Friday, 20 December 2019

E2B v1.B8d now available + grub4dos eBook

I hope to release this version as v1.B8 before XMas.

Difference from v1.B7 are:
  • Latest grub4dos 2019-12-20.
  • Improve E2B scripts to allow user to define a greater number of grub4dos environmental variables (grub4dos max is 60).
  • New default background. 
  • Add .vhdx file extension (was removed in last few versions).
  • Update Memtest86 UEFI free version to v8.3.
  • Add Tails_generic_for_USB_HDD.mnu for generic menu for booting Tails ISOs from USB HDD. 
It is in the Alternate Download Area - Latest Beta folder as usual.

New grub4dos eBook



Getting started with grub4DOS
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 - Glossary

Chapter 2 - Introduction

What is grub4dos?

What does grub4dos consist of?

Where can I find grub4dos?

Chapter 3 - Useful utilities

Chapter 4 - How does grub4dos boot?

1. PBR-booting to grub4dos from a disk

2. MBR-booting to grub4dos from a disk

Stage 1.5 boot code

grldr

menu.lst

Save menu.lst as UTF-8

Details about grub4dos boot Stage 1.5

Chapter 5 - Installing grub4dos

Bootlace

Grubinst and Grubinst_GUI (Windows)

grubmenu.exe

BootIce

RMPrepUSB

Exercise 1: Make a bootable grub4dos USB drive (Windows)

Exercise 2: Boot to grub4dos

Hexadecimal numbers

Big-endian or Little-endian?

Exercise 3: Using the grub4dos command console

Grub4dos variables

Chapter 6 - Making a menu

graphicsmode

Set a menu default and a menu entry timeout

Adding comments

color

Menu entries (title and iftitle)

Blank menu entries

Editing the menu from within grub4dos

Getting to the command line from a menu

Chapter 7 - Making a nice graphical menu

setmenu

Changing the default menu heading

Add a background wallpaper (splashimage)

help text colour

Change the menu size and position

Adding text and boxes

Add a text box

Non-USA keyboards

Adding Fonts

default and savedefault

password, md5crypt and lock

grub4dos utiltities - hotkey

cat, clear, echo, pause

Exercise 4: Make a nicer looking menu

Chapter 8 - Boot from a Linux LiveCD ISO

Translating the Linux boot menu

Exercise 5: Boot directly from a Ubuntu LiveCD ISO (using the ISO cheat code)

Exercise 6: Boot directly from a Ubuntu LiveCD ISO using 'partnew'

Exercise 7: Testing grub4dos using Virtual Box (Windows users)

Chapter 9 - Other boot menu entries

Example menus

Chapter 10 - Files and compression

Compressed files and auto-decompression

Chapter 11 - Playing tunes

Chapter 12 - Adding 'STAMPS'

Chapter 13 - Play an animation

Exercise 8: Add an animated DNA GIF to your menu

Chapter 14 - Environment variables and batch files

grub4dos environment variables

Variable expansion

Internal variables

Numbers

Using decimal qualifier letters

Grub4dos batch files

Exercise 9:  shift command demo

Batch file behavioural differences:

Difference between && and &;

if operator

setlocal\endlocal

pause

Tips on writing good code

Debugging batch files

Exercise 10: Debug a batch file which includes a subroutine

String handling

Filename strings in batch files (limitations)

Fn calls

Chapter 15 - More grub4dos commands

configfile (for secondary menus)

read

write

dd

hide and unhide

displaymem

blocklist

calc

checkrange

checktime

usb

Chapter 16 - Grub4dos memory usage and user space

Grub4dos memory values and internal system parameters

Appendix A - Grub4dos 0.4.6a Reference Guide

Numbers

Supported File Systems

Writing to a file

NTFS support

grub4dos complete command reference

ls

find

root

rootnoverify (hd0,0)

map

geometry (hd0)

cat

raw

cmp

crc32

dd

write and read

calc

checktime

echo

pager

clear

graphicsmode

vbeprobe

testvbe

setvbe

terminal

terminfo

font

background

foreground

halt

reboot

hide

unhide

hiddenflag

makeactive

partnew

parttype

blocklist

uuid

fstest

vol

kernel

initrd FILE  [FILE2]  [FILE...]

module FILE [ARG ...]

modulenounzip FILE [ARG ...]

chainloader

boot

pxe

ipxe

quit

configfile

default

savedefault

fallback

timeout

title

iftitle

hiddenmenu

password

lock

md5crypt

commandline

gfxmenu

splashimage

color

outline

beep

call

exit

shift

goto

if

set

setlocal and endlocal

debug

checkrange

is64bit

errorcheck

errnum

pause

command

Insmod

delmod

initscript

help

displaymem

serial

tpm --init

setkey NEW_KEY USA_KEY

setmenu

Batch files, pipes and other notes

| > Pipe Operators

About batch scripts:

hotkey utility

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