and lower right. The top line shows the drive

to boot from, and the access mode (LBA/CHS). The lower left area

shows the partitions, and the lower right shows the available

commands.

You can use cursor key to select an item from the

menu, and <Enter> decides to execute it. When an extended parti

ion is selected, then <Space> key lists the logical partitions in

the selected extended.

Modification of the waiting delay

In the Selector Menu of gemini, you can use "<Alt>

+ t" in order to modify the waiting delay for auto startup. The

unit is second, and the default is 15 seconds. 0-999 can be en

tered here, and "0" means that Selector Menu will be always shown

(i.e. no automatic startup).

Modification of the partition label

In the Selector Menu of gemini, you can use "<Alt>

+ n" in order to modify the partition label for the 1st HDD.

Maximum length of the label is 20 charaters, and the maximum num

ber of labels is 12. To delete the registered label, just press

<Enter> only after using "<Alt> + n". <Esc> cancels the current

input when the label is entered.

Save the current setup for delay and labels

In the Selector Menu of gemini, you can use "<Alt>

+ s" in order to save the modification you done for delay and la

bels.

Usage of the taurus IPL

taurus IPL can not select partition to boot from. Is just

loads the PBR in the active partition. So nothing special to be

done for this.

Usage of the aquila IPL

Initial load

To boot up from the active partition, just wait.

Nothing to be done. To show the selector menu, enable <CapsLock>

after the BIOS keyboard initialization. The usage of this menu

is similar to the old one, so please read the description for

scorpius below.

Usage of the scorpius IPL

<Shift>

Extended-IPL loads and runs the boot sector of the

first bootable partition on the first HDD. If shift key is

pressed when extended-IPL booting, it displays a boot selection

menu.

<0> Select the other HDD.

<1>,<2>,<3>,<4>

Select one of primary/extended/logical partitions

of current HDD to load and run the boot sector in that partition.

<Enter>

Load and run the boot sector of selected partition.

<End> Change the bootable flag of selected partition and

load and run that boot sector.

SEE ALSO

The programs are documented fully at /usr/share/doc/exti

pl/English/extipl.txt in English, or /usr/share/doc/exti

pl/Japanese/extipl.txt in Japanese.

AUTHOR

The author of Extended-IPL is Takamiti Kimura <takami

ti@tsden.org>, English documentation is written by Ryutaroh Mat

sumoto <ryutaroh@tsden.org> and distributed as the part of the

original source archive.

This manual page was originally written by Akira YOSHIYAMA

<yosshy@debian.or.jp>, for the Debian GNU/Linux system. Then

Taketoshi Sano <kgh12351@nifty.ne.jp> update the information to

match the new upstream release.

This man page can be freely used by anyone.

EX

TIPL(8)