Configuration
Settings live in gbos/gbos.cfg on the volume. It is a shell-syntax file you can edit from any computer by plugging the stick in; changes take effect on the next boot.
| Setting | Values | What it does |
|---|---|---|
MODE | ask (default), live, install, boot | ask shows the boot menu. live runs from the stick without saving. install goes straight to the installer/updater (it still asks before erasing). boot starts the installed system if there is one, else live. |
HWDETECT | 1 (default), 0 | Automatic hardware detection and driver loading. 0 uses only built-in drivers. |
DENSITY | dpi number, e.g. 180 | Android display density. Unset = Google's stock 260 (too big on most laptops); lower = smaller UI. |
RESOLUTION | e.g. 2400x1350 | Android renders at this size and the display scales it to the panel. Larger = smaller UI without changing density. Empty = native. Keep the aspect ratio (16:9 for a 1080p panel). If you changed Settings, Display, Display size, set it back to Default. |
LOAD_I915 | 1 (default), 0 | Load the Intel graphics driver in stage0. Set 0 if the screen freezes right after "modprobe i915". |
LOAD_WIFI | 0 (default), 1 | Legacy: load the Intel Wi-Fi driver in stage0. Hardware detection supersedes it. |
SHELL_AT | none, early, pre_android | Drop to a shell before drivers (early) or just before Android starts (pre_android) for debugging. |
MODOPTS | "module.param=value ..." | Driver options in the same spelling as a Linux kernel command line, for modules only (e.g. xe.enable_panel_replay=0). They are applied when hardware detection loads the module. A module that stage0 already loaded keeps its parameters; the boot log says so. logs/boot-N/hwdetect.txt lists the xe and i915 parameters. |
INSTALL_DISK | e.g. nvme0n1, mmcblk0 | Which internal disk the installer may erase when there is more than one (NVMe or eMMC). The serial number is still typed on the laptop first. |
EXTRA_SLEEP | seconds | Pause before handing over to Android, so you can read the screen. |
An older setting, BOOT_FROM=stick, still works and means live.
What Update does with your config
When you update an installed system from a newer stick, gbos.cfg is synced to the installed system except MODE and the installer action, so the installed laptop keeps booting normally while still receiving new options such as the early-patch hook.