BootX is a graphical
bootloader
A bootloader, also spelled as boot loader or called bootstrap loader, is a computer program that is responsible for booting a computer and booting an operating system. If it also provides an interactive menu with multiple boot choices then it's o ...
developed by Benjamin Herrenschmidt, which runs as an application or an extension to
Mac OS 8
Mac OS 8 is the eighth major release of the classic Mac OS operating system for Macintosh computers, released by Apple Computer on July 26, 1997. It includes the largest overhaul of the classic Mac OS experience since the release of System 7 ...
and
9 that allows
Old World
The "Old World" () is a term for Afro-Eurasia coined by Europeans after 1493, when they became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia in the Eastern Hemisphere, previously ...
Apple computers to
dualboot Linux
Linux ( ) is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an kernel (operating system), operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically package manager, pac ...
. It uses code derived from
quik, a replacement boot loader for
PCI-based Old World Apple computers using
Open Firmware
Open Firmware is a standard defining the interfaces of a computer firmware system, formerly endorsed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). It originated at Sun Microsystems where it was known as OpenBoot, and has bee ...
.
BootX requires a
Linux kernel
The Linux kernel is a Free and open-source software, free and open source Unix-like kernel (operating system), kernel that is used in many computer systems worldwide. The kernel was created by Linus Torvalds in 1991 and was soon adopted as the k ...
and compressed
ramdisk image to be available in the Mac's system folder. It will then automatically choose which partition becomes the root partition.
See also
*
Quik, a replacement boot loader for loading Linux on PCI-based Old World Macs
References
External links
BootXat penguinppc.org
BootXon Macintosh Repository
Boot loaders
{{Mac-stub