Summary: bootloaders.txt

''This document contains the loading scheme for MOS kernels''

Diagram: x86/amd64 Bootloader Architecture

This is how the boot sequence is organized on a PC-based system

>             ******** Supplied Bootloader ***
>             *  FAT system                  *
>             *                              *
>             * +---------+     +---------+  *
>          +--->| Stage 1 |---->| Stage 2 |----------------+
>          |  * +---------+     +---------+  *             |
>          |  *                              *             |
> +------+ |  ********************************             |  +---------+  +---------+
> | BIOS |-+                                               +->| Stage 3 |->| Stage 4 |
> +------+ |  ********* GRUB ****************************  |  +---------+  +---------+
>          |  *                                         *  |
>          |  * +---------+  +-----------+  +---------+ *  |
>          +--->| Stage 1 |->| Stage 1.5 |->| Stage 2 |----+
>             * +---------+  +-----------+  +---------+ *
>             *      |                           ^      *  
>             *      +---------------------------+      *  
>             *                                         *  
>             *******************************************

The main kernel is located in Stage 3 (<stage3.asm>). This module is multiboot compliant 
and can therefore be loaded by any multiboot-compliant bootloader, including
GRUB. 

A lightweight bootloader is provided to quickly boot from floppy without having
to dedicate a large part of the floppy to any boot loader.

When Stage 3 is started, it is supplied with a ramdisk, containing the modules 
needed. Also located in this ramdisk is Stage 4 (<stage4.asm>), which is loaded by the kernel 
and is responsible for loading the rest of the operating system.
