[grub2.git] / NEWS

New in 2.02:

* New/improved filesystem and disk support:
  * Big-endian UFS1.
  * Experimental 64-bit ext2 support.
  * Various fixes for non-512-byte sector devices.
  * New `proc' filesystem framework, used by LUKS disks.
  * Fix DM-RAID partition handling.
  * New `nativedisk' command to switch from firmware to native disk drivers.
  * Compressed HFS+.
  * DragonFly BSD labels.
  * CBFS (coreboot).
  * Handle partitioned LVM properly.
  * Use LVM UUIDs whenever possible.
  * GPT PReP.
  * New `progress' module that shows progress information while reading
    files.

* New/improved terminal and video support:
  * Monochrome text (matching `hercules' in GRUB Legacy).
  * Morse code output using system speaker.
  * `spkmodem' output (simple data protocol using system speaker).
  * Handle Japanese special keys.
  * coreboot framebuffer.
  * Serial on ARC.
  * Native vt100 handling for grub-emu, replacing the use of the curses
    library.
  * New gfxmenu options for terminal window positioning, theme background
    image handling, and scrollbar padding, plus `item_pixmap_style' and
    `highlight_overlay'.
  * Support several more image types (paletted and greyscale).

* Boot protocol improvements:
  * Support Apple FAT binaries on non-Apple platforms.
  * Improve FreeDOS direct loading support compatibility.
  * Enable `linux16' on all x86 platforms, not just BIOS.
  * New TrueCrypt ISO loader.

* New/improved network support:
  * New variables `net_default_*' containing properties of the default
    interface.
  * Autoload `http' and `tftp' modules if necessary.
  * Improve TFTP robustness.
  * Parse `nd' disk names in GRUB Legacy configuration files.
  * Issue separate DNS queries for IPv4 and IPv6.

* New/improved platform support:
  * New `efifwsetup' and `lsefi' commands on EFI platforms.
  * New `cmosclean', `cmosdump', and `cmosset' commands on platforms with
    CMOS support.
  * New `cbmemc', `coreboot_boottime', and `lscoreboot' commands on
    coreboot.
  * Improve opcode parsing in ACPI halt implementation.
  * Use the TSC as a possible time source on i386-ieee1275.
  * Merge PowerPC grub-mkrescue implementation with the common one.
  * Support grub-mkrescue on i386-ieee1275, sparc64, bootinfo machines such
    as pSeries, and mips-arc.
  * Make grub-mkrescue better support Apple Intel Macs on CD.
  * Enable GRUB Legacy configuration file parsing on EFI.
  * Support halt for Loongson 2E.
  * ARM U-Boot and EFI ports.
  * Reorganise platform-dependent code in utilities to avoid #ifdef mess.
  * AROS and Haiku support for userspace utilities.
  * Xen PV port.
  * Fix EFI stack alignment.
  * ARM64 EFI port.
  * On Linux, read partition start offsets from sysfs if possible.
  * New grub-macbless utility, and better integration with Mac firmware in
    grub-install.
  * Support Yeeloong 3A.
  * Add `cpuid --pae' option to detect Physical Address Extension on x86.

* Security:
  * Add optional facility to enforce that all files read by the core image
    from disk have a valid detached digital signature.

* Performance:
  * Avoid costly division operations in many places.
  * New boot time analysis framework (`./configure --enable-boot-time').
  * Initialise USB ports in parallel.
  * New `testspeed' command to test file read speed.

* Scripting:
  * New `eval' and `tr' commands.
  * grub-script-check fails on scripts containing no commands.

