GRUB header magic numbers

[Daniel Weaver]

Hello,

I have created a proprietary loader that serves much the same function as GRUB.
It is used to load a proprietary operating system.  One of the things I need
in my system is the load length of the operating system.  Rather than
reinvent the wheel I wish to use a GRUB style header to provide this
information.  Some day in the future we may decide to change either the
loader or the operating system and the use of a standard loader header
will make the transition much easier.

My web searches have turned up two very similar multiboot headers.
One with a magic number of 0x1BAD002 and another with a magic
number of 0xe85250d6.

First off, why are there two numbers?
And which is more likely to be used in the long run?

Thank you,
Dan Weaver


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Dan Weaver, ZNYX Networks
address@hidden