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<sect1 id="boot-parms"><title>Boot Parameters</title>
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<para>
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Boot parameters are Linux kernel parameters which are generally used
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to make sure that peripherals are dealt with properly. For the most
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part, the kernel can auto-detect information about your peripherals.
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However, in some cases you'll have to help the kernel a bit.
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</para><para>
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If this is the first time you're booting the system, try the default
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boot parameters (i.e., don't try setting parameters) and see if it works
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correctly. It probably will. If not, you can reboot later and look for
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any special parameters that inform the system about your hardware.
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</para><para>
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Information on many boot parameters can be found in the
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<ulink url="http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/BootPrompt-HOWTO.html"> Linux
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BootPrompt HOWTO</ulink>, including tips for obscure hardware. This
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section contains only a sketch of the most salient parameters. Some
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common gotchas are included below in
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<xref linkend="boot-troubleshooting"/>.
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</para><para>
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When the kernel boots, a message
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<informalexample><screen>
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Memory:<replaceable>avail</replaceable>k/<replaceable>total</replaceable>k available
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</screen></informalexample>
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should be emitted early in the process.
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<replaceable>total</replaceable> should match the total amount of RAM,
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in kilobytes. If this doesn't match the actual amount of RAM you have
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installed, you need to use the
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<userinput>mem=<replaceable>ram</replaceable></userinput> parameter,
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where <replaceable>ram</replaceable> is set to the amount of memory,
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suffixed with ``k'' for kilobytes, or ``m'' for megabytes. For
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example, both <userinput>mem=65536k</userinput> and
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<userinput>mem=64m</userinput> mean 64MB of RAM.
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</para><para condition="supports-serial-console">
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If you are booting with a serial console, generally the kernel will
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autodetect this
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<phrase arch="mipsel">(although not on DECstations)</phrase>
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If you have a videocard (framebuffer) and a keyboard also attached to
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the computer which you wish to boot via serial console, you may have
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to pass the
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<userinput>console=<replaceable>device</replaceable></userinput>
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argument to the kernel, where <replaceable>device</replaceable> is
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your serial device, which is usually something like
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<filename>ttyS0</filename>.
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</para><para arch="sparc">
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For &arch-title; the serial devices are <filename>ttya</filename> or
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<filename>ttyb</filename>.
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Alternatively, set the <envar>input-device</envar> and
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<envar>output-device</envar> OpenPROM variables to
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<filename>ttya</filename>.
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</para>
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<sect2 id="installer-args"><title>Debian Installer Parameters</title>
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<para>
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The installation system recognizes a few additional boot parameters<footnote>
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<para>
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Note that the kernel accepts a maximum of 8 command line options and
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8 environment options (including any options added by default for the
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installer). If these numbers are exceeded, 2.4 kernels will drop any
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excess options and 2.6 kernels will panic.
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</para>
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</footnote> which may be useful.
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</para>
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<variablelist>
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<varlistentry>
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<term>debconf/priority</term>
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<listitem><para>
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This parameter settings will set the highest priority of messages
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to be displayed.
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</para><para>
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The default installation uses <userinput>debconf/priority=high</userinput>.
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This means that both high and critical priority messages are shown, but medium
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and low priority messages are skipped.
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If problems are encountered, the installer adjusts the priority as needed.
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</para><para>
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If you add <userinput>debconf/priority=medium</userinput> as boot parameter, you
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will be shown the installation menu and gain more control over the installation.
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When <userinput>debconf/priority=low</userinput> is used, all messages are shown
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(this is equivalent to the <emphasis>expert</emphasis> boot method).
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With <userinput>debconf/priority=critical</userinput>, the installation system
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will display only critical messages and try to do the right thing without fuss.
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</para></listitem>
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</varlistentry>
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<varlistentry>
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<term>DEBIAN_FRONTEND</term>
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<listitem><para>
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This boot parameter controls the type of user interface used for the
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installer. The current possible parameter settings are:
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<itemizedlist>
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<listitem>
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<para><userinput>DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive</userinput></para>
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</listitem><listitem>
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<para><userinput>DEBIAN_FRONTEND=text</userinput></para>
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</listitem><listitem>
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<para><userinput>DEBIAN_FRONTEND=newt</userinput></para>
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</listitem><listitem>
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<para><userinput>DEBIAN_FRONTEND=slang</userinput></para>
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</listitem><listitem>
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<para><userinput>DEBIAN_FRONTEND=ncurses</userinput></para>
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</listitem><listitem>
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<para><userinput>DEBIAN_FRONTEND=bogl</userinput></para>
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</listitem><listitem>
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<para><userinput>DEBIAN_FRONTEND=gtk</userinput></para>
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</listitem><listitem>
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<para><userinput>DEBIAN_FRONTEND=corba</userinput></para>
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</listitem>
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</itemizedlist>
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The default front end is <userinput>DEBIAN_FRONTEND=newt</userinput>.
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<userinput>DEBIAN_FRONTEND=text</userinput> may be preferable for
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serial console installs. Generally only the
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<userinput>newt</userinput> frontend is available on default install
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media, so this is not very useful right now.
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</para></listitem>
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</varlistentry>
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<varlistentry>
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<term>BOOT_DEBUG</term>
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<listitem><para>
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Passing this boot parameter will cause the boot to be more verbosely
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logged.
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<variablelist>
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<varlistentry>
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<term><userinput>BOOT_DEBUG=0</userinput></term>
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<listitem><para>This is the default.</para></listitem>
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</varlistentry>
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<varlistentry>
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<term><userinput>BOOT_DEBUG=1</userinput></term>
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<listitem><para>More verbose than usual.</para></listitem>
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</varlistentry>
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<varlistentry>
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<term><userinput>BOOT_DEBUG=2</userinput></term>
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<listitem><para>Lots of debugging information.</para></listitem>
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</varlistentry>
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<varlistentry>
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<term><userinput>BOOT_DEBUG=3</userinput></term>
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<listitem><para>
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Shells are run at various points in the boot process to allow detailed
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debugging. Exit the shell to continue the boot.
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</para></listitem>
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</varlistentry>
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</variablelist>
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</para></listitem>
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</varlistentry>
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<varlistentry>
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<term>INSTALL_MEDIA_DEV</term>
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<listitem><para>
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The value of the parameter is the path to the device to load the
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Debian installer from. For example,
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<userinput>INSTALL_MEDIA_DEV=/dev/floppy/0</userinput>
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</para><para>
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The boot floppy, which normally scans all floppies and USB storage
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devices it can to find the root floppy, can be overridden by this
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parameter to only look at the one device.
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</para></listitem>
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</varlistentry>
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<varlistentry>
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<term>debian-installer/framebuffer</term>
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<listitem><para>
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Some architectures use the kernel framebuffer to offer installation in
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a number of languages. If framebuffer causes a problem on your system
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you can disable the feature by the parameter
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<userinput>debian-installer/framebuffer=false</userinput>. Problem
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symptoms are error messages about bterm or bogl, a blank screen, or
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a freeze within a few minutes after starting the install.
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</para><para arch="i386">
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The <userinput>video=vga16:off</userinput> argument may also be used
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to disable the framebuffer. Such problems have been reported on a Dell
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Inspiron with Mobile Radeon card.
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</para><para arch="m68k">
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Such problems have been reported on the Amiga 1200 and SE/30.
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</para><para arch="hppa">
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Such problems have been reported on hppa.
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</para></listitem>
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</varlistentry>
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<varlistentry>
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<term>debian-installer/probe/usb</term>
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<listitem><para>
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Set to <userinput>false</userinput> to prevent probing for USB on
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boot, if that causes problems.
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</para></listitem>
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</varlistentry>
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<varlistentry>
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<term>netcfg/disable_dhcp</term>
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<listitem><para>
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By default, the &d-i; automatically probes for network configuration
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via DHCP. If the probe succeeds, you won't have a chance to review and
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change the obtained settings. You can get to the manual network setup
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only in case the DHCP probe fails.
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</para><para>
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If you have a DHCP server on your local network, but want to avoid it
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because e.g. it gives wrong answers, you can use the parameter
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<userinput>netcfg/disable_dhcp=true</userinput> to prevent configuring
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the network with DHCP and to enter the information manually.
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</para></listitem>
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</varlistentry>
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<varlistentry>
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<term>hw-detect/start_pcmcia</term>
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<listitem><para>
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Set to <userinput>false</userinput> to prevent starting PCMCIA
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services, if that causes problems. Some laptops are well known for
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this misbehavior.
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</para></listitem>
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</varlistentry>
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<varlistentry>
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<term>preseed/url</term>
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<listitem><para>
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Specify the url to a preconfiguration file to download and use in
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automating the install. See <xref linkend="automatic-install"/>.
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</para></listitem>
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</varlistentry>
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<varlistentry>
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<term>preseed/file</term>
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<listitem><para>
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Specify the url to a preconfiguration file to load to
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automating the install. See <xref linkend="automatic-install"/>.
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</para></listitem>
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</varlistentry>
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<varlistentry>
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<term>ramdisk_size</term>
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<listitem><para>
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If you are using a 2.2.x kernel, you may need to set &ramdisksize;.
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</para></listitem>
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</varlistentry>
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</variablelist>
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</sect2>
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</sect1>
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