# Safe Integration via GRUB

## A short note before the procedure

Plop Boot Manager can be started directly from an existing GRUB
installation. This is often the cleaner approach when GRUB is already
working and there is no need to replace or modify the system's primary
bootloader.

Instead of installing Plop into the boot sector, we keep `plpbt.bin` as an
ordinary file and let GRUB load it as an additional boot option.

This has a useful advantage for experimental or multi-boot machines: **the
existing bootloader remains in control**, while Plop becomes just another
item in the boot menu.

The basic arrangement is:

```text
BIOS
  
GRUB
  
Plop Boot Manager
  
USB / CD / other boot device
```

This is particularly useful on older machines where the BIOS has limited USB
boot support or cannot boot a particular device directly.

---

## Installation

Download and extract the Plop Boot Manager package.

Copy `plpbt.bin` to `/boot`:

```bash
sudo cp plpbt.bin /boot/
```

The file must be accessible to GRUB at boot time.

---

## Add a GRUB Entry

A custom entry can be added to:

```text
/etc/grub.d/40_custom
```

For example:

```text
menuentry "Plop Boot Manager" {
    set root=(hd0,1)
    linux16 /boot/plpbt.bin
}
```

The `(hd0,1)` value is only an example. **It must match the partition from
which GRUB can access `plpbt.bin`.**

Do not copy the example blindly. Verify the disk and partition numbering on
the particular machine first.

---

## Update GRUB

After saving the configuration:

```bash
sudo update-grub
```

GRUB should detect the new entry and add **Plop Boot Manager** to the boot
menu.

---

## What This Gives Us

The important part of this method is that Plop does not replace GRUB.

The resulting boot chain is:

```text
BIOS
  
  
GRUB
  
   antiX
   Windows
   other systems
  
   Plop Boot Manager
          
           USB
           CD/DVD
           other boot devices
```

This makes Plop a **boot bridge** rather than the primary bootloader.

For older hardware, that small distinction can be surprisingly useful.