Syslinux - Nov 2007 - Syslinux & usb booting

Hi

It looks to me there's some issues in the Linux implementation of syslinux
(root ver, I don't have mtools).

When I used "syslinux -sf /dev/sda1", the stick was not bootable, it
showed a black screen when booted, with a ";" appearing when I pressed
a button.

The partition was marked active & bootable. And it was the only partition,
and primary.

Then I did the same thing on XP, aka "syslinux -sf f:". And
whatdoyouknow, it booted fine.

After using syslinux on linux "file -s /dev/sda" showed the same than
right after formatting. But after using syslinux on Windoze it showed only
"x86 boot sector", without all the mkdosfs id's.

So, why doesn't the linux version work properly?

Lauri

-- 
_______________________________________________
Surf the Web in a faster, safer and easier way:
Download Opera 9 at http://www.opera.com

Powered by Outblaze

I had similar problem in the past.
When set up in Windoz, the Flash Key was bootable.
When in Linux, nothing.

My problem was solved by 'cat mbr.bin > /dev/sda'
Simply said, if you write the bootloader (syslinux) to /dev/sda1 
in Linux, it doesn't do anything unless you put a generic MBR code
to the MBR area of your device. Because MBR is read and executed
first, and then the MBR code looks for partitions and bootloader in sda1.

Syslinux in windows will write the MBR, but syslinux in Linux won't.
Hope this helps.

Tomas M


Lauri Kasanen wrote:
> Hi
> 
> It looks to me there's some issues in the Linux implementation of
syslinux (root ver, I don't have mtools).
> 
> When I used "syslinux -sf /dev/sda1", the stick was not bootable,
it showed a black screen when booted, with a ";" appearing when I
pressed a button.
> 
> The partition was marked active & bootable. And it was the only
partition, and primary.
> 
> Then I did the same thing on XP, aka "syslinux -sf f:". And
whatdoyouknow, it booted fine.
> 
> After using syslinux on linux "file -s /dev/sda" showed the same
than right after formatting. But after using syslinux on Windoze it showed only
"x86 boot sector", without all the mkdosfs id's.
> 
> So, why doesn't the linux version work properly?
> 
> Lauri
>

Hey Tomas

I thought about that too, but the syslinux docs clearly say I'd have to use
the -m (mbr) switch in Windows to have it install the mbr, which I didn't (I
used only -sf)

So, could it be syslinux does that without telling? Undocumented behavior
ain't good..
> I had similar problem in the past.
> When set up in Windoz, the Flash Key was bootable.
> When in Linux, nothing.
> 
> My problem was solved by 'cat mbr.bin > /dev/sda'
> Simply said, if you write the bootloader (syslinux) to /dev/sda1
> in Linux, it doesn't do anything unless you put a generic MBR code
> to the MBR area of your device. Because MBR is read and executed
> first, and then the MBR code looks for partitions and bootloader in sda1.
> 
> Syslinux in windows will write the MBR, but syslinux in Linux won't.
> Hope this helps.
> 
> Tomas M
> 
> 
> Lauri Kasanen wrote:
> > Hi
> >
> > It looks to me there's some issues in the Linux implementation of 
> > syslinux (root ver, I don't have mtools).
> >
> > When I used "syslinux -sf /dev/sda1", the stick was not
bootable,
> > it showed a black screen when booted, with a ";" appearing
when I
> > pressed a button.
> >
> > The partition was marked active & bootable. And it was the only 
> > partition, and primary.
> >
> > Then I did the same thing on XP, aka "syslinux -sf f:". And 
> > whatdoyouknow, it booted fine.
> >
> > After using syslinux on linux "file -s /dev/sda" showed the
same
> > than right after formatting. But after using syslinux on Windoze 
> > it showed only "x86 boot sector", without all the mkdosfs
id's.
> >
> > So, why doesn't the linux version work properly?
> >
> > Lauri
-- 
_______________________________________________
Surf the Web in a faster, safer and easier way:
Download Opera 9 at http://www.opera.com

Powered by Outblaze

> Tomas M wrote:
> > I had similar problem in the past.
> > When set up in Windoz, the Flash Key was bootable.
> > When in Linux, nothing.
> >
> > My problem was solved by 'cat mbr.bin > /dev/sda'
> > Simply said, if you write the bootloader (syslinux) to /dev/sda1 
> > in Linux, it doesn't do anything unless you put a generic MBR code
> > to the MBR area of your device. Because MBR is read and executed
> > first, and then the MBR code looks for partitions and bootloader in
sda1.
> >
> > Syslinux in windows will write the MBR, but syslinux in Linux
won't.
> > Hope this helps.
> >
> 
> It won't (unless you use -m), but if you partition the disk in Windows,
> then I believe Windows will.
> 
> 	-hpa
Hi. I didn't partition it in Windows. It had the same partitions from the
Linux try.

BTW, while you're listening, the documentation for Syslinux really sucks,
most of the options aren't mentioned at all (only -s is)

-- 
_______________________________________________
Surf the Web in a faster, safer and easier way:
Download Opera 9 at http://www.opera.com

Powered by Outblaze

Hi

I only want to figure out why the Windows version did install a mbr, when it
wasn't told to, as this is weird.

Recap:
- I tried in Linux, made the partition, marked active, formatted fat32, did a
"syslinux-nomtools -sf /dev/sda1"
- it wasn't bootable, as I hadn't used the mbr.bin (which I now know,
thanks to Tomas)
- then I tried on Win XP, using the same stick, without partitioning again
- I used "syslinux -sf f:", ie no -m switch.
- and the stick was bootable

So, can someone explain what happened here?

Thanks, Lauri

-- 
_______________________________________________
Surf the Web in a faster, safer and easier way:
Download Opera 9 at http://www.opera.com

Powered by Outblaze

> Lauri Kasanen wrote:
> > Hi
> >
> > I only want to figure out why the Windows version did install a 
> > mbr, when it wasn't told to, as this is weird.
> >
> > Recap:
> > - I tried in Linux, made the partition, marked active, formatted 
> > fat32, did a "syslinux-nomtools -sf /dev/sda1"
> > - it wasn't bootable, as I hadn't used the mbr.bin (which I
now
> > know, thanks to Tomas)
> > - then I tried on Win XP, using the same stick, without partitioning
again
> > - I used "syslinux -sf f:", ie no -m switch.
> > - and the stick was bootable
> >
> > So, can someone explain what happened here?
> >
> 
> There might have been an MBR on it from the factory.  That is usually
> the case.
> 
> 	-hpa
But it wasn't bootable right after using syslinux on linux?

Lauri

-- 
_______________________________________________
Surf the Web in a faster, safer and easier way:
Download Opera 9 at http://www.opera.com

Powered by Outblaze