Features
Users can dynamically configure the GRUB sub-system. GRUB loads its configuration at startup, allowing boot-time changes, such as selecting different kernels or initial RAM disks. To this end, GRUB provides a simple, bash-like, command line interface, which lets users write new boot sequences on the fly, in addition to the normal menu lists.
GRUB is highly portable. It supports multiple executable formats and is geometry-translation independent. GRUB supports all commonly used Unix file systems, the Windows file systems VFAT and NTFS, and logical block addressing (LBA). GRUB allows users to view the contents of files on any supported file system.
GRUB can be used with a variety of different user interfaces. Most Linux distributions take advantage of GRUB's support for a graphical interface to provide a customized boot menu with a background image. A modification of GRUB's text interface can use a serial link so that a remote terminal can have access to the boot loader.
GRUB can download operating-system images from a network, and thus can support diskless systems. GRUB supports automatic decompression of OS images prior to booting from them.
GRUB uses a scrollable screen for operating system boot selection. This means 150 or more boot choices can be easily controlled by GRUB by adding them to the menu.lst configuration file. The arrow keys are used to select which operating system to boot.
GRUB supports operating systems that do not multi-boot, by using chain loading. GRUB uses the same two or three lines of command sequences to boot any DOS, Windows, Linux, BSD or Solaris system, making it very easy to work with it. The chain loaders for the supported Unix-like OSes are built into GRUB.
In addition to the normal menu interface, GRUB can provide a bash-like terminal command-prompt that provides a rich set of commands to allow a user to view or alter any part of the boot process. With these tools one can, without prior knowledge of what is installed on a computer, use GRUB from an external device such as a floppy disk, USB device or a CD-ROM to boot up an installed operating system.
Systems administrators can install a GRUB installation for any supported OS from any of the usual Unix-like operating systems, as well as using specific GRUB implementations for DOS and Windows.
Read more about this topic: GNU GRUB
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