Bootloader

[_mark]

If you feel a need to comment, what are the features you like best about your current bootloader?

[Whatever5k]

GRUB: easy, flexible and powerful - I don't have to worry writing my own one, which is not part of an Operating System

[distantvoices]

grub: you can boot your kernel from an existing file system which you want to implement later ... and you don't have to worry about how to realize this in an self written boot loader. I have "written" a boot loader just how to see if i am able to stuff such a thing together with some amount of research.

But since I am now busy with the fun stuff: writing process management algorithms and device driver frame set, i don't bother about bootloader at the moment. Later maybe just to have something to brag with.

[Pype.Clicker]

i would have used GRUB if i knew it earlier ... I didn't, so i firstly wrote a DOS-based loader and then patched GeekOS bootsector (based on Linus Thorvalds' one ) to boot my loader ...

maybe in the future i will turn back to GRUB, but so far it seems useless extra work ...

[shad]

Grub is cool and all.. but once your done with the kernel and want to show your "neat" os to everyone, grub is kind of a turn off.. and you'll have to worry about the bootloader at some point so why not get it working.

[Pype.Clicker]

imho, the bootloader is somewhat separate from the kernel development itself. It's a matter of what you want to develop. If you want to program a powerful bootloader, go for it. If you want to create an OS kernel, why not using GRUB

[distantvoices]

I don't understand, why grub is considered to be a turn off when it comes to presentation of a self developed kernel to others.

It is just a sign that one is willing to use given ressources, which is in my humble opinion a wise way.

It's as with project leadship: you have to decide, where you put focus.

[_mark]

It was not my intention to start another debat on why or why not to use GRUB. I really wanted to know what percentage of people used thier own bootloader vs. the other popular pre-canned bootloaders. And optionally the feature set you liked best about the bootloader you used.

_mark()

[jamescox3k]

I use GRUB: It's GRand it's Unifide and it's a Bootloader!!!

Serosly though, grub can give a realy good first impresion of your OS if you use a graphical menu like SuSE Linux dose.

Also SuSE Linux pro is a good OS for OS dev it come with all the tools you (I) need.

[Nairou]

I currently use GRUB. It currently does everything I need it to do. Besides, I like being standards-compliant.

GRUB does have some very minor limitations (use of block lists, no ability to change video modes before loading the kernel, etc.), so I'm considering the possibility of creating a new multiboot-compliant bootloader in the future if GRUB isn't better by then.

[jamescox3k]

GRUB can change display modes. This is how it manages to do graphical menus with all the pictures and so on.

[slacker]

a bootloader is very easy to make when your dealing with your own operating system since it proboly has a small kernel. i feel as if my bootloader IS part of my OS.

[nuno_silva_pt]

How can i createm a bootloader?

[Pype.Clicker]

How can i createm a bootloader?

by reading the BIOS int 13h documents, and the boot process description. The bootloader is just a piece of software that will read the kernel out of the disk and then jump it (nowadays, it also includes switching to protected mode, most of the time