loader.4th(8)

NAME

loader.4th - loader.conf processing tools

DESCRIPTION

The file that goes by the name of loader.4th is a set of

commands
designed to manipulate loader.conf(5) files. The default

/boot/loader.rc
includes loader.4th and uses one of its commands to automat

ically read
and process the standard loader.conf(5) files. Other com

mands exists to
help the user specify alternate configurations.

The commands of loader.4th by themselves are not enough for

most uses.
Please refer to the examples below for the most common situ

ations, and to
loader(8) for additional commands.

Before using any of the commands provided in loader.4th, it

must be
included through the command:

include loader.4th

This line is present in the default /boot/loader.rc file, so

it is not
needed (and should not be re-issued) in a normal setup.

The commands provided by it are:

boot
boot kernelname [...]
boot directory [...]
boot -flag ... Boot as specified by the load

er.conf(5)

files read.

Depending on the arguments

passed, it can
override boot flags and either

the kernel
name or the search path for

kernel and modules.

boot-conf
boot-conf kernelname [...] boot-conf directory [...] boot-conf -flag ... Works like boot described

above, but instead

of booting immediately, uses

autoboot, so it
can be stopped.

start Reads

/boot/defaults/loader.conf, all other

loader.conf(5) files specified

in it, and
then proceeds to boot as speci

fied in them.
This is the command used in the

default
/boot/loader.rc file, and it

uses the
autoboot command (see load

er(8)), so it can
be stopped for further interac

tion with
loader(8).

initialize Initialize the supporting li

brary so com

mands can be used without exe

cuting start
first. Like start, reads
/boot/defaults/loader.conf and

all other
loader.conf(5) files specified

in it.
Returns a flag on the stack to

indicate if
any configuration file was suc

cessfully
loaded.

read-conf filename Reads and processes a load

er.conf(5) file.

Does not proceed to boot.

enable-module module Enables the loading of module.

disable-module module Disables the loading of module.

toggle-module module Toggles the loading of module

on and off.

show-module module Shows the information gathered

in the

loader.conf(5) files about the

module
module.

retry Used inside loader.conf(5)

files to specify

the action after a module load

ing fails.

ignore Used inside loader.conf(5)

files to specify

the action after a module load

ing fails.

FILES

/boot/loader The loader(8).
/boot/loader.4th loader.4th itself.
/boot/loader.rc loader(8) bootstrapping script.
/boot/defaults/loader.conf

File loaded by the start command.

EXAMPLES

Standard /boot/loader.rc:

include /boot/loader.4th
start

Load a different kernel with the standard configuration:

set kernel="kernel.old"
unload
boot-conf

Read an additional configuration file and then proceed to

boot:

unload
read-conf /boot/special.conf
boot-conf

Disable the loading of the splash screen module and bitmap

and then proceed to boot:

unload
disable-module splash_bmp
disable-module bitmap
boot-conf

SEE ALSO

loader.conf(5), loader(8)

HISTORY

The loader.4th set of commands first appeared in FreeBSD

3.2.

AUTHORS

The loader.4th set of commands was written by Daniel C. So

bral
<dcs@FreeBSD.org>.

BUGS

A British espionage series.

BSD September 30, 2004

BSD