Grub compatible images - stupid questions

[Jonathan Barker]

Hi all

I'm using the Grub bootloader successfully on my Linux boxes and was 
keen to learn more about it. I've read the multiboot spec available 
from the old grub page and realised that grub could be the answer to 
an old problem...

I don't plan to write a complete operating system kernel, but I would 
like to experiment with my PC "in the raw". I did write my own 
bootloader (which worked) but I tired of writing code to load and 
link object code and I refuse to write reams of assembler!

I thought that Grub could be the answer - but so far I have failed to 
build an image which Grub accepts as a kernel. Is it true that ELF 
images are not yet supported? I assume this is the case.

I have tried and failed to generate object code in a.out format. ld 
always complains that there is a ".comment" section which it can't do 
anything with. I've stripped my code to the bare minimum and tried 
all the options for gcc and ld that I can think of. So what am I 
doing wrong? Is there an easier way? Should I post this to a gcc 
group instead?

Any pointers appreciated. Thanks for your time.

Jonathan




-- 
Dr Jonathan Barker
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
University College London
Gower Street
London WC1E 6BT

Telephone:
    +44 (0)20 7679 7034

Email:
    address@hidden