KLOADER(4) BSD Kernel Interfaces Manual KLOADER(4)NAMEkloader — in-kernel bootloader
SYNOPSIS
options KLOADER
options KLOADER_KERNEL_PATH="\"/netbsd\""
DESCRIPTION
The kloader is the in-kernel bootloader for platforms that do not have a
proper firmware.
Some platforms supported by NetBSD do not have a firmware that can boot
the NetBSD kernel. Examples are game consoles (dreamcast port), and
handhelds (hpcarm, hpcmips, and hpcsh ports). On such platforms the
bootloader is usually a host program that runs under the native OS. This
means that rebooting NetBSD is a lengthy process of booting into the
native OS first, launching the bootloader program, and finally booting
NetBSD again. This problem is addressed by kloader, which allows the
currently running kernel to serve as a bootloader for the kernel being
booted, thus avoiding the burden of booting into the native OS first.
When kloader is configured into the kernel, a call to reboot(2) causes
the kloader to load the new kernel into memory, and arrange for control
to be passed to the new kernel — just like a standalone bootloader does.
The new kernel then boots in the ordinary manner.
SEE ALSOreboot(2), boot(8), reboot(8)HISTORYkloader first appeared in NetBSD 1.6.
BUGSkloader ignores howto and bootstr arguments passed to the reboot(2) sys‐
tem call, and reboots the system with the previous boot settings.
kloader doesn't support booting compressed kernels.
The hpcarm port doesn't support kloader yet.
BSD April 3, 2004 BSD