* Installation and other utility improvements:
  * Add option to compress files on installation or image creation.
  * Using grub-reboot no longer requires setting `GRUB_DEFAULT=saved'.
  * Support probing EFI System Partition (requires os-prober >= 1.58).
  * Fix inconsistent use of `GRUB_CRYPTODISK_ENABLE' and
    `GRUB_ENABLE_CRYPTODISK'; the latter is now used consistently.
  * grub-mount handles symbolic links to directories.
  * Support disabling submenus with `GRUB_DISABLE_SUBMENU' configuration key
    for grub-mkconfig.
  * grub-install, grub-mknetdir, grub-mkrescue, and grub-mkstandalone
    rewritten in C.  They should now work in supported non-Unix-like
    environments.
  * Reorganise timeout handling using new `timeout_style' environment
    variable and `GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE' configuration key for grub-mkconfig.
    Menu hotkeys pressed during a hidden timeout now boot the corresponding
    menu entry immediately.
  * New `file' command and grub-file utility to check file types.
  * New syslinux configuration file parser.

* Build system:
  * Remove all uses of nested functions; GRUB no longer requires an
    executable stack.
  * Fix documentation build with Texinfo >= 5.1.
  * More robust and documented cross-compiling support.
  * Partial clang support for some platforms.
  * Eliminate the use of AutoGen.  This allowed some performance
    improvements to the build system.
  * Fix build with FreeType >= 2.5.1.
  * Make gentpl.py compatible with Python 3.  It now requires at least
    Python 2.6.

* Revision control moved to git.

New in 2.00:

* Appearance:
  * Official theme for gfxmenu (starfield)
  * Menu is organised with submenus.
  * Better default video mode selection using EDID.

* New platforms:
  * Itanium port.
  * Fuloong2F support (including GRUB as firmware)
  * Fuloong2E support (except GRUB as firmware)
  * ARCS (SGI machines) port.
  * qemu -M mips port.

* grub-mount to mount filesystems using GRUB FS drivers and FUSE.

* Changed security default so entries are locked by default if any superuser is
  defined. 

* New drivers:
  * EHCI.
  * AHCI.
  * ESCC serial.
  * IEEE1275 serial.
  * EFI serial.
  * Network stack for BIOS, IEEE1275, EMU and EFI, including TFTP, HTTP and DNS.
  * VBE on coreboot support.

* New filesystem, filters and disks formats:
  * DVH partition map.
  * Plan9 partition map.
  * Big-endian mdraid.
  * Big-endian cpio.
  * ODC and NEWC cpio.
  * ExFAT.
  * Minix3fs.
  * Big-endian minixfs.
  * RomFS.
  * Squash4.
  * Support non-512B disk blocks.
  * LUKS and GELI support.
  * LDM read support (no install yet).
  * LZOP.

* Improved filesystem and disks formats support:
  * HFS+ label support.
  * Improved reiserfs support.
  * multidevice, mirrored and raidz(2,3) ZFS support.
  * RAID LVM (internal RAIDing) support.
  * ZFS crypto support.
  * ZLE and GZIP on ZFS support.
  * Support ZFS up to 33.
  * HFS string is now treated like mac-roman and not UTF-8
  * HFS mtime support.
  * Improved AFFS and SFS support.
  * LZO-compressed btrfs support.
  * cpio and tar symlinks support.
  * Better FS detection to reduce false positives.

* New boot protocols:
  * Ability to load another coreboot payload when on coreboot.
  * Plan9.
  * Freedos.
  * Ntldr/bootmgr (to load Windows bootloader).
  * chainloader --bpb support to patch FAT or NTFS BPB in memory to correct
    wrong partition offset.
  * PXE chainloading support.
  * Darwin 11 (Mac OS X Lion) protocol support.

* Boot protocol improvements:
  * Multiple initrd support.
  * Basic illumos and xnu autoconfig.

* Testing and debugging:
  * New grub-fstest commands: cat, zfsinfo, testload xnu_uuid
  * grub-fstest recursive directory compare for quickly checking that
    a directory is read correctly.
  * Backtace on crash (if gdb module is loaded, x86 only)
  * Disk cache statistics gathering.
  * GDB stub and GDB support script.
  * "make check" and "make bootcheck" expanded to almost all platforms
    (except i386-ieee1275, mips-arc, sparc64-ieee1275, ia64-efi and emu)
  * New `time' command.

