>> The NT boot loader can read the registry. It must do this for i18n
>> support at least. (it then loads a variety of files)
>
> That's because the NT boot loader can read files from the "root
> filesystem". So in some sense it has effectively "mounted" the root
> filesystem. (Yes, I know, there's really a stub "boot-only" filesystem
> driver which the NT boot loader uses, and the *real* filesystem code is
> loaded by the NT boot loader later.) But effectively, though, you
> couldn't store the location of the root/boot filesystem in the registry,
> since the NT boot loader needs to know where to find the root/boot
> filesystem in order to read the registry....
The kernel and registry get stored on the same filesystem.
If the boot loader can find one, it can find the other,
so there is no problem storing a system unique identifier
in the registry.
The NT boot loader can use a boot.ini file to find the above.
I believe there are chopped-down SCSI drivers for the boot loader.
Doesn't Linux already have this ability on the SPARC and Alpha?
It would work on ia32 too, with GRUB, except for the ability to
use a non-BIOS supported root with the kernel being elsewhere.
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