Re: Proposal to enhance boot path selections

On Sun, 11 May 2025, Greg Troxel wrote:

> Paul Goyette <[email protected]> writes:
>
>>> Yup, I think you're missing the fact that all of this relates to the
>>> ratther new-ish KERNEL_DIR option, support for which was only recently
>>> completed (by myself).  KERNEL_DIR is described briefly in options(4),
>>> and it is noted in both CHANGES and UPDATING.
>>
>> Correction, KERNEL_DIR is described in mk.conf(5).  It is a build.sh
>> option.
>
> Is how one interacts with it described in boot(8)?  It seems like it
> should be.  (The build where I went to read that man page is from May
> 5.)

I am updating x86/boot(8) now.

> Beyond that, if one uses that by specifying a directory, which contains
> a kernel and modules, then I don't see why slashes should have anything
> to do with it.   It would simply be
>
>  if filename(which is really pathname?) refers to a directory
>  AND
>  the KERNEL_DIR option is enabled in the boot loader(?)

KERNEL_DIR is always enabled in the current boot loader, to enable
smoother transition.

>
>  then
>
>  bootcode tries to find a kernel and modules in that directory, and if
>  so, boots them, and if not prints an error
>
> so I don't understand the discussiion about if/then rules relating to slashes.

All of this is to ease transition and retain usefulness of existing
"muscle memory".


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