BOOTLIST(8)

👑 BOOTLIST(8) — the bootlist page, but make it make sense

okay so real talk, this is the Linux on Power Service Tools manual, section 8, and it's about a little tool called bootlist. it's short, it's sweet, and it's literally the thing standing between you and your machine booting off the wrong disk. let's go 💅

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✨ NAME ✨

bootlist — update and view the bootlist 🎀

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

/usr/sbin/bootlist -m {normal|service|both} -o|-r
/usr/sbin/bootlist -m {normal|service|both} [-o|-r] -f file
/usr/sbin/bootlist -m {normal|service|both} [-o|-r] <dev_list>

three shapes, pick your fighter 🫶

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💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

so bootlist is the command that lets you view and update the system bootlist — and that list lives in NVRAM, specifically on PowerPC-64 machines. no cap, that's the whole vibe.

want to update the list of boot devices? you've got options, bestie:

• just name one or more boot devices directly, right there on the command line, or
• read them from a file instead.

and those devices can be written either as logical device names or as full Open Firmware device paths. iconic flexibility, honestly.

under the hood, bootlist uses the ofpathanme script to convert between logical device names and Open Firmware device paths, and it uses the nvram command to actually update the stored boot list. (yes, ofpathanme is spelled exactly like that in the docs — leaving it alone, not my business 🔥)

now the fun part: if you don't specify a list of devices, or if you use the -o or -r options, the current boot list stored in nvram is displayed. so it's a viewer by default in those cases. slay. ⭐

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💅 OPTIONS 💅

• -m normal|service|both — Required, bestie, don't skip it. tells the tool whether you're viewing/updating the normal mode boot list or the service mode boot list. and if you say "both"? it updates both the normal and service mode boot lists. main character energy 🌈
• -o — display the current boot list entries as logical device names.
• -r — display the current boot list entries as Open Firmware device path names. this is the default, fyi. 👑
• -f file — read the bootlist device names from file. one entry per line, periodt. 🍓
• dev_list — a space-separated list of devices, specified as logical device names or OF device path names — which one you use depends on whether you passed the -o or the -r option. iykyk 🦋

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🌟 EXAMPLES 🌟

view the normal mode boot list as logical device names:

/usr/sbin/bootlist -o -m normal

update the service mode boot list:

/usr/sbin/bootlist -o -m service /dev/sda3 /dev/cdrom

okay those two examples ate, honestly 🧚

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🫶 AUTHOR 🫶

written by Nathan Fontenot — ty for your service 🙏

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🔍 SEE ALSO 🔍

• ofpathname(8)
• nvram(8)

go read those too, they're the supporting cast and they lowkey carry 💜

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reminder bestie: -m is required. if you forget it, the options are literally not gonna vibe with you. don't do that to yourself. 💀

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and that's the whole page! brought to you by Linux, dated May 2013 — a vintage moment, but the knowledge is timeless. bye bestie, go fix your boot order 💖✨🎀