3.4. Implementation

3.4.1. System startup

Follow these steps to boot:

• Restart the PC using the boot disk from the previous chapter.

• At the grub> prompt, type kernel (fd0)/boot/vmlinuz init=/bin/sh root=/dev/fd0 load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=1 and press Enter.

• Type boot at the grub> prompt and press Enter.

• Insert the new, compressed root disk when prompted.

The screen output should be similar to the following example:

GNU GRUB version 0.95

grub> kernel (fd0)/boot/vmlinuz init=/bin/sh root=/dev/fd0 load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=1
   [Linux-bzImage, setup=0xc00, size=0xce29b]

grub> boot

Linux version 2.4.26
..
.. [various kernel messages]
..
VFS: Insert root floppy disk to be loaded into RAM disk and press ENTER
RAMDISK: Compressed image found at block 0
VFS: Mounted root (ext2 filesystem) readonly.
Freeing unused kernel memory: 178k freed
# _

3.4.2. Verify results

If the implementation was successful, this new root disk should behave exactly like the root disk from the previous chapter. The key difference is that this compressed root disk has much more room to grow and we will put this extra space to good use in the next phase of the project.

3.4.3. System shutdown

Remove the diskette from fd0 and restart the system using CTRL-ALT-DELETE.