GrUB

=[|GRUB] -- GRand Unified Bootloader=

originally by [|Erich Boleyn]and now many others...
For a short time, the Original GRUB documentation will still be available [|here]...

[|Introduction]
Original GRUB was an attempt to produce a bootloader for IBM PC-compatible machines that has both the capability to be friendly to beginning or otherwise non-technically interested users and the flexibility to help experts in diverse environments. It is currently most useful for users of at least one of the various free UNIX-like operating systems, though it can be used with most any PC operating system.

This project actually started because we wanted to boot the [|GNU HURD] operating system on top of [| Mach4] on an IBM PC-compatible system in a manner compliant with the Multiboot Standard, which was put together as a general solution to the problem of the different boot formats and the functionality they need. I then tried to add support for the extra functionality to the standard bootloader used for FreeBSD. The number of things I had to do to get it all to work multiplied until it was obviously necessary to start from scratch with something different.

GRUB has evolved a long way from it's beginnings as a multi-module bootloader. Several of the techniques used have no analogue in the rest of the free software world, and a few are apparently superior to most proprietary OSes as well. The documentation here and in the multiboot proposal should be very useful to prospective OS and bootloader writers for PCs.

The name comes from the acronym, but also from the realization that although a grub is one of the smaller (and less interesting) critters - barely worthy of notice - it is nearly ubiquitous and vital to the order of things.

[|GNU GRUB has superceded Original GrUB releases]
GNU GRUB has superceded Original GrUB releases, with many new features, some bugfixes, etc. Please go there for the newest release! The old version 0.5 had a few bugs and doesn't work with modern GNU build environments.

[|GRUB Development]
[|PUPA] was a research project to develop the next generation of what is now GRUB Legacy.

GRUB (i.e. version 0.9x) has, in turn, become [|GRUB Legacy].


 * [|GRUB Legacy] is no longer being developed**. For the differences between [|GRUB Legacy] and GRUB, see the [|Grub Legacy Documentation].

GRUB 2 has replaced what was formerly known as GRUB (i.e. version 0.9x)... Enhancements to GRUB are still being made, but the current released versions are quite usable for normal operation.