* Performance:
  * Lazy scanning to avoid accessing devices which aren't really used.
    This avoids boot delay due to slow device scanning.
  * Use CPU cache when accessing video memory.
  * Search hints to first try the most likely device when searching for a
    device with given UUID. This avoids slow scanning in most cases.

* Internationalisation:
  * Updated to Unicode 6.0.
  * $"..." syntax for translation in grub scripting language. This allows easy
    translation of grub.cfg at runtime.
  * Translations to many languages included in official distribution.

* Scripting:
  * $grub_cpu and $grub_platform variables for conditioning grub.cfg on platform
    at runtime.
  * $feature_* variables to condition scripts on available features.
  * Use of ids to identify menu entries.
  * all_video module which is empty but depends on all video modules thus
    allowing easy loading of all of them.

* Installation:
  * grub-mknetdir script for easy creation of netbootable GRUB directory.
  * Itanium and mips support in grub-mkrescue.
  * grub-install support for all platforms except emu.
  * PreP partition install support.
  * No files conflict between flavours (except grub-mkrescue for ppc). This
    allows easy install of GRUB for several platforms.
  * grub-mkstandalone script for easy creating of image including all modules
    for platforms with generous limit on image size.
  * program-transform-name now functions according to usual conventions.
    Use --grubdir and --bootdir to get old behaviour.

* ADLER32 and CRC64 support (for XZ and hashsum).

* ofconsole renamed to console

* Experimental support for compiling with Apple toolchain.

* grub-mkdevicemap removed. Now all devices are detected on invocation of
  any grub utility.

New in 1.99:

* Keyboard layouts support.

* New `lsapm' command (i386-pc only).

* Parser for GRUB Legacy configuration files.

* Support RAID on virtio devices.

* Remove deprecated `root' command.

* New `euro.pf2' font which supports most European languages.

* Avoid opening the same device twice on Open Firmware platforms.

* Extend `vbeinfo' and `vbetest' commands to non-VBE graphics, as
  `videoinfo' and `videotest'.

* New `lsefisystab', `lssal', and `lsefimmap' commands on EFI platforms.

* Support explicit user claim that a device is BIOS-visible.  Devices
  listed in device.map will be assumed to be readable using only BIOS
  facilities, rather than anything more complex such as LVM or RAID.

* New bash-completion script for GRUB utilities.

* Use ACPI to shut down if possible.

* New `lsacpi' command.

* Btrfs support.

* New `--boot-directory' option to `grub-install', `grub-reboot', and
  `grub-set-default', with clearer semantics than the previous
  `--root-directory' option.

* Rename CD-ROM device to "cd" on BIOS platforms.

* Transparent decompression filters.

* Simpler PXE image generation.  New `grub-mknetdir' utility to generate
  netboot directory trees.

* New relocator.  Allows for more kernel support and more
  straightforward loader writing.

* Handle USB pendrives exposed as floppies.

* New Automake-based build system.

* Add `sendkey' command (i386-pc only).

* ZFS support.

* Support 1.x versions of mdadm metadata.

* Fix corruption when reading Reiserfs directory entries.

* Bidirectional text and diacritics support.

* Skip LVM snapshots.

* MIPS Yeeloong firmware port.

* Change grub-mkdevicemap to emit /dev/disk/by-id/ names where possible
  on GNU/Linux.

* Add `grub-mkconfig' support for Xen with Linux.

* Add `grub-mkconfig' support for initrd images on Fedora 13.

* Support >3GiB and <16MiB RAM in i386-qemu.

* Add support for Cirrus 5446 and Bochs video cards.

* Load more appropriate video drivers automatically in `grub-mkconfig'.

* USB improvements, including hotplugging/hotunplugging, hub support,
  and USB serial support.

* AMD Geode CS5536 support.

* Extensive updates to the Texinfo documentation.

* Handle symbolic links under /dev/mapper on GNU/Linux.

