GAG v4.2 Graphical Boot Manager

[Gordon Darling]

GAG v4.2 Graphical Boot Manager

https://sourceforge.net/projects/gag
http://gag.sourceforge.net/

screenshots:
http://gag.sourceforge.net/pics.html

Current version: 4.2

GAG (initials, in spanish, of Graphical Boot Manager) is a Boot Manager
program. It's loaded when the computer is turned on and allows you to
choose the operating system you want to use.

Its main features are:
* Allows boot of up to 9 different operating systems.
* It can boot operating systems installed in primary and extended
partitions on any available hard disk.
* Can be installed from nearly all operating systems.
* GAG doesn't need its own partition. It installs itself in the first
track of the hard disk, wich is reserved for these kinds of programs. It
can also be instaled on a floppy disk, without using the hard disk.
* It has a timer to boot a default operating system (selectable by the
user).
* The configuration menu can be protected with a password.
* The program works in graphic mode (needs a VGA or better graphic card),
and has a lot of icons.
* Hides the primary partitions which allows the user to have instaled
more than one DOS and/or Windows in the same hard disk.
* Allows a password to be put on each operating system, denying access to
non-authorized people.
* Allows the boot manager text to be translated to all languages.
* Can exchange disk drives, allowing to boot from the second, third...
hard disk operating systems such as MS-DOS.
* Has the SafeBoot system, that allows to boot your hard disk even if GAG
is accidentally overwrited.
* Supports a great variety of keyboards (QWERTY, AZERTY and QWERTZ
keyboards).
* Fully support for hard disks up to 4 terabytes (4096 gigabytes).
* Full version and free software (distributed under GPL licence, with
source code)

Regards
Gordon

 

[Jörg Volkmann]

GAG v4.2 Graphical Boot Manager

https://sourceforge.net/projects/gag
http://gag.sourceforge.net/

screenshots:
http://gag.sourceforge.net/pics.html

Current version: 4.2

GAG (initials, in spanish, of Graphical Boot Manager) is a Boot Manager
program. It's loaded when the computer is turned on and allows you to
choose the operating system you want to use.

Its main features are:
* Allows boot of up to 9 different operating systems.
* It can boot operating systems installed in primary and extended
partitions on any available hard disk.

Yes, but for Linux GAG needs the linux bootloader installed in the
root-partition of the linux-system.
But If you couldn`t install the bootloader (lilo) in the
root-partition of linux, GAG isn`t able to start Linux.
This could happen if you are using extended partitions and partitions
above 1024 cylinders. GAG isn`t able to start the Linux-kernel itsself
like grub.
Jörg

* Can be installed from nearly all operating systems.
* GAG doesn't need its own partition. It installs itself in the first
track of the hard disk, wich is reserved for these kinds of programs. It
can also be instaled on a floppy disk, without using the hard disk.
* It has a timer to boot a default operating system (selectable by the
user).
* The configuration menu can be protected with a password.
* The program works in graphic mode (needs a VGA or better graphic card),
and has a lot of icons.
* Hides the primary partitions which allows the user to have instaled
more than one DOS and/or Windows in the same hard disk.
* Allows a password to be put on each operating system, denying access to
non-authorized people.
* Allows the boot manager text to be translated to all languages.
* Can exchange disk drives, allowing to boot from the second, third...
hard disk operating systems such as MS-DOS.
* Has the SafeBoot system, that allows to boot your hard disk even if GAG
is accidentally overwrited.
* Supports a great variety of keyboards (QWERTY, AZERTY and QWERTZ
keyboards).
* Fully support for hard disks up to 4 terabytes (4096 gigabytes).
* Full version and free software (distributed under GPL licence, with
source code)

Regards
Gordon

JV

 

[your name]

Regards
Gordon

Very interesting, thanks for the info. Have you tried the boot
manager?

--

 

[Gary R. Schmidt]

Very interesting, thanks for the info. Have you tried the boot
manager?

Maybe Gordon han't, but I have, it's the boot manager I use on my
primary machine, managing 2 different Win2K installations, a RedHat
Linux, and the floppy.

I am running version 4.01, from back in 2001. I'll have to see what new
features are offered!

Cheers,
Gary B-)

 

[Jimmaestro]

Maybe Gordon han't, but I have, it's the boot manager I use on my
primary machine, managing 2 different Win2K installations, a RedHat
Linux, and the floppy.

I am running version 4.01, from back in 2001. I'll have to see what new
features are offered!

Cheers,
Gary B-)

Is it possible to use it with my current install of XP. I want to add
Mandrake 9. Thanks.

 

[your name]

Yes, but for Linux GAG needs the linux bootloader installed in the
root-partition of the linux-system.
But If you couldn`t install the bootloader (lilo) in the
root-partition of linux, GAG isn`t able to start Linux.
This could happen if you are using extended partitions and partitions
above 1024 cylinders. GAG isn`t able to start the Linux-kernel itsself
like grub.
Jörg

Your experienced insight is much appreciated.

--

 

[Gary R. Schmidt]

your name wrote:

[SNIP]

Is it possible to use it with my current install of XP. I want to add
Mandrake 9. Thanks.

I see no reason why it won't. Apart from the 1024 cklinders problem.

Cheers,
Gary B-)

 

[Yo Mismo]

Is it possible to use it with my current install of XP. I want to add
Mandrake 9. Thanks.

I use it to boot Win2000, BeOS 5 and Mandrake 9.1 in the same
computer.

Y. M.

 

[tlshell]

This could happen if you are using extended partitions and partitions
above 1024 cylinders. GAG isn`t able to start the Linux-kernel itsself
like grub.

I'm just curious about the whole 1024 cylinder thing. What would
happen if you put your bootloader into the first partition, which
would be a very small one, and then had several 2G partitions which
may or may not be under 1024 cylinders, each with a different
operating system? Is there a way that would work? Would Linux be the
only one that has to be under 1024 cylinders? What about DOS 6.x?

 

[Dg1261]

I'm just curious about the whole 1024 cylinder thing. What
would happen if you put your bootloader into the first partition,
which would be a very small one, and then had several 2G
partitions which may or may not be under 1024 cylinders,
each with a different operating system? Is there a way that
would work? Would Linux be the only one that has to be
under 1024 cylinders? What about DOS 6.x?

If by "bootloader" you mean GAG, then no, that wouldn't make a difference. The
OS has to be able to use "Int13h extensions" to successfully live above the
1024th cylinder. DOS 6.x cannot. NT cannot. Win95a cannot. Win95b, 98, and
ME can if you hack the partition boot sector, but as normally installed they
won't live above 1024, either. Win2000 and XP are new enough that they have no
problem living above 1024.

Most linux distros should also have no trouble. BUT, here's the rub -- a lot
of boot managers do not boot linux directly, they instead boot the linux
loader, LILO or grub, which in turn boots the linux kernel. My favorite boot
manager, XOSL, falls into this category, and it sounds like GAG probably does,
too. If the version of LILO or grub included with the linux distro doesn't
work above 1024, then you have a few choices: (1) keep the linux partition
below 1024, or (2) get a newer version of LILO or grub that will work above
1024, or (3) split the linux loader from the rest of the linux partition and
put a small linux partition below 1024 just for LILO/grub and the rest of the
linux installation in another partition (which could be above 1024).

 

[Jörg Volkmann]

If by "bootloader" you mean GAG, then no, that wouldn't make a difference. The
OS has to be able to use "Int13h extensions" to successfully live above the
1024th cylinder. DOS 6.x cannot. NT cannot. Win95a cannot. Win95b, 98, and
ME can if you hack the partition boot sector, but as normally installed they
won't live above 1024, either. Win2000 and XP are new enough that they have no
problem living above 1024.

Most linux distros should also have no trouble.

You could install Linux erverywhere, primary, extended partitions, its
your choice, no problem

BUT, here's the rub -- a lot
of boot managers do not boot linux directly, they instead boot the linux
loader, LILO or grub

Grub itsn`t a bootloader like lilo, it can boot the kernel itsself, no
matter where the kernel is (primary or extented partitions).

which in turn boots the linux kernel. My favorite boot
manager, XOSL, falls into this category, and it sounds like GAG probably does,
too. If the version of LILO or grub included with the linux distro doesn't
work above 1024, then you have a few choices: (1) keep the linux partition
below 1024, or (2) get a newer version of LILO or grub that will work above

for lilo a am not shure if this probs a obsolate now, because i am
switched to grub

1024, or (3) split the linux loader from the rest of the linux partition and
put a small linux partition below 1024 just for LILO/grub and the rest of the
linux installation in another partition (which could be above 1024).

most people make a 10-50MB boot partition, to solve this problem
Jörg


JV

 

[tlshell]

Is there an easy way to determine where the 1024th cylinder falls on
your hard drive? I'm assuming it might differ depending on the
technology and size of the hard drive?

 

[Dg1261]

Is there an easy way to determine where the 1024th cylinder falls on
your hard drive? I'm assuming it might differ depending on the
technology and size of the hard drive?

In years past there were differences, but with modern drives (anything larger
than 8GB) there is very little difference. The maximum disk values that a
legacy system bios could support were 1024 cylinders (numbered 0-1023), 256
heads (0-255), and 63 sectors/track (1-63). In the past, disk drives might
have represented themselves as having less heads and/or sectors/track, but
modern drives just show themselves to the bios as having the maximum numbers
(or close to it -- I've seen a lot of drives that report they have 255 heads
instead of 256). If you have a drive larger than ~8GB, it almost certainly
will describe itself as having 255 or 256 heads and 63 sectors/track. At 512
bytes per sector, this works out to about 7.8-8.4 GB (1024*256*63*512),
depending on how you count gigabytes (that's a whole 'nuther debate).

With a modern system bios that supports Int13h extensions, the notion of
cylinders, heads, and sectors/track (aka, CHS) becomes obsolete and disk
locations are referenced as one continuous string of sectors, from LBA 0 to LBA
????, the last sector on the disk. CHS values are still used for backward
compatibility with older software that didn't understand LBA addressing. Since
old software, like DOS 6.x, addresses sectors in CHS terms, it can only "see"
the first 8GB of the disk because of the limits on the values of C, H, and S.

 

[tlshell]

Is there an easy way to determine where the 1024th cylinder falls on
your hard drive? I'm assuming it might differ depending on the
technology and size of the hard drive?

Well, since no one replied, here are some resources:
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/nunt.nsf/docid/1996112575859
How to check hard drive configuration

http://www.demmel.com/imagecopy/english/techinfo.htm
Technical Information (hard disks and file systems)

It appears that the 1024th cylinder does not vary, it simply means the
first 504MB of space on your hard drive. (This is not very much!) It
seems to me that having more than one 1024 cylinder-limited OS on a
hard drive would be very difficult unless you were dealing with small
ones. (DOS 6.x qualifies.)

 

[Dg1261]

Well, since no one replied, here are some resources:
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/nunt.nsf/docid/1996112575859
How to check hard drive configuration

http://www.demmel.com/imagecopy/english/techinfo.htm
Technical Information (hard disks and file systems)

It appears that the 1024th cylinder does not vary, it simply means
the first 504MB of space on your hard drive. (This is not very
much!) It seems to me that having more than one 1024 cylinder-
limited OS on a hard drive would be very difficult unless you
were dealing with small ones. (DOS 6.x qualifies.)

Therese, those references gloss over a lot. A better reference would be
http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/bios/size.htm, a more comprehensive treatise
that coincidentally illustrates just how confusing the whole issue can be. The
references you've found, above, refer to the original IDE spec, which was
limited to 1024 cyls and 16 heads, even though the bios could handle 256 heads.
That was supplanted about a decade ago by EIDE, which upped the spec to 1024
cyls and 256 heads, so EIDE could feed the bios everything it could handle --
8GB. OS's deal with the bios, and 504MB was an IDE controller limitation, not
a bios limitation. Any OS that does CHS addressing will be able to handle
whatever the bios can, and with EIDE that's 8GB. Forget the 504MB limit --
that died with the 486 and the original IDE controllers. Nowadays, the
1024-cyl limit means 8GB.

 

[tlshell]

Forget the 504MB limit --
that died with the 486 and the original IDE controllers. Nowadays, the
1024-cyl limit means 8GB.

Oh! Thanks for your help, I've always been confused by the reference
to 1024-cylinders since I never refer to a hard drive by its
cylinders. (-: