.\" Copyright (c) 2007 Daniel Gerzo <danger@FreeBSD.org>
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.Dd October 12, 2020
.Dt BOOT.CONFIG 5
.Os
.Sh NAME
.Nm boot.config
.Nd "Configuration file for the boot blocks"
.Sh DESCRIPTION
The
.Nm
file contains options for the
.Fx
boot block code.
.Pp
When the
.Fx
boot loader runs, it searches the
.Dq Li a
slice of the boot partition for a
.Nm
file (as a result, slices which are missing an
.Dq Li a
partition require user intervention during the boot process).
If the
.Nm
file is found, its contents are used as the default configuration
options for the boot block code and are echoed to the system console.
.Pp
A valid format of this file is to put BIOS drive number, a controller
type, a unit number, a partition, a kernel file name, and any other
valid
.Xr boot 8
option on a single line, as it is done at the
.Dq Li "boot:"
prompt.
.Pp
The options related to the boot image selection described below and all
the other options available for
.Nm
are documented in detail in the
.Xr boot 8
manual page.
.Sh FILES
.Bl -tag -width /boot.config -compact
.It Pa /boot.config
parameters for the boot blocks (optional)
.It Pa /boot/config
alternate location for boot config information
.El
.Sh EXAMPLES
The command:
.Bd -literal -offset indent
# echo "-P" > /boot.config
.Ed
.Pp
will activate the serial console of
.Fx
if no keyboard is present, otherwise video console will be used.
.Pp
The command:
.Bd -literal -offset indent
# echo "1:ad(1,a)/boot/loader" > /boot.config
.Ed
.Pp
will instruct the second stage of
.Xr boot 8
on the first disk to boot with the third
.Xr boot 8
stage from the second disk.
.Pp
The command:
.Bd -literal -offset indent
# echo "1:ad(1,a)/boot/loader -P" > /boot.config
.Ed
.Pp
will do both of the above.
.Sh SEE ALSO
.Xr boot 8 ,
.Xr loader 8
.Sh AUTHORS
This manual page was written by
.An Daniel Gerzo Aq Mt danger@FreeBSD.org .