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What is your favorite boot loader and/or manager?


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Poll: What is your favorite boot loader (manager) for multi-booting? (39 member(s) have cast votes)

What is your favorite boot manager (or loader)?

  1. GRUB4DOS (18 votes [46.15%])

    Percentage of vote: 46.15%

  2. GRUB2 (2 votes [5.13%])

    Percentage of vote: 5.13%

  3. GRUB (Legacy) (0 votes [0.00%])

    Percentage of vote: 0.00%

  4. LILO (0 votes [0.00%])

    Percentage of vote: 0.00%

  5. bootmgr (using BCD) (1 votes [2.56%])

    Percentage of vote: 2.56%

  6. Syslinux (8 votes [20.51%])

    Percentage of vote: 20.51%

  7. NTLDR (using boot.ini) (1 votes [2.56%])

    Percentage of vote: 2.56%

  8. GAG (0 votes [0.00%])

    Percentage of vote: 0.00%

  9. Acronis OS Selector (0 votes [0.00%])

    Percentage of vote: 0.00%

  10. Smart Boot Manager (0 votes [0.00%])

    Percentage of vote: 0.00%

  11. WEE (0 votes [0.00%])

    Percentage of vote: 0.00%

  12. PLoP (4 votes [10.26%])

    Percentage of vote: 10.26%

  13. None of the above. (5 votes [12.82%])

    Percentage of vote: 12.82%

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#1 breaker

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Posted 25 April 2012 - 05:48 AM

If you wanted to pick a boot loader for the MBR of your BIOS based PC, which one would you pick to multi-boot whatever you needed?

I use GRUB2 and chainload from there if needed. Others use the Windows Boot Manager.

What do you use on your hard drive based PCs?

What is your favorite initial boot loader, I should say.

#2 Wonko the Sane

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Posted 25 April 2012 - 02:02 PM

If you wanted to pick a boot loader for the MBR of your BIOS based PC, which one would you pick to multi-boot whatever you needed?

MBLDR:
http://reboot.pro/334/

(not necessarily a bootmanager has to go to the MBR, and not necessarily a boot loader is a boot manager or viceversa)

:cheers:
Wonko

#3 breaker

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Posted 26 April 2012 - 02:08 AM

Yes, very true. I suppose this should have been a two question poll, 1) What code do you prefer your BIOS to call in the MBR, that loads which favorite boot loader. 2) What is your favorite boot manager or boot loader for multibooting.

So, for this poll, which boot loader do you want the code in the MBR to point to first, if not already contained in the MBR (such as WEE). Or take your pick, talk about your favorite boot manager. :)

Of course for many boot loaders there is the duality of the boot strap code in the MBR (or it is the MBR), which loads the actual boot loader that is a regular file in a file system, but for writing the poll I just named the file.

Thanks!

Edited by breaker, 26 April 2012 - 02:11 AM.


#4 Wonko the Sane

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Posted 26 April 2012 - 08:52 AM

Exactly :).
I do not like (I mean on "production machines") anything in the MBR that exceeds it's size (512 bytes) and occupies any of the hidden sectors for compatibility reasons.
Hence the use (for the MBR) of a "standard" MS MBR code or - if really-really needed - the MBLDR one.
Then I would go for a "standard" MS bootloader/bootmanager (NTLDR or BOOTMGR) with the option to load grub4dos :smiling9: (again, only if really-really needed), from which you have almost *any* possibility.

While (in my perverted mind ;)) Acronis Os Selector is not even worth to be listed among the options :ph34r:, the Terabyte thingies, BOTH the Commercial BootIt NG/BootIt Bare Metal and the Freeware "MBR utility" are not too shabby :).

:cheers:
Wonko

#5 vigipirate

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Posted 26 April 2012 - 09:45 AM

Boot_US

#6 karyonix

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Posted 26 April 2012 - 09:50 AM

In my main hard disk, I use Windows 7 MBR and bootmgr.
In external hard disk or flash drive that need multi-boot, I usually use GRUB4DOS grldr.mbr.

#7 tinybit

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Posted 26 April 2012 - 12:31 PM

There are also BURG, GRUB24DOS and FBinst.

#8 misty

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Posted 26 April 2012 - 05:30 PM

Grub4dos got my vote - it's been my default boot loader for a few years now. The command line was a nightmare to use to start with, but is now IMHO indispensable. I'm not keen on adding code to the MBR and like the option to install to VBR or chain from NTLDR/BOOTMGR, etc.

There are also BURG, GRUB24DOS and FBinst.


Never heard of GRUB24DOS before. Did a quick search and found some information on SourceForge (here). It looks like a very interesting project.

Anyone know -
  • how it compares to Grub4dos?
  • Who contributed to the project?
  • What would be the reason (if any) for upgrading to this?
Regards,

Misty

#9 Wonko the Sane

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Posted 26 April 2012 - 07:33 PM

Anyone know -

  • how it compares to Grub4dos?
  • Who contributed to the project?
  • What would be the reason (if any) for upgrading to this


Here:
http://reboot.pro/13282/
(and meet burg4dos :w00t:)


:cheers:
Wonko

#10 misty

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Posted 26 April 2012 - 08:22 PM

Whilst there are possibly too many obscure (and unsupported) boot loaders/managers to bother listing here - I thought I'd also mention the first one I ever used. Welcome to Master Booter. It served me well back in the day.

Here:
http://reboot.pro/13282/
(and meet burg4dos :w00t:)

Thanks Wonko.

I have decided to give up and stick with Grub4dos. I'm still using version 0.4.4 BTW. A very stable release that just works.

If I ever manage to squeeze an extra few hours into every day I might manage to test all of the wonderful looking toys mentioned on reboot.

Regards,

Misty

#11 Wonko the Sane

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Posted 26 April 2012 - 09:30 PM

I'm still using version 0.4.4 BTW. A very stable release that just works.

NO. :( (0.4.4 is NOT, 0.4.4-2009.10.16 it is)
http://reboot.pro/14/

:cheers:
Wonko

#12 breaker

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Posted 28 April 2012 - 09:57 AM

And what code, I wonder would I be left to work with if I had a EFI based mobo and chose to use a GPT? Obviously the loader needs to be GPT aware. I'm not sure the benefits mean improved performance on a system, or maybe it would be nice to have more than 4 primary partitions. A quick poke around seems to indicate ELILO, GRUB(2), and bootmgr support this. Oh and of course AppleX. I do want to eventually play with this new architecture at some point though. I wonder if you can still mix in older loaders referenced from the GPT even so.

ok, enough rambling, it's late.... :blink:

#13 tefole

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Posted 20 December 2012 - 06:47 AM

My favourite bootloader is fbinst, which is unfortunately missing in the list above.

Honestly i am abusing fbinst to 'chainload' all my grub4dos stuff, which is stored on a hidden 32Mb parition.

 

Let me use the chance to send a big 'thank you' to all these chinese developers from fbinst and fbinstgui.

(My thoughts and prayers go out in any case as well to chenall, tinybit, jaclaz and the other grub4dos cracks...)


Edited by tefole, 20 December 2012 - 06:50 AM.





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