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x86-bare-metal-examples/multiboot.md
2015-09-06 16:22:10 +02:00

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# Multiboot
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiboot_Specification>
Standard created by GRUB for booting OSes.
Multiboot files are an extension of ELF files with a special header.
Advantages: GRUB does housekeeping magic for you:
- you can store the OS as a regular file inside a filesystem
- your program starts in 32-bit mode already, not 16 bit real mde
Disadvantages:
- more boilerplate
GRUB leaves the application into a well defined starting state.
Implemented by Linux and many NIXes, but not Windows or Mac.
Use `grub-mkrescue` to make a multiboot file into a bootable disk.