GNU GRUB project, which is a rewrite of GRUB, is alive and under development. GRUB aims at merging sources from PUPA in order to create the next generation of GNU GRUB. A mailing list and a wiki have been setup for discussing the development of GRUB.
Multiboot Specification is a protocol between a boot loader and an OS kernel. Because this specification is generic, you can use the protocol in your own boot loader and/or in your own OS freely. Follow this link, for more details.
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Here are some key features of "GNU GRUB":
· Create a compact core image. This will make Stage 1.5 unnecessary.
· Add support for dynamic loading to the core image, so that it can extend itself at the run time rather than at the build time.
· Add real memory management, to make GNU GRUB more extensible.
· Add a more object-oriented framework for file systems, files, devices, drives, terminals, commands, and OS loaders.
· Add support for internationalization. This includes support for non-ASCII character code, message catalogs like gettext, fonts, graphics console, and so on.
· Add an actual localization, based on the above internationalization support. We will target on Japanese as the first step.
· Segregate code specific to i386-pc from generic code, to make GNU GRUB portable.
· Add support for cross-platform installation.
· Develop additional software packages which will help our project and hopefully other projects.
What's New in This Release: [ read full changelog ]
· Keyboard layouts support.
· Parser for GRUB Legacy configuration files.
· Extend `vbeinfo' and `vbetest' commands to non-VBE graphics, as `videoinfo' and `videotest'.
· New `lsefisystab', `lssal', and `lsefimmap' commands on EFI platforms.
· Support explicit user claim that a device is BIOS-visible. Devices listed in device.map will be assumed to be readable using only BIOS facilities, rather than anything more complex such as LVM or RAID.
· New bash-completion script for GRUB utilities.
· Use ACPI to shut down if possible.
· New `lsacpi' command.
· New `--boot-directory' option to `grub-install', `grub-reboot', and `grub-set-default', with clearer semantics than the previous `--root-directory' option.
· Rename CD-ROM device to "cd" on BIOS platforms.
· Transparent decompression filters.
· Simpler PXE image generation. New `grub-mknetdir' utility to generate netboot directory trees.
· New relocator. Allows for more kernel support and more straightforward loader writing.
· Handle USB pendrives exposed as floppies.
· New Automake-based build system.
· Add `sendkey' command (i386-pc only).
· Support 1.x versions of mdadm metadata.
· Fix corruption when reading Reiserfs directory entries.
· Bidirectional text and diacritics support.
· Change grub-mkdevicemap to emit /dev/disk/by-id/ names where possible on GNU/Linux.
· Add `grub-mkconfig' support for Xen with Linux.
· Add `grub-mkconfig' support for initrd images on Fedora 13.
· Support >3GiB and
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