bootadm(1M) bootadm(1M)
NAME
bootadm - manage bootability of GRUB-enabled operating system
SYNOPSIS
/sbin/bootadm update-archive [-vn] [-R altroot]
/sbin/bootadm list-archive [-vn] [-R altroot]
only
/sbin/bootadm set-menu [-R altroot] key=value
/sbin/bootadm list-menu [-R altroot]
The bootadm command manages the boot archive and GRUB (GRand Unified Bootloader) menu. The update-archive option provides a way for user to
update the boot archive as a preventative measure or as part of the recovery procedure. The set-menu subcommand allows you to switch the
auto-boot timeout and default boot entry in the GRUB menu.
The list-menu subcommand displays the location of the GRUB menu and the current GRUB menu entries. While the typical location of the GRUB
menu is /boot/grub/menu.lst, depending on the install method used the active GRUB menu might be located somewhere else. Use the list-menu
subcommand to locate the active GRUB menu. For example, if a system was installed using Live Upgrade, the GRUB menu might not be located in
the current boot environment. See the section for typical output from the list-menu option.
Note that a SPARC system does not have the concept of a boot archive. The bootadm command on a SPARC system is intended for managing disk-
less clients.
SUBCOMMANDS
The bootadm command has the following subcommands:
update-archive
Updates current boot archive if required. Applies to both SPARC and platforms.
list-archive
Lists the files and directories to be included in the boot archive. Applies to both SPARC and platforms.
set-menu
Maintain the GRUB menu. The current GRUB menu is boot/grub/menu.lst, relative to root. Do not depend on this location, because it is
subject to change. Applies to platforms only.
list-menu
Lists the location of the active GRUB menu, as well as the current GRUB menu entries. This includes the autoboot-timeout, the default
entry number, and the title of each entry. Applies to platforms only.
The bootadm command has the following options:
-v
In an update-archive operation, stale files are displayed on stderr.
-n
In an update-archive operation, archive content is checked but not updated.
-R altroot
Operation is applied to an alternate root path.
Note - The root file system of any non-global zones must not be referenced with the -R option. Doing so might damage the global zone's
file system, might compromise the security of the global zone, and might damage the non-global zone's file system. See
zones(5).
key=value
Possible values are:
default=entrynum
The item number (for example, 0, 1, or 2) in the GRUB menu designating the operating system to boot when the timer expires.
timeout=seconds
The number of seconds before the operating system designated by the default item number is booted. If the value is -1, auto boot is
disabled.
Example 1: Updating the Current Boot Archive
The following command updates the current boot archive:
# bootadm update-archive
Example 2: Updating the Boot Archive on an Alternate Root
The following command updates the boot archive on an alternate root:
# bootadm update-archive -R /a
Example 3: Listing Installed OS Instances
The following command lists the installed operating system instances in a GRUB menu:
# bootadm list-menu
default=0
timeout=10(0) Solaris10(1) Solaris10 Failsafe(2) Linux
Example 4: Switching Default Boot Entry
The following command refers to the menu displayed in the previous example. The user selects Linux (item 2).
# bootadm set-menu default=2
Example 5: Listing GRUB Menu Entries and Location of GRUB Menu
The following command lists the GRUB menu entries and the location of the GRUB menu:
# bootadm list-menu
The location for the active GRUB menu is: /stubboot/boot/grub/menu.lst
default 0
timeout 10
0 Solaris10
1 Solaris10 failsafe
2 Linux
Example 6: Displaying Location of GRUB Menu
The following command displays the location of the GRUB menu:
# bootadm list-menu
The location for the active GRUB menu is: /dev/dsk/c0t1d0s0 (not mounted)
The filesystem type of the menu device is <ufs>
default 2
timeout 10
0 c0t1d0s3
1 c0t1d0s3 failsafe
2 Solaris10
3 Solaris10 failsafe
In this example, the active GRUB menu is located on a device which is not mounted. To access the GRUB menu, mount the device and access the
GRUB menu at <mountpoint>/boot/grub/menu.lst.
The following exit values are returned:
0
The command completed successfully.
1
The command exited due to an error.
See attributes(5) for descriptions of the following attributes:
+-----------------------------+-----------------------------+
| ATTRIBUTE TYPE | ATTRIBUTE VALUE |
+-----------------------------+-----------------------------+
|Availability |SUNWcsu |
+-----------------------------+-----------------------------+
|Interface Stability |Stable |
+-----------------------------+-----------------------------+
boot(1M), installgrub(1M), attributes(5)
The GRUB home page:
http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/
10 Oct 2005 bootadm(1M)