* Handle installation across multiple partition table types.

* Add `cmostest' command (i386/x86_64 only).

* Add support for DM-RAID disk devices on GNU/Linux.

* Remove `grub-mkisofs'.  `grub-mkrescue' now uses GNU xorriso to build
  CD images.

* `grub-mkrescue' support for EFI, coreboot, and QEMU platforms.

* Unify `grub-mkimage', `grub-setup', and `grub-install' source code
  across platforms.

* Fix VGA (as opposed to VBE) video driver, formerly a terminal driver.

* Add menu hotkey support.

* Add support for the nilfs2 filesystem.

* `grub-probe' and `grub-mkconfig' support for NetBSD.

* Support setting a background image in `grub-mkconfig'.

* Support multiple terminals in `grub-mkconfig'.

* Regexp support.

* MIPS multiboot2 support.

* Multiboot2 tag support.

* sunpc partition table support.

* Add a number of new language features to GRUB script: `for', `while',
  `until', `elif', function parameters, `break', `continue', `shift',
  multi-line quoted strings, positional parameters with `setparams',
  `return', filename wildcard expansion, and `!'.

* Support nested partition tables.  GRUB now prefers to name partitions
  in the form `(hd0,msdos1,bsd1)' rather than `(hd0,1,a)'.

* Speed up consecutive hostdisk operations on the same device.

* Compile parts of `grub-emu' as modules.

New in 1.98 - 2010-03-06:

* Multiboot on EFI support.

* Graphical menu support.

* MIPS support.

* Saved default menu entry support, with new utilities `grub-reboot' and
  `grub-set-default'.

* Unit testing framework.

* Support for multiple terminals.

* Encrypted password support, with a new utility `grub-mkpasswd-pbkdf2'.

* `grub-mkfloppy' removed; use `grub-mkrescue' to create floppy images.

* Add grub-probe support for GNU/Hurd.

* Add support for gettext.

New in 1.97:

* Add support for loading XNU (MacOS X kernel).

* ACPI override support.

* Integrated gptsync.

* Password protection support.

* Partition manipulation tool.

* Add `keystatus' command.

* Unicode fonts are now used by default.

* Add `hdparm' command.

* Add support for getting the current date and time from CMOS as variables.

* Add `drivemap' command.

* Add support for RAID levels 4,6 and 10.

* update-grub is replaced by grub-mkconfig.

* When booting from PXE, PXE can be used to load files.

* High resolution timer support.

* Image loaders now support IO buffering.

* Add `crc' command.

* Add Cygwin support.

* Add x86_64 EFI support.

* Use LZMA compression instead of LZO.

* Support for saving the environment from and loading the environment
  from a file.

* Allow the UUID to be used as device name.

* The `search' command can use UUIDs now.

* Add support for IEEE 1275 on i386.

* Create partmap.lst and use it to automatically load partition map
  modules.

* grub-mkconfig supports os-prober to add operating systems to the
  boot menu.

* The ATA driver supports devices bigger than 2 TiB.

* Add support for the UDF, AFS and EXT4 filesystems.

* The ISO9660 filesystem supports the Joliet extension

* Add support for loading kernels of FreeBSD, NetBSD and OpenBSD.

* Add new command `sleep'.

* Support for direct access to AT keyboards.

* New utility `grub-fstest'.

New in 1.96 - 2008-02-03:

* The license term is changed to GNU General Public License Version 3.

* grub-emu is made optional.  Now you have to use
  `--enable-grub-emu' to enable it.

* Add Multiboot2 support.

* grub-emu can access the host filesystem now.

* Add support for the NTFS, cpio/tar and Reiserfs filesystems.

* Add support for ATA/ATAPI.

* Add update-grub script to generate grub.cfg.

* Add grub-mkrescue script to generate floppy or ElTorito images
  (i386-pc only).

* Add support for background images in gfxterm (background_image command).

* Add support for detection of 64-bit support in CPU (cpuid command).

