Hands-On Booting: Learn the Boot Process of Linux, Windows, and Unix (Paperback)

Chapter 1:  Introduction

Chapter Goal: Why should we learn booting? Why is it important?  

No of pages : 2

Sub -Topics

1. Why booting? 

2. What booting really is? 

3. What happens when you start your computer

4. Supply goes to CPU

Chapter 2:  Multi-Boot

Chapter Goal: First stage of booting is firmware and boot loader. There are different firmware's and every OS vendor has their own boot loader. To make readers understand it better, in this chapter we will install different operating systems (windows, Linux, Unix etc.) on one machine and would boot them through Linux boot loader. 

No of pages: 75 pages

Sub - Topics

1. BIOS firmware

2. Creating partition layout

3. Installation sequence of different operating systems:

a) Windows XP

b) Solaris 2008

c) PC-BSD 9.0

d) Windows server 2k3

e) Windows seven

f) Fedora 15

g) Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7

4. Booting sequence of every operating system. 

5. Multi booting every operating system  through Linux bootloader GRUB & through windows boot loaders (NTLDR / BCD) 

6. UEFI firmware

a. Why UEFI when we already have BIOS? 

b. Advantages of UEFI

7. Creating GPT partition table

8. Installation sequence of latest operating systems: 

a. Oracle Solaris 11

b. Windows 10

c. Fedora 31

d. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8

9. Booting sequence and flowchart of each and every OS. 

10. The 100 operating systems booting through one boot loader project. 

Chapter 3: GRUB Bootloader

Chapter Goal: This topic will cover the GRUB bootloader in much depth. 

No of pages :  40 pages. 

Sub - Topics:  

1.What is new in GRUB version 2? and why do we need it? 

2.GRUB 2’s structure on BIOS based system. 

3. GRUB 2’s structure on UEFI based system.

4. Manual booting with GRUB 2.

5. UEFI shell in detail.

6. How to fix the corrupted GRUB.

7. Some can’t boot scenarios (related to bootloader) and how to fix them.

8. Secure Boot

      1. What is secure boot?

      2. Linux and secure boot?

      3. Shim bootloader of Ubuntu.

      4. How to add new keys to UEFI? 

      5.  How to sign kernel modules? 

Chapter 4:  Kernel

Chapter Goal: This chapter covers the kernel’s role in operating system’s booting sequence. 

No of pages: 15

Sub - Topics: 

1. The kernel (vmlinuz) as an image file. 

2.  Who and how vmlinuz file is extracted? 

3. Kernel will start the first process of Linux which is Systemd.

Chapter 5:  Initramfs

Chapter Goal: In order to understand the rest of booting sequence we need to understand the basics of initramfs, and why we need initramfs ?  

No of pages: 15

Sub - Topics: 

1. Why Initramfs? 

2. Structure of Initramfs. 

3. How kernel extracts the initramfs in memory?

4. How kernel mounts the initramfs as root? 

Chapter 6:  Dracut

Chapter Goal: Dracut is a tool which generates the initramfs. Initramfs is responsible for loading the appropriate modules which are necessary for successful booting. 

No of pages: Around 17

Sub - Topics: 

1. How dracut makes initramfs image?

2. How dracut choose modules to add in initramfs?

3. How to customize the initramfs?

4. Dracut command line options.

5. How to blacklist or add modules in initramfs?

Chapter 7:  Systemd

Chapter Goal: The systemd process (first process of Linux) will be launched from initramfs. Once it launched its purpose is to mount the root filesystem and switch to it. 

No of pages: 55

Sub - Topics: 

1. Structure of systemd.

2. How does systemd reduces boot time?

3. Booting flow of systemd inside initramfs.

4. Plymouth

5. Switching to new root filesystem.

Chapter 8:  Debugging Shells

Chapter Goal: Systemd provide various shells to debug the cant boot issues. This topic will cover the booting flow to reach to these shells as well as how to use these shells to fix the cant boot issues. 

No of pages: 35

Sub - Topics: 

1. Various dracut shells inside initramfs. 

2. Emergency shell.

3. The default Rescue mode.

4. Flowchart of so far booting sequence.

Chapter 9:  Live Images

Chapter Goal: The chapter will cover how does Live images of Operating System boots. 

No of pages:  4

Sub-Topics: 

1. Filesystem used inside Live images.

2. How does the live images boot.

Chapter 10:  Rescue Mode

Chapter Goal: Rescue mode plays a vital role in fixing the cant boot issues. 

No of pages: 15.