[syslinux] Dell OptiPlex GX620 can longer boot from CD with syslinux-5.X

Gene Cumm
Wed, 03 Jul 2013 17:56:57 -0000

On Wed, Jul 3, 2013 at 11:22 AM, Patrick Verner <distrozilla at gmail.com>
wrote:
> We have tried compiling the binaries our self and using the pre-compiled in
> the syslinux tar ball as well. It just locks up with the text we provided.

Thanks.  I'm assuming by this you mean it always ends with the cursor
1 space away from "ETCD", regardless the binaries tested.  I'd
guess
that isolinux-debug.bin might not help (but may be worth a shot).

> The problem is booting from CD, booting from USB works. I suspect the
> problem is in isolinux.bin. The CD only fails on this one machine. It works
> on everything else we tried. 4.06 worked without any issue on this same
> machine. Parted Magic has been around for 8 years now and we are

That's good that 4.06 works.

> quite familiar with syslinux and booting live media. This is an obvious
> regression and we are willing to do as much testing as required. If you
> need anything, let us know.

My guess is an interaction with the memory map/use that's different
between CD and USB boot.  Could you do screen captures of the output
of meminfo.c32 when booting ISOLINUX-4.06 as a CD and SYSLINUX-4.06 as
a USB?  I'm guessing this information will likely help.

> On Wed, Jul 3, 2013 at 4:11 AM, Gene Cumm <gene.cumm at gmail.com>
wrote:
>
>> On Jul 2, 2013 7:37 PM, "Patrick Verner" <distrozilla at
gmail.com> wrote:
>> >
>> > System: Dell OptiPlex GX620 (Both BIOS A10 and A11 affected)
>> > Medium: Physical CD-RW
>> > Observed: ISOLINUX 5.11 0x51D1AE48 ETCD_ is the only line
displayed
>> > on-screen. A flashing cursor trails at the end of the line. Escape
key
>> does
>>
>> Is "ISOLINUX 5.11 0x51D1AE48 ETCD_" (assuming the '_'
is the cursor) the
>> only thing displayed? Could you try the precompiled binaries?  Tried
>> testing that CD in that under a Linux envirinmt?
>>
>> > not return boot: prompt.
>> > Line1 of syslinux.cfg: DEFAULT vesamenu.c32
>> > Note: Reverting to syslinux-4.06 allows for successful booting on
the
>> same
>> > system.
>> >
>> > Patrick
>> >
>> > On Tue, Jul 2, 2013 at 4:43 PM, Gene Cumm <gene.cumm at
gmail.com> wrote:
>> >
>> > > On Tue, Jul 2, 2013 at 4:07 PM, Patrick Verner
<distrozilla at gmail.com>
>> > > wrote:
>> > > > This same system boots with syslinux-4.06. Let me know
if there is
>> > > > any further info you need. We tried syslinux-5.11-pre5
as well.
>> > >
>> > > What do you actually observe?
>> > >
>> > > Perhaps BIOS rev A11 and not A10 or earlier?  Regular
physical CD and
>> > > not an ISOHYBRID written to disk-like media or loaded with
>> > > MEMDISK/grub4dos/gPXE/iPXE?  Using a menu
>> > > (menu.c32/vesamenu.c32/gfxboot.c32)?  If so, tried without?
>> > >
>> > > --
>> > > -Gene
>> > > _______________________________________________
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--
-Gene

A: Because it messes up the order in which people normally read text,
especially the archives of mailing lists.
Q: Why is Top-posting such a bad thing?

"No one ever says, 'I can't read that ASCII(plain text) e-mail you
sent me.'"