| 1 | Well, the intention here is to give some insight on Chameleon file loading, as well as providing␊ |
| 2 | detailed info about what files are (or can be) loaded, from what devices, used paths, differences␊ |
| 3 | between paths, if there's user overriding available, etc...␊ |
| 4 | For now, it will just focus on comparing what's available (on trunk) and one of the many "paths"␊ |
| 5 | we can follow (my branch); also, only the most frequently used files are featured.␊ |
| 6 | For the purpose of comparison, there's a FileLoad-trunk.txt similar to this one, that will␊ |
| 7 | reflect the current Chameleon (trunk) status on the matter.␊ |
| 8 | ␊ |
| 9 | To be honest, the info on this file will depend greatly on "feedback"; writing down this stuff it's␊ |
| 10 | not the most pleasing and fruitful task i have to do atm, time is never enough and i don't feel␊ |
| 11 | particularly inspired for the job; so if i see no interest in this, i will ditch it as quickly␊ |
| 12 | as i started it.␊ |
| 13 | ␊ |
| 14 | ␊ |
| 15 | Note: unless other wise specified, first file found is the one used.␊ |
| 16 | ␊ |
| 17 | Before we go on:␊ |
| 18 | - Selected volume = root volume (volume/partition were a system is installed)␊ |
| 19 | - Booter volume = boot volume (volume/partition were the bootloader installed)␊ |
| 20 | ␊ |
| 21 | ␉␉␉␉---------------//---------------//---------------␊ |
| 22 | ␉␉␉␉␉␉␉␉␉azimutz␊ |
| 23 | ␉␉␉␉---------------//---------------//---------------␊ |
| 24 | ␊ |
| 25 | ␊ |
| 26 | - Extra extensions (kext)␊ |
| 27 | ␊ |
| 28 | Default name:␉Extensions (a directory with kext/s)␊ |
| 29 | Name override:␉No␊ |
| 30 | ␊ |
| 31 | Default path/s: User override␊ |
| 32 | ␉␉␉␉rd(0,0)/Extensions␉␉␉␉␉␉␉␉␉␉- ramdisk␊ |
| 33 | ␉␉␉␉bt(0,0)/Extra/specificOSfolder/Extensions␉␉␉␉- booter volume or ramdisk aliased as bt(0,0) (1*)␊ |
| 34 | ␉␉␉␉bt(0,0)/Extra/Extensions␉␉␉␉␉␉␉␉- same as above␊ |
| 35 | ␉␉␉␉Helper partition/s:␊ |
| 36 | ␉␉␉␉␉- Apple_Boot (2*): checked only if exists␊ |
| 37 | ␉␉␉␉␉␉/com.apple.boot.P/System/Library/Extensions␊ |
| 38 | ␉␉␉␉␉␉/com.apple.boot.R/System/Library/Extensions␊ |
| 39 | ␉␉␉␉␉␉/com.apple.boot.S/System/Library/Extensions␊ |
| 40 | Path override: Yes␊ |
| 41 | ␊ |
| 42 | User override: kext=path to folder with Extensions sub folder; e.g. /Extra/drivers/␊ |
| 43 | ␉␉␉␉Note: see CHANGES.txt, (revs 337 --> 360), second Change.␊ |
| 44 | ␉␉␉␉␊ |
| 45 | ␉-------/-/------- - same search scheme as above.␊ |
| 46 | ␊ |
| 47 | - Extra extensions (mkext)␊ |
| 48 | ␊ |
| 49 | Default name: Extensions.mkext (kext cache)␊ |
| 50 | Name override: No␊ |
| 51 | ␊ |
| 52 | Default path/s: User override␊ |
| 53 | ␉␉␉␉rd(0,0)/Extensions.mkext␊ |
| 54 | ␉␉␉␉bt(0,0)/Extra/specificOSfolder/Extensions.mkext␊ |
| 55 | ␉␉␉␉bt(0,0)/Extra/Extensions.mkext␊ |
| 56 | ␉␉␉␉Helper partition/s:␊ |
| 57 | ␉␉␉␉␉␉/com.apple.boot.P/System/Library/Extensions.mkext␊ |
| 58 | ␉␉␉␉␉␉/com.apple.boot.R/System/Library/Extensions.mkext␊ |
| 59 | ␉␉␉␉␉␉/com.apple.boot.S/System/Library/Extensions.mkext␊ |
| 60 | Path override: Yes␊ |
| 61 | ␊ |
| 62 | User override: kext=path to folder with a Extensions.mkext; e.g. /Extra/drivers/␊ |
| 63 | ␉␉␉␉Note: see CHANGES.txt, (revs 337 --> 360), second Change.␊ |
| 64 | ␉␉␉␉␊ |
| 65 | ␉␉␉␉---------------//---------------//---------------␊ |
| 66 | ␊ |
| 67 | - Default configuration file (plist)␊ |
| 68 | ␊ |
| 69 | Default name: com.apple.Boot.plist␊ |
| 70 | Name override: No␊ |
| 71 | ␊ |
| 72 | Default path/s: (3*)␊ |
| 73 | ␉␉␉␉bt(0,0)/Extra/com.apple.Boot.plist␊ |
