Computing Fundementals

BIOS

• Basic in/out system

• In part, it's firmware code run when the pc is first fired

• A type of bootloader

• Identifies and initialises hardware components, eg. videocard etc.

• It's often stored in chips

• Start of memory

• Gets ready to hand control to the OS

BOOTING

• Bootstrapping process

• Starts operating sequence

  • By boot sequence

• Read only memory

• Boot order is configured in the bios and allows order stated where to start booting from

• Hard and soft reboot

• Read first, providing bare-bones access to hardware, then loads the OS

FIRMWARE

• Program embedded in a hardware device or flash memory or binary image file

• Halfway between hardware and software

GRUB

• GNU bootloader

• Alllows multiple OS's

  • Can select various kernal images on various partitions

• Can commminicate via the GRUB prompt

  • Manually boot

  • Or automatically from a configuration file (with .lst)

PROCESS

1. Bios finds primary booting device

2. Loads initial bootstrap from master boot record and transfers control to this code

3. GRUB stage 2, gives interface to select which os

4. Loads kernal to memory

IDE

• Integrated Development Environment

  • Debugger, compiler etc.

GPARTED

• Disks are usually partitioned and non-resizable

• But can do it with Gparted

• For:

  • Space for operating systems

  • Mirroring

• Back up data and the structure of the disc

  • Clonezilla

• Uses GNU libparted

• Gtkmm = www.gtkmm.org

• Dependencies

  • Parted from www.gnu.org/software/parted

• Gparted live = bootable ISO

• IT'S DANGEROUS TO PARTION AN UNMOUNTED DISC

General

• Debian and Red Hat are Linux varients. Eg. apt=yum

• When gparted is started, the drives are scanned and a bar showing their partitions is presented

  • Top left menu

    • First, refresh

    • Second, Which partition you wish to modify

    • Third, gets more info

      • Opens window

        • Supported filetypes

        • Partition editing options

  • Edit

    • Second from left

      • Undo and apply

        • Greyed out

          • Select which partition to use and use

  • View

    • Far left – hard disk operation

      • Useful for multidrive operations

    • Operatives

      • Shows pending operations

    • Device

      • Allows a disc label to be set

  • Partition

    • Most important

    • Some dangerous

      • Delete partition

    • Resize move

      • More useful

    • Format

      • Any supported partition

Operations

• New partitions

  • Select unallocated area

  • New button on toolbar

    • Window appears

      • Choose size

      • Primary/extended/ogical

      • File system

• Delete partition

  • Apply and undo

• Resizing

  • Select

  • Click button on toolbar

  • Window

    • Use mouse

      • Reduce of grow partition (blue circle)

• Copy

  • Select (unmounted)

  • Right click

    • Select 'unmount'

    • Paste

      • Can resize what you are pasting

      • Undo if mistaken

      • Or apply

    • Pending operations can be seen by clicking the arrows on the blue circle

      • Can be harmful

Other tips

• Top right

  • Click arrow in blue circle

    Shows number of drives

    • Select desired

    • Brown lock = mounted

      • Unmount to use

      • Other operations become available

LINUX CONT

To find out which device code relates to a devise: sudo fdisk -l

Eg. sdb1 etc.

Mount it

Sudo mmkdir /mnt/drivename

Create symbolic link

• filemanager

  • File - 'create symbolic link'

    • Select folder /mnt/drivename

To mount, you need a number, as it's actually a partition you are mounting rather than a device. Sudo fdisk -l gives the device number to mount

/etc/fstab

= file system table

Decides on booting what is mounted

Probems booting XP and Xandros

Master Boot Record, gets changed by XP and Xandros doesn't boot.

NTLDR is missing error

Problem, Xandros an image restore and the files that XP puts in the MBR is an over-write. Windows writes to a c drive, which is a partition that Xandros uses for updates. XP write here even if it resides on another disc.

Pupeee = optimised for eee

Installing puppy to the eee pc

MOUNT AN ISO AS A LOOP DEVICE TO BOOT FROM

mkdir disk

sudo mount -o loop nameofiso.iso disc