How to Use Boot Arguments to Fix Problems
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Boot Commands
A boot command can be given when the CD help screen appears or when the Lilo boot screen appears.
If booting from Lilo on a hard drive, press <tab> to get a commandline.
Variations of these commands can be used to overcome boot problems.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
linux |
Normal boot, 1024x768 display, acpi=on |
lin1280 |
Normal boot, 1280x1024 display, acpi=on |
failsafe |
1024x768 display, acpi=off; try if boot hangs initializing hardware |
memtest |
test your computer's memory |
Common MEPIS Boot Arguments
Boot arguments are used to modify what happens when a boot command is executed.
To change your hard drive boot configuration see: How to Modify Boot Arguments for the LiLo Bootloader
| Argument | Description |
|---|---|
acpi=off |
disable legacy free bios support; can help if machine hangs during boot |
ide=nodma |
resolves some dma conflicts; can fix disk read problems; is needed if boot stops while "looking for MEPIS Linux" |
aa |
use a different keyboard layout; for example de, fr, or us |
noauto |
disables autodetect; use if autodetect hangs |
nofloppy |
disables floppy probe; use if no floppy drive |
nomce |
disable cpu self-checks |
nonet |
forces the network to be off at boot, including loopback |
nopcmcia |
disables pcmcia initialization |
nousb |
don't probe for usb devices |
smouse |
enable a serial mouse |
vga=xxx |
use xxx vga mode during boot; for example mode 794 = 1280x1024; vga=normal for default resolution |
xres=yyy |
use yyy resolution in X; for example 1280x1024 |
xdrvr=abc |
use abc display driver in X; try vesa or fbdev as last resort |
Examples
A boot command is followed by the arguments.
| Example | Description |
|---|---|
linux nofloppy |
boot normal but don't look for a floppy drive |
lin1280 fr |
boot at 1280x1024 with the fr (French) keyboard |
linux xdrvr=fbdev |
boot with the simplest video driver possible |
linux xres=800x600 vga=normal |
boot normal but at 800x600 |