* GPT is now enabled in i386-pc target.

* Add grub-install for EFI.

* Ported to the following new platforms: Efika, coreboot (a.k.a. LinuxBIOS),
  OLPC XO.

* Add support for colored menu (menu_color_normal and menu_color_highlight
  variables).

* Fix support for loading Linux zImages (such as memtest86).

New in 1.95 - 2006-10-15:

* Number partitions from 1 instead of 0. For instance, the first
  partition of "hd0" is now "hd0,1" but not "hd0,0".

* grub-probefs is renamed to grub-probe, and supports printing a
  guessed OS device name and a GRUB drive name.

* RAID and LVM support is added.

* New command, echo.

* The disk API is changed to support 64-bit addressing.

* A TGA loader is added for the video API.

New in 1.94 - 2006-06-04:

* Fix several serious bugs in HFS+.

* Add experimental EFI support. Chainloading and Linux loading are
  supported at the moment.

* Add a new command "blocklist" to show a block list.

* Use --with-platform to specify a boot environment. For now, efi,
  ieee1275 and pc are supported.

* Use the filename "kernel.elf" instead of "grubof" on ieee1275.

* Install GRUB into pkglibdir instead of pkgdatadir.

* Support environmental variables. You can export variables by the
  command "export".

* Remove the commands "default" and "timeout". They are now variables.

* Add the commands "source" and "." to include a file.

* Implement experimental Video API and a new terminal "gfxterm" based
  on the Video API.


New in 1.93 - 2006-03-10:

* Add support for the HFS+ wrapper.

* Major improvements to scripting support.

* Menu entries are now scriptable.


New in 1.92 - 2005-12-25:

* Add support for GPT partition table format.

* Add a new command "play" to play an audio file on PC.

* Add support for Linux/ADFS partition table format.

* Add support for BASH-like scripting.

* Add support for Apple HFS+ filesystems.


New in 1.91 - 2005-10-15:

* Add support for LZO version 2.

* Support completion in the entry editor.

* Add VBE support.

* New commands, "search", "vbetest" and "vbeinfo".

* The option BOOT_IMAGE is passed to Linux.

* Add support for automatic decompression for gzip.

* Add support for terminfo and serial.

* Add support for x86_64.

* GRUB itself is a Multiboot-compliant kernel.

* Add new filesystems: XFS, SFS, and AFFS.


New in 1.90 - 2005-08-07:

* Rename the project name PUPA to GRUB. Now this version is the
  developmental version of GRUB officially.

* The GRUB emulator ``grub-emu'' is added.

* Add support for newworld Mac. This should work with other
  PowerPC-based machines as well, if they use IEEE 1275
  (Open Firmware).

* Too many changes to describe. Look at ChangeLog for more details.


New in 0.7:

* Problems in cross-compiling PUPA are fixed.

* Use -mrtd and -mregparm=3 to reduce the generated code sizes.	This
  means that any missing prototypes could be fatal. Also, you must take
  care when writing assembly code. See the comments at the beginning of
  startup.S, for more details.

* New utility, ``pupa-setup''. This sets up PUPA to make it bootable
  from a real disk.

* New commands, "prefix", "insmod", "rmmod" and "lsmod" are added into
  the rescue mode to manipulate PUPA modules.

* Linux support is added. Initrd is not support yet.

* Reduce the size of a core image significantly by compressing a large
  part of the core image and decompressing itself at boot time. The
  currently used algorithm is LZO (more precisely, LZO1X-999). So you
  have to install LZO to build PUPA. See
  <http://www.oberhumer.com/opensource/lzo/>, for more information.


New in 0.6 - 2002-12-27, Yoshinori K. Okuji:

* The chainloader and the FAT filesystem are modularized.

* The structure of the source tree is a bit changed.

* Support for building loadable modules is added.

* Some generic parts of pupa-mkimage are segregated.

* Some documentation files are added, according to the GNU Coding
  Standards.