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In this Solaris release, GRUB is the open source boot loader that is the default for x86 based systems.

The boot loader is the first software program that runs after you turn on a system. This program begins the boot process. After an x86 based system is powered on, the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) initializes the CPU, the memory, and the platform hardware. When the initialization phase has completed, the BIOS loads the boot loader from the configured boot device, and then gives control of the system to the boot loader.

GRUB implements a simple menu interface that includes boot options that are predefined in a configuration file. GRUB also has a command-line interface that is accessible from the menu interface for performing various boot commands. The GRUB implementation on x86 based systems in the Solaris OS is compliant with the Multiboot Specification, which is described in detail at .

Because the Solaris kernel is fully compliant with the Multiboot Specification, you can boot x86 based systems by using GRUB. With GRUB, you can more easily boot the various operating systems that are installed on your system. For example, on one x86 based system, you could individually boot the following operating systems:

Because GRUB is intuitive about file systems and kernel executable formats, you can load an operating system without recording the physical position of the kernel on the disk. With GRUB based booting, the kernel is loaded by specifying its file name, and the drive, and the partition where the kernel resides.

When you boot an x86 based system, the GRUB menu is displayed. This menu provides a list of boot entries to choose from. A boot entry is an OS instance that is installed on your system. The GRUB main menu is based on a configuration file that you can modify.