[syslinux] Patch mboot.c with Symbols/segments loader for multiboot ELF kernels

Ram Yalamanchili
Sat, 14 Jan 2006 22:38:44 -0000

The program segments loaded presently in mboot.c only consists of a
subset of sections described by the ELF Section Header Table (SHT) in
the ELF kernel binary. Segments with useful information often needed for
debugging purposes (symbol tables, string tables, etc.) aren't usually
present in the program segments and hence not loaded above.

Some kernels use this debugging information to provide better error
messages or logging. Also a topology of the used memory can be got from
the SHT. The multiboot specification proposes loading these extra
sections into memory and providing the multiboot kernel with the address
of the SHT. This address pointer is passed through the "syms"
structure
of the MIB (Multiboot Information Block) along with other essential
information.

This patched version (in attachment) does exactly that.

Refer:  "Multiboot Specification Manual",
	"TIS ELF Specification v1.2" for more details.

thanks,
Ram