The switch attempts to automatically boot by using information in the BOOT environment variable. If this variable is not set, the switch attempts to load and execute the first executable file it can find. On Catalyst 2960 Series switches, the image file is normally contained in a directory that has the same name as the image file (excluding the .bin file extension).
The IOS operating system then initializes the interfaces using the Cisco IOS commands found in the startup-config file. The startup-config file is called config.text and is located in flash.
In the example, the BOOT environment variable is set using the boot system global configuration mode command. Notice that the IOS is located in a distinct folder and the folder path is specified. Use the command show boot to see what the current IOS boot file is set to.
S1(config)# boot system flash:/c2960-lanbasek9-mz.150-2.SE/c2960-lanbasek9-mz.150-2.SE.bin
The table defines each part of the boot system command.
| Command | Definition |
|---|---|
| boot system | The main command |
| flash: | The storage device |
| c2960-lanbasek9-mz.150-2.SE/ | The path to the file system |
| c2960-lanbasek9-mz.150-2.SE.bin | The IOS file name |