| 74 | ␉␉␉␉/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.Boot.plist␊ |
| 75 | ␉␉␉␉Helper partition/s:␊ |
| 76 | ␉␉␉␉␉␉/com.apple.boot.P/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.Boot.plist␊ |
| 77 | ␉␉␉␉␉␉/com.apple.boot.R/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.Boot.plist␊ |
| 78 | ␉␉␉␉␉␉/com.apple.boot.S/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.Boot.plist␊ |
| 79 | Path override: No␊ |
| 80 | ␊ |
| 81 | ␉␉␉␉---------------//---------------//---------------␊ |
| 82 | ␊ |
| 83 | - Override configuration file (plist)␊ |
| 84 | ␊ |
| 85 | Default name: com.apple.Boot.plist␊ |
| 86 | Name override: Yes␊ |
| 87 | ␊ |
| 88 | Default path/s: User override␊ |
| 89 | ␉␉␉␉rd(0,0)/com.apple.Boot.plist␊ |
| 90 | ␉␉␉␉bt(0,0)/Extra/specificOSfolder/com.apple.Boot.plist␊ |
| 91 | ␉␉␉␉(4*)␊ |
| 92 | Path override: Yes␊ |
| 93 | ␊ |
| 94 | User override: config=path to file; e.g. /Extra/test/com.apple.Boot.plist or /Extra/b.plist␊ |
| 95 | ␊ |
| 96 | ␉␉␉␉---------------//---------------//---------------␊ |
| 97 | ␊ |
| 98 | - ACPI table (aml)␊ |
| 99 | ␊ |
| 100 | Default name: dsdt.aml␊ |
| 101 | Name override: Yes␊ |
| 102 | ␊ |
| 103 | Default path/s: User override␊ |
| 104 | ␉␉␉␉rd(0,0)/dsdt.aml␊ |
| 105 | ␉␉␉␉bt(0,0)/Extra/specificOSfolder/dsdt.aml␊ |
| 106 | ␉␉␉␉bt(0,0)/Extra/dsdt.aml␊ |
| 107 | Path override: Yes␊ |
| 108 | ␊ |
| 109 | User override: DSDT=path to file; e.g. rd(0,0)/Extra/dsdt.aml or /Extra/test.aml␊ |
| 110 | ␊ |
| 111 | ␉-------/-/-------␊ |
| 112 | ssdt.aml (5*)␊ |
| 113 | ␉␉␉␉---------------//---------------//---------------␊ |
| 114 | ␊ |
| 115 | - SMBIOS (plist)␊ |
| 116 | ␊ |
| 117 | Default name: smbios.plist␊ |
| 118 | Name override: Yes␊ |
| 119 | ␊ |
| 120 | Default path/s: User override␊ |
| 121 | ␉␉␉␉rd(0,0)/smbios.plist␊ |
| 122 | ␉␉␉␉bt(0,0)/Extra/specificOSfolder/smbios.plist␊ |
| 123 | ␉␉␉␉bt(0,0)/Extra/smbios.plist␊ |
| 124 | Path override: Yes␊ |
| 125 | ␊ |
| 126 | User override: SMBIOS=path to file; e.g. bt(0,0)/Extra/smbios.plist or /Extra/MP21.plist␊ |
| 127 | ␊ |
| 128 | ␉␉␉␉---------------//---------------//---------------␊ |
| 129 | ␊ |
| 130 | - ramdisk (dmg)␊ |
| 131 | ␊ |
| 132 | Default name: Preboot.dmg␊ |
| 133 | Name override: Yes␊ |
| 134 | ␊ |
| 135 | Default path/s: User override␊ |
| 136 | ␉␉␉␉bt(0,0)/Extra/Preboot.dmg␊ |
| 137 | Path override: Yes␊ |
| 138 | ␊ |
| 139 | User override: rd=path to file; e.g. /Extra/Preboot.dmg or /Leo.dmg␊ |
| 140 | ␊ |
| 141 | ␉␉␉␉---------------//---------------//---------------␊ |
| 142 | ␊ |
| 143 | ␉␉␉␉---------------//---------------//---------------␊ |
| 144 | ␊ |
| 145 | ␊ |
| 146 | (1*)␊ |
| 147 | Ramdisks (rd) are simple image files (dmg, etc...) most commonly associated with the pre-boot discs␊ |
| 148 | used to boot retail Mac OS X Installer dvd's; in this case, they are used to load needed files into␊ |
| 149 | memory, before discs can be swapped. But, pre-boot it's not their only use; they can be loaded from␊ |
| 150 | any device the booter has access to and used to test/load, from kexts to complete boot configurations.␊ |
| 151 | A rd aliased as bt(0,0), is a normal rd with a btalias activated pointing to it. The btalias is activated␊ |
| 152 | via a configuration file placed on the root of the rd (RAMDisk.plist), using the pair BTAlias=y.␊ |
| 153 | When this alias is activated on a rd, all paths started by bt(0,0) (pointing to the Booter volume)␊ |
| 154 | will instead point to the rd. This makes rd's aliased as bt, ideal to load full sets of files,␊ |
| 155 | like when using the mentioned pre-boot discs.␊ |
