Syslinux - Sep 2013 - syslinux.exe, 5.01 on xp: Failed to load COM32 file, and more

On Sat, Sep 14, 2013 at 04:51:52PM -0400, Gene Cumm
wrote:
> On Sat, Sep 14, 2013 at 3:20 PM, Regid Ichira <regid23 at nt1.in>
wrote:
> 
> > label  xp
> >         com32  chain.c32
> >         append hd0  1  ntldr=/ntldr
> 
> >   2. Installed by
> > From xp cmd prompt:
> >     c:\downloadedPrograms\syslinux\syslinux.exe --active     \
> >            --directory /downloadedPrograms/syslinux/ --force \
> >            --install --mbr c:
> 
> Why are you using "--force"?
Without --force I get:
    Not a removable drive (use -f to override)
I tried now without --force, and to ignore the suggestion to use -f.
It doesn't seem to work.  Without --force I didn't get the syslinux
version message, nor the output of syslinux's display command.  XP
booted as if the syslinux installation command was not issued.
> 
> > The line, and the contniuation slashes, are for clarity.  In reality
> > it was on a single line.
> >
> 
> >   3. Result:
> > Got a boot: prompt after displaying the cfg file.  But:
> >
> >     boot: xp
> >     Failed to load COM32 file chain.c32
> 
> Do you have any lib*.c32 files around?  Which ones?
The syslinux directory has libcom32.c32, libutil.c32.
> Tried manually loading libgpl.c32?
Loading libgpl.c32 manually doesn't make a change.
> 
> >     boot: memtest
> >     Loading memtest86+.bin... ok
> >     Booting kernel failed: Bad file number
> 
> This works in 6.02-pre16.
> 
  5.01 worked for me in the past.  I can't tell if reinstalling XP
from scratch, or something else, broke it.  I was considering 
installing a newer syslinux version.  But it seems 5.01 is the last
version for which there are premade binaries for XP.  I never built
syslinux from source.  I guess I will have to install the compiler
and dependencies.  Since 5.01 worked for me in the past, I was 
hoping it will be easier to fix.

On Sat, Sep 14, 2013 at 7:39 PM, Regid Ichira <regid23 at nt1.in>
wrote:
> On Sat, Sep 14, 2013 at 04:51:52PM -0400, Gene Cumm wrote:
>> On Sat, Sep 14, 2013 at 3:20 PM, Regid Ichira <regid23 at nt1.in>
wrote:
> Without --force I get:
>     Not a removable drive (use -f to override)
> I tried now without --force, and to ignore the suggestion to use -f.
> It doesn't seem to work.  Without --force I didn't get the syslinux
> version message, nor the output of syslinux's display command.  XP
> booted as if the syslinux installation command was not issued.
OK.
>> > The line, and the contniuation slashes, are for clarity.  In
reality
>> > it was on a single line.
>> >
>>
>> >   3. Result:
>> > Got a boot: prompt after displaying the cfg file.  But:
>> >
>> >     boot: xp
>> >     Failed to load COM32 file chain.c32
>>
>> Do you have any lib*.c32 files around?  Which ones?
>
> The syslinux directory has libcom32.c32, libutil.c32.
>
>> Tried manually loading libgpl.c32?
>
> Loading libgpl.c32 manually doesn't make a change.
>
>>
>> >     boot: memtest
>> >     Loading memtest86+.bin... ok
>> >     Booting kernel failed: Bad file number
>>
>> This works in 6.02-pre16.
>>
>
>   5.01 worked for me in the past.  I can't tell if reinstalling XP
> from scratch, or something else, