File README.IA32 of Package bootcycle

   Boot cycle detection using /etc/init.d/boot.cycle
   =================================================

The package bootcycle provides a boot script which is used
for boot cycle detection to avoid unconditional reboot cycles
of not supervised system.  For this the GNU GRUB multiboot
loader is used.

For boot cycle detection the GRUB default boot entry has the
title "halt".  With this entry the system is halted at boot up.
To avoid this the script /etc/init.d/boot.cycle is called to
set up an other only once but default boot entry for the next
reboot. In other words: on every successful boot up the only
once entry is chosen for next boot time.  If the system fails
on boot and falls into reboot the halt entry is automatically
used on next try.

The configuration can be done with /etc/sysconfig/bootloader.
With the variable CYCLE_DETECTION the script can be activated
or deactivated.  The number given with CYCLE_NEXT_ENTRY is the
number of the boot entry in /boot/grub/menu.lst.  Note that
the entries within menu.lst will be counted starting at 0.

Just an example:

----------- /boot/grub/menu.lst -----------------------------
default=0
timeout 8

title halt
  halt

title linux
  kernel (hd0,0)/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda6 vga=788 noapic
  initrd (hd0,0)/initrd
-------------------------------------------------------------

With CYCLE_NEXT_ENTRY set to 1 and CYCLE_DETECTION the system
will boot the entry "linux" if and only if /etc/init.d/boot.cycle
was called. In other words, after a change of /boot/grub/menu.lst
and/or running /usr/sbin/grub, the boot.cycle has to be called
to ensure that the correct entry will boot up the next time.