Syslinux - Nov 2003 - Win32 Syslinux

I've been playing with the Win32 SYSLINUX, and it fails if you're not
using NT or 2K or XP.  There are some differences when using it under
Win95/98/ME, but is there any reason that this program couldn't just
have a different codepath for those older version of Windows?  

Alex Pavloff - apavloff at esatechnology.com
ESA Technology ---- www.esatechnology.com
------- Linux-based industrial HMI ------
-------- www.esatechnology.com/5k -------

On Wed, Nov 26, 2003 at 03:55:01PM -0800, Alex Pavloff
wrote:
> 
> I've been playing with the Win32 SYSLINUX, and it fails if you're
not
> using NT or 2K or XP.  There are some differences when using it under
> Win95/98/ME, but is there any reason that this program couldn't just
> have a different codepath for those older version of Windows?  
syslinux.exe does not work on win95/98/ME. On those platforms you have
to use syslinux.com (16bit DOS version).

The reason why syslinux.exe does not work on Win95/98/ME is that raw
disk access on these systems are not directly supported. I have tried to
use the method described here: 
 
http://www.codeguru.com/system/ReadSector.html 
 
but I have never finished the code (I never needed it bad enough since
syslinux.com works fine on win9x). It should be possible to get working
without to much hassle, at least for floppy disks.

For more information on raw disk access trouble on win9x see also:
http://uranus.it.swin.edu.au/~jn/linux/diskio/index.htm

-- Lars Munch

>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Lars Munch [mailto:lars at segv.dk] 
>> Sent: Saturday, November 29, 2003 2:09 PM
>> To: Alex Pavloff
>> Cc: syslinux at zytor.com
>> Subject: Re: [syslinux] Win32 Syslinux
>> 
>> 
>> On Wed, Nov 26, 2003 at 03:55:01PM -0800, Alex Pavloff wrote:
>> 
>> > I've been playing with the Win32 SYSLINUX, and it fails if 
>> you're not 
>> > using NT or 2K or XP.  There are some differences when 
>> using it under 
>> > Win95/98/ME, but is there any reason that this program 
>> couldn't just 
>> > have a different codepath for those older version of Windows?
>> 
>> syslinux.exe does not work on win95/98/ME. On those platforms 
>> you have to use syslinux.com (16bit DOS version).
>> 
>> The reason why syslinux.exe does not work on Win95/98/ME is 
>> that raw disk access on these systems are not directly 
>> supported. I have tried to use the method described here: 
>  
>http://www.codeguru.com/system/ReadSector.html 
> 
>but I have never finished the code (I never needed it bad enough since
syslinux.com works fine on win9x). 
>It should be possible to get >working without to much hassle, at least
for floppy disks.
>
>For more information on raw disk access trouble on win9x see also:
http://uranus.it.swin.edu.au/~jn/linux/diskio/index.htm

That makes sense.  I guess that I'll simply do the OS detection and
syslinux.com/syslinux.exe choice myself.  Easy stuff.  Thanks for the
info.

Alex Pavloff - apavloff at esatechnology.com
ESA Technology ---- www.esatechnology.com
------- Linux-based industrial HMI ------
-------- www.esatechnology.com/5k -------