Dear Syslinux bootloader list, I'm running into a few issues concerning Syslinux modules here, hoping you can answer one or more of the following questions: * Where's "ifmemdsk.c32" ? 4.05, 4.06pre1 and latest 4.10pre seem to lack it. Only the "ifmemdsk.c" file, which is likely sourcecode. Not seeing any "ifmemdsk.cbt" legacy comboot module. * Do COM32 modules have their own memory requirements? Menu.c32 fails on a 2MB QEMU system, same for CHAIN.C32, yet Isolinux (and Syslinux) load fine if no com32 is loaded. Memdisk also loads fine (only tested with 360K floppy image). I haven't tried 1MB QEMU (hangs on win32 due to either QEMU or SeaBIOS or bug) nor 0MB system (Coreboot with Cache-As-Ram in theory). * There doesn't seem to be a fallback to text-only mode for the UI parameter in case of low memory situations. Physical systems have 4MB already at the very least, but loading an ISO into RAM followed by booting it can get you into situations where there's just enough memory to load isolinux.bin/cfg but not any COM32 module, thus also not GUI. Thus, hang. (and, relying on localboot 0x00/0x80 instead of CHAIN.C32). Trying with 3MB or more seemed to work just fine * is there a working version of memdisk.c32 [http://reboot.pro/14468/] ? COM32 modules seem to be version-dependant and trying this with 4.05 ended up with "not a COM32R image" so I guess it's written for 4.04. * How's Syslinux influencing gate A20? And MEMDISK? They both seem to result in different A20 access methods being displayed by various memory managers under FreeDOS. One of them actually manages to crash unfortunately. My apologies for the many questions in a single email. Thanks also for having brought up the (slightly outdated) Syslinux website. [ http://www.syslinux.org/wiki/index.php/The_Syslinux_Project ] with best regards, Bernd Blaauw
On 01/15/2012 03:28 PM, Bernd Blaauw wrote:> Dear Syslinux bootloader list, > > I'm running into a few issues concerning Syslinux modules here, hoping > you can answer one or more of the following questions: > > * Where's "ifmemdsk.c32" ? 4.05, 4.06pre1 and latest 4.10pre seem to > lack it. Only the "ifmemdsk.c" file, which is likely sourcecode. Not > seeing any "ifmemdsk.cbt" legacy comboot module. >ifmemdsk isn't a COM32 module, it's a DOS program.> * Do COM32 modules have their own memory requirements? Menu.c32 fails on > a 2MB QEMU system, same for CHAIN.C32, yet Isolinux (and Syslinux) load > fine if no com32 is loaded. Memdisk also loads fine (only tested with > 360K floppy image). > I haven't tried 1MB QEMU (hangs on win32 due to either QEMU or SeaBIOS > or bug) nor 0MB system (Coreboot with Cache-As-Ram in theory).Yes, like anything else they do.> * There doesn't seem to be a fallback to text-only mode for the UI > parameter in case of low memory situations. Physical systems have 4MB > already at the very least, but loading an ISO into RAM followed by > booting it can get you into situations where there's just enough memory > to load isolinux.bin/cfg but not any COM32 module, thus also not GUI. > Thus, hang. (and, relying on localboot 0x00/0x80 instead of CHAIN.C32). > Trying with 3MB or more seemed to work just fineThe problem is that by the time you have loaded the module you're already out of memroy. The fallback pretty much is the CLI. You're talking about memory sizes that hasn't been seen on mainstream hardware for 20 years.> * is there a working version of memdisk.c32 [http://reboot.pro/14468/] ? > COM32 modules seem to be version-dependant and trying this with 4.05 > ended up with "not a COM32R image" so I guess it's written for 4.04. > > * How's Syslinux influencing gate A20? And MEMDISK? They both seem to > result in different A20 access methods being displayed by various memory > managers under FreeDOS. One of them actually manages to crash > unfortunately.Syslinux opens the A20 gate and leaves it open. MEMDISK has to flip it as necessary to access high memory, depending on the exact mode the machine is in. -hpa
On Mon, 2012-01-16 at 00:28 +0100, Bernd Blaauw wrote:> * is there a working version of memdisk.c32 [http://reboot.pro/14468/] ?When I tried to look at it I encountered an error page (stating that I "do not have permission to view this attachment"). Are you allowed and able to upload that file (and, preferably, its source) somewhere more public?> COM32 modules seem to be version-dependant and trying this with 4.05 > ended up with "not a COM32R image" so I guess it's written for 4.04.I only recall running into that problem by loading pre 4.xx modules (ie, 3.86 or earlier) with 4.xx+ syslinux (see http://www.syslinux.org/wiki/index.php/Common_Problems#Modules for some background). Paul Bolle
2012/1/16 Paul Bolle <pebolle at tiscali.nl>:> On Mon, 2012-01-16 at 00:28 +0100, Bernd Blaauw wrote: >> * is there a working version of memdisk.c32 [http://reboot.pro/14468/] ? > When I tried to look at it I encountered an error page (stating that I > "do not have permission to view this attachment"). Are you allowed and > able to upload that file (and, preferably, its source) somewhere more > public? >Some/all? source code can be found at: http://git.zytor.com/?p=users/sha0/syslinux.git;a=shortlog;h=refs/heads/memdisk_c32 Use a BugMeNot account to download files from forums: http://bugmenot.com/view/reboot.pro - Gert Hulselmans