helpUsing the Help SystemThe boot loader online help is context sensitive. It gives information about the selected menu item or, if you are editing boot options, it tries to look up information about the option in which the cursor is positioned.

Navigation Keys

  Up Arrow: highlight previous link
  Down Arrow: highlight next link
  Left Arrow, Backspace: return to previous topic
  Right Arrow, Enter, Space: follow link
  Page Up: scroll up one page
  Page Down: scroll down one page
  Home: go to page start
  End: go to page end
  Esc: leave help

Return to optBootOptionsstartupSplash Mode SelectionF2 lets you can change the splash screen mode. You can use the o_splashsplash kernel option directly, if you prefer.

native turns the splash screen off (same as splash=0)

silent suppresses all kernel and boot messages and shows a progress bar instead

verbose shows nice picture and kernel and boot messages

Return to optBootOptionsoptBoot Optionso_splashsplash -- influence the behavior of the splash screen.
  o_apmapm -- toggle power management
  o_acpiacpi -- advanced configuration and power interface
  o_ideide -- control the IDE subsystemo_splashKernel Options: splashThe splash screen is the picture shown during system startup.

splash=0
The splash screen is switched off. This may be useful with very old monitors or if some error occurs.

splash=verbose
Activates splash, kernel and boot messages are still shown.

splash=silent
Activates splash, but no messages. Instead a progress bar is drawn.

Return to optBootOptionso_apmKernel Options: apmAPM is one of the two power management strategies used on current computers. It is mainly used with laptops for functions like "suspend to disk", but it may also be responsible for switching off the computer after power down. APM relies on a correct working BIOS. If the BIOS is broken, APM may have only limited use or even prevent the computer from working. Therefore, it may be switched off with the parameter

  apm=off -- switch off APM completely

Some very new computers may take more advantage from the newer o_acpiACPI.

Return to optBootOptionso_acpiKernel Options: acpiACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) is a standard that defines power and configuration management interfaces between an operating system and the BIOS. By default, acpi is switched on when a BIOS is detected that is newer than from year 2000. There are several commonly used parameters to control the behavior of ACPI:

  pci=noacpi -- do not use ACPI to route PCI interrupts   acpi=oldboot -- only the parts of ACPI that are relevant for booting remain activated
  acpi=off -- switch off ACPI completely
  acpi=force -- switch on ACPI even if your BIOS is dated before 2000

Especially on new computers, it replaces the old o_apmapm system.

Return to optBootOptionso_ideKernel Options: ideIDE is, unlike SCSI, commonly used in most desktop workstations. To circumvent some hardware problems that occur with IDE systems, use the kernel parameter:

  ide=nodma -- switch off dma for IDE drives


Return to optBootOptions.