Documentation

[Treutwein Bernhard]

Hi,

> To: "Grub maintenance" <address@hidden>
> Subject: grub documentation
> Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2002 08:53:06 -0400
> From: address@hidden
> 
> 
> I am reporting not a bug, but an omission from the documentation; at
> least I have not been able to operate/boot with grub; even after
> having read all the docs.
> 
> The system I run is taken from Debian:
>   grub-doc_0.91-2_all.deb
>   grub_0.91-2_i386.deb
> from which I got the HTML documentation files.
> 
> 
> In reading the docs (which are well written, by and large), I found
> they describe quite adequately the "how it works" aspects, but not the
> "how to make it work" (= how it has to run on a system, or 
> how to use it).  
> For example,in describing how to make a boot floppy, this is 
> done easily 
> from theinfo given, and the system does start, but hangs 
> after reporting that
> grub has been loaded (only the 2 files mentioned were put on 
> the floppy).  
> 

hmm, I had a similar problem that was due to my hardware setup.
After having corrected the wrong settings, Grub showed ist command
line interface, when booting from such a floppy.

> There is a (rather incomplete) description of the configuration file,
> and all the applicable commands are listed, but not which commands are
> required for a given system, and, more seriously, not when and if the
> configuration file is read.  
> 

again, hmm, you're right something like a hands on tutorial or a Grub 
HOWTO would really be nice, also a collection of working menu.lst files 
serving as examples.

I also think that there should be a kind of troubleshooting section
in the Grub docu. I guess any volunteer will be welcome for setting
up such stuff ...

> I presume that the docs can be made much more useful and direct by
> including a fuller description of the config file, when it is read,
> how to install it on the boot floppy [if it belongs there for a
> floppy-boot], and what is needed in that file if the system does an
> auto-boot from the hard disk.  It might be useful to give simple
> examples of these config files for one or two cases, e.g. the
> auto-boot from hard disk, and the emergency bootup from the floppy.
> 
> For your info, the reason why I tried grub; no need to reply, but
> please add to the documentation!
>