BOOT(1prom)         RISC/os Reference Manual          BOOT(1prom)



NAME
     boot - load and execute program

SYNOPSIS
     boot [ -f file ] [ -n ] [ args ]

DESCRIPTION
     boot loads the program specified by the -f option.  If the
     -f flag is not specified, boot loads the file specified by
     the environment variable bootfile. If -n is specified, boot
     loads the requested file, but does not transfer control to
     the program.  The program can be initiated later using the
     go(1prom) command, but no arguments may be passed in this
     case.  If present, args are passed to the program and are
     accessible from the standard argc/argv mechanism. Any argu-
     ment that begins with a - must be prepended with an addi-
     tional -.  This extra dash is removed before the argument is
     passed to the program.  The current environment is passed to
     the program as the third parameter to the main routine and
     also from the external variable environ.

ENVIRONMENT VARIABLE
     If the environment variable $path is defined and the boot
     command has a file to load that does not have a device
     specification, boot tries to load a file name formed by
     prepending the contents of $path to the original file name.
     If $path is a list of prefixes seperated by spaces, the boot
     command tries each prefix from $path in turn until the file
     can be successfully booted or all prefixes have been tried.

SEE ALSO
     go(1prom), load(1prom), sload(1prom)

NOTES
     The syntax for the file parameter depends on the boot dev-
     ice, which varies depending on the RISComputer system at
     your installation. The applicable syntax is described in the
     ``Prom Monitor'' chapter of the DDI/DKI Device Deiver Guide-
     lines manual that was shipped with your system.
















                        Printed 11/19/92                   Page 1