Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- userdoc:system-boot-process [2014/05/30 16:27]
abelbeck
+++ userdoc:system-boot-process [2022/05/31 08:23]
abelbeck
@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 **Disk Partitions:**
-The AstLinux image (.img.gz) you originally downloaded only contains a 256 MB, FAT16 partition, intended to be byte-for-byte copied to flash storage of some form.
+The AstLinux image (.img.gz) you originally downloaded contains a single 256 MB, FAT16 partition, intended to be byte-for-byte copied to flash storage of some form.
-Assuming the **[[new-install|New Installation]]** instructions were followed and successful, your flash storage now has one or (optionally) two Linux ext2 partitions added after the FAT16 partition to fill the total capacity of the drive.
+Assuming the **[[new-install|New Installation]]** instructions were followed and successful, your flash storage now has two Linux ext2 partitions added after the FAT16 partition to fill the total capacity of the drive.
+The first Linux ext2 partition has a partition label of ASTURW which is a unionfs/overlay read-write partition that allows the read-only firmware mount to have files added or superseded with the corresponding ASTURW files.
+A second ext2 partition has a partition label of ASTKD which is a read-write partition that is mounted as ''/mnt/kd/'' .
+Separate unionfs/overlay (ASTURW) and ''/mnt/kd'' (ASTKD) partitions:
+  | FAT16 ~256 MB | ext2 ASTURW ~256 MB | ext2 ASTKD ----- |
 \\
@@ Line 20: / Line 27: @@
 SYSLINUX is a boot loader for the Linux operating system which runs on an MS-DOS FAT16 filesystem.  The primary (and default) purpose of SYSLINUX is to launch RUNNIX to then boot AstLinux, but as you can see from the SYSLINUX menu a few more options are also available.
-  ##################################
+  #########################################
-  #  RUNNIX - AstLinux bootloader  #
+  #  RUNNIX - AstLinux x86_64 bootloader  #
-  ##################################
+  #########################################
    runnix)  RUNNIX boot (default)
@@ Line 38: / Line 45: @@
 Typing ''shell'' or ''ssh'' at the ''boot:'' prompt will still launch RUNNIX, but will signal it to not proceed to launch AstLinux but rather stop at a Linux shell prompt.
+!!Tip ->!! Hit the backspace key at the boot prompt to allow more time before typing ''shell'' or ''ssh''.
 \\
@@ Line 44: / Line 53: @@
 RUNNIX is a boot loader specifically for AstLinux, consisting of a very small Linux kernel, trimmed busybox and file utilities e2fsprogs and dosfstools.
-By default RUNNIX will execute a shell script to determine which AstLinux firmware image should be loaded and 'kexec' using it.
+By default **[[userdoc:tt_runnix|RUNNIX]]** will execute a shell script to determine which AstLinux firmware image should be loaded and 'kexec' using it, thereby launching AstLinux.
 Alternatively, if ''shell'' or ''ssh'' was specified at the ''boot:'' prompt RUNNIX will not proceed to launch AstLinux but rather stop at a Linux shell prompt.  An experienced administrator can perform low level diagnostics, possibly fix a damaged partition, or even install the FAT16 partition to an internal flash drive.
@@ Line 52: / Line 61: @@
 Launching the AstLinux kernel is last step to the boot process.  An "initrd" is used to setup the unionfs/overlay file system.