| 156 | ␊ |
| 157 | (2*)␊ |
| 158 | Helper partitions - boot support partitions (Apple_Boot)␊ |
| 159 | Need to gather more info on these, since i have no experience with them.␊ |
| 160 | All i can say for now is that /com.apple.boot.P /com.apple.boot.R /com.apple.boot.S are directories on␊ |
| 161 | Apple_boot partitions. So far, the only real case scenario i could find that uses these partitions is␊ |
| 162 | software RAID, were the root partition can't be accessed before the "software RAID" is running.␊ |
| 163 | In this situation, these partitions are used as Booter volume and hold the necessary files, that on a␊ |
| 164 | normal setup are loaded directly from the root volume (were the system is installed).␊ |
| 165 | Here is a link to the only decent explanation i ever found on the net:␊ |
| 166 | http://lists.apple.com/archives/boot-dev/2009/May/msg00009.html␊ |
| 167 | ␊ |
| 168 | (RPS) Rock, Paper, Scissors (the next beats the previous)␊ |
| 169 | ␊ |
| 170 | (3*)␊ |
| 171 | I'm not searching /Extra/com.apple.Boot.plist on Default paths (c.a.B.plist on selected volume).␊ |
| 172 | The reason is pretty evident, if we don't forget that this booter only loads files from booter volume.␊ |
| 173 | But that's not all; there's also a concept so, for now i'm going to focus only on it.␊ |
| 174 | The concept is: Default configuration file should be loaded either from the Booter volume or from one␊ |
| 175 | of the default system paths.␊ |
| 176 | Why? Because it's the Default configuration file, with the Default configuration files, that the booter␊ |
| 177 | is supposed to use by Default, on a hands-off situation. All these values can still be override by␊ |
| 178 | the user in more ways than one, if the user wishes so! (read 4*)␊ |
| 179 | Wish we could use just "One" default path!??␊ |
| 180 | ␊ |
| 181 | (4*)␊ |
| 182 | Here i have my doubts if what i have is the ideal, if there's any ideal situation to follow?!␊ |
| 183 | Anyway, explaining what i have now and why.␊ |
| 184 | I'm not searching Default paths for now because:␊ |
| 185 | - they are already checked when loading the Default configuration. In "many" situations␊ |
| 186 | (not to say "most") this will just be reloading the already loaded values.␊ |
| 187 | - on this booter, Selected volume is replaced by the use of a specific OS folder so, in some sense␊ |
| 188 | the selected volume is still checked. And there's also a override key!␊ |
| 189 | ␊ |
| 190 | My doubts are related to the fact that, searching default paths here does make sense (in a way)␊ |
| 191 | and i'm not entirely sure that's not needed in some configurations?! It's just that, the way␊ |
| 192 | it's done now it gets confuse...␊ |
| 193 | Does using a different name for the Override configuration file make any sense??␊ |
| 194 | ␊ |
| 195 | (5*)␊ |
| 196 | ssdt: need to gather more info on these, since i have no experience with them.␊ |
| 197 | As far as i understand, same paths as for dsdt.aml are used and if anything different from "dsdt.aml"␊ |
| 198 | is found, it's loaded. 30 tables can be loaded and must be named as:␊ |
| 199 | ssdt.aml, ssdt-1.aml, ssdt-2.aml,... ssdt-30.aml ??? bla bla bla... damn confusion :-/␊ |
| 200 | ␊ |
| 201 | ␊ |
| 202 | reminder:␊ |
| 203 | - no ambiguous paths␊ |
| 204 | - what override paths can be used.␊ |
| 205 | ␊ |
| 206 | ␉␉␉␉␉---------------//...still plenty to edit...//---------------␊ |
| 207 | ␉␉␉␉␉---------------//...still plenty brainstorm...//---------------␊ |
| 208 | ␊ |
| 209 | ␊ |
| 210 | ␊ |
| 211 | Azimutz␊ |
| 212 | ␊ |
| 213 | ␊ |
| 214 | |
