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

Patrick Verner
Wed, 03 Jul 2013 21:06:31 -0000

>>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?

The results both match for booting 4.06 via CD and USB:

SYSLINUX 4.06 EDD 2012-10-23
boot: meminfo.c32
INT 15h = f000:f859  DOS RAM: 639K (0x9fc00)  INT 12h: 639K (0x9fc00)
INT 15 88: 0xfc00 (64512K)  INT 15 E801: 0x3c00 (15360K) 0xbee8 (3127808K)
       0 0000000000000000 00000000000a0000 00000000000a0000 1 [-] usable
       1 00000000000f0000 0000000000010000 0000000000100000 2 [-] reserved
       2 0000000000100000 00000000bfd86c00 00000000bfe86c00 1 [-] usable
       3 00000000bfe86c00 0000000000002000 00000000bfe88c00 4 [-] ACPI NVS
       4 00000000bfe88c00 0000000000002000 00000000bfe8ac00 3 [-] ACPI
reclaim
       5 00000000bfe8ac00 0000000000175400 00000000c0000000 2 [-] reserved
       6 00000000e0000000 0000000004000000 00000000e4000000 2 [-] reserved
       7 00000000fed20000 0000000000080000 00000000feda0000 2 [-] reserved
       8 00000000fed00000 0000000000000400 00000000fed00400 2 [-] reserved
       9 00000000fec00000 0000000000100000 00000000fed00000 2 [-] reserved
       a 00000000fee00000 0000000000100000 00000000fef00000 2 [-] reserved
       b 00000000ffb00000 0000000000500000 0000000100000000 2 [-] reserved

Patrick

On Wed, Jul 3, 2013 at 12:56 PM, Gene Cumm <gene.cumm at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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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> >> > >
> >> > >
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> >> >
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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.'"