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INSTALL-MBR !!!INSTALL-MBR NAME SYNOPSIS DESCRIPTION OPTIONS EXAMPLES DIAGNOSTICS SEE ALSO BUGS AUTHOR ---- !!NAME install-mbr - install a Master Boot Record manager !!SYNOPSIS __install-mbr__ __target''''--force__] [[__--install__ __path''''--keep__] [[__--list__] [[__--no-act__] [[__--offset__ __offset'' ''--y2kbug__[[__=utc__|__=local__]] [[__--parameters__ __path''''--reset__] [[__--table__ __path''''--verbose__] [[__--version__] [[__--help__] [[__--drive__ __drive''''--enable__ __options''''--interrupt__ __keys''''--partition__ __parition''''--timeout__ __timeout'''' !!DESCRIPTION __install-mbr__ installs and configures a Master Boot Record manager on a device. The behaviour of the boot manager is determined by the options given on the command line. __target'' '' !!OPTIONS __Installation options__ These options change the way the installation program operates. __--force__, __-f__ This option currently overrides a check to make sure the specified target is valid. __--install__ __path''''-I__ __path'''' This option may be used to install code other than that which is built in to __install-mbr__. It is mainly useful for testing, but may be used to install older versions of the MBR. __--keep__, __-k__ This option instructs the installer to modify the parameters stored in the MBR without updating the code. __--list__, __-l__ This option may be used to view the parameters being installed in the MBR. It implies the __--no-act__ and __--keep__ flags unless an option other than __--offset__, __--verbose__ or __--list__ is given. This allows the contents of the MBR to be examined. __--no-act__, __-n__ This option ensures that the target is not modified, as it is opened in read-only mode. __--offset__ __offset''''-o__ __offset'''' This option may be used to install the MBR somewhere other than the start of the target. The offset specifies the number of bytes from the start of the target at which the MBR should be installed. For example, an offset of 128 may be used for DOSEMU disk images. __--y2kbug__[[__=utc__|__=local__|__=off__], __-y__[[__u__|__l__|__-__] This option specifies the status of the Y2K bug fix parameter. When set, an alternative MBR is installed that fixes a Y2K bug in some BIOSes that causes them to always boot up the machine with the year ranging from 94 to 99. This MBR stores the current month and year and sets the year based on this when the computer is booted. It also increases the year automatically when the current month is lower than the month of the last boot. The initial year and month are set based on the current system time converted to UTC or the local time as specified by the argument. If the argument is not specified, the default is read from /etc/default/rcS. Due to space limitations, the alternative version of the MBR does not display the word MBR as it boots. If the argument is __=off__ or __-__ the Y2K bug fix is disabled. __WARNING:__ The Y2K bug fix will work fine until you want to set the date backwards. When you do want to do this, you will need to reinstall the MBR. You cannot just set the date in the BIOS (since the whole point of this option is that the year provided by the BIOS is ignored). __--parameters__ __path''''-P__ __path'''' This option may be used to copy parameters from somewhere other than the target. The path specifies a location where a version of this MBR has been installed and parameters are read from there. It could be used to copy parameters from one disk to another disk. __--reset__, __-r__ This option is used to reset the boot parameters to the state found in the code being installed (or code which would be installed if __--keep__ were not specified). __--table__ __path''''-T__ __path'''' The master boot record currently uses the partition table in the sector which contains it to locate boot sectors (This behaviour may change with future versions of the MBR, in which case the option may be withdrawn). The __--table__ option is used to copy a partition table from another location to the target location. Any data stored on the target disk may be lost (as the partition table is overwritten), so this option should be used with extreme caution. As the partition table is copied, any changes made to the original partition table will not be noticed. This option is only provided to make installation to floppy easy. __--verbose__, __-v__ When invoked with this option, __install-mbr__ will display some information about what it is doing. __--version__, __-V__ This option will cause __install-mbr__ to display it's version number and exit. __--help__, __-h__ This option will cause __install-mbr__ to display a help message and exit. __Parameter options__ These options change the parameters stored within the Master Boot Record. __--drive__ __drive''''-d__ __drive'''' This option instructs the MBR to boot a drive other than the first hard disk. It may be specified in decimal or hexadecimal if prefixed with 0x. Hard disks are numbered starting from 128 (0x80). __--enable__ __option''''-e__ __option'''' This option sets the list of boot sectors which may be loaded (or advanced mode). A boot sector may be loaded from one of the first 4 partitions of the disk, or from the first floppy drive. Use __--enable +____spec'' ''--enable -____spec'' ''--enable =____spec'' ''spec''''spec'' '' __1__, __2__, __3__, __4__ The specified partition number. __F__ The first floppy disk. __A__ Advanced mode (not a boot sector). __--interrupt__ __mode''''-i__ __mode'''' This option sets the list of events which will cause the MBR to display it's prompt. Use -i + __s__ A shift or control key is pressed. __k__ A non shift-like key is pressed __a__ The prompt is always displayed. __n__ Never display the prompt (unless an error occurs). __-p__ __partn''''--partition__ __partn'''' This specifies the default boot sector to load. Valid values of partn'''' __1__, __2__, __3__, __4__ The specified partition number. __F__ The first floppy disk. __D__ The partition marked with the bootable flag in the partition table. __-t__ __timeout''''--timeout__ __timeout'''' This option changes the time which the MBR waits for before booting the default partition to the value specified in 1/18 seconds (approx). The maximum timeout that can be specified is 65534 which is about an hour. !!EXAMPLES __install-mbr /dev/fd0 -T /dev/hda__ Install the default MBR image on __/dev/fd0__, taking the partition table from __/dev/hda__. __install-mbr -kr /dev/hda__ Reset the parameters on __/dev/hda__ without installing any new code. __install-mbr -I my-mbr -T /dev/hda -P my-parameters /dev/fd0__ Install to __/dev/fd0__, taking code from __my-mbr__, partition table from and parameters from my-parameters. __install-mbr -l -o 128 hdimage__ List the parameters stored at offset 128 in __hdimage__ (may be a DOSEMU image). __install-mbr -d 0x81 -T /dev/hdb /dev/fd0__ Install on __/dev/fd0__ to boot from BIOS drive 129 (0x81) with partition table copied from __/dev/hdb__. __install-mbr -e 13 /dev/hda__ __install-mbr -e 2 -e =13 /dev/hda__ __install-mbr -e1 -e3 /dev/hda__ Enable booting from partitions 1 and 3 on __/dev/hda__. Other locations are disabled. __install-mbr -e +f-a -i sk /dev/hda__ Enabled booting from the floppy drive, and disable advanced mode. Display the prompt if any shift, control or non shift-like key is pressed. Other settings are untouched. !!DIAGNOSTICS __Cannot handle MBR version n (backwards compatible to n)__ This error means that the version of MBR which is being installed is not known about by this installer. Such files cannot have their parameters read or written. If such a newer version is installed, it can be downgraded by specifying the __--reset__ option (without specifying __--keep__). !!SEE ALSO lilo(8) !!BUGS The operation of __--list__ may be confusing. !!AUTHOR __install-mbr__ was written for the Debian project by Neil Turton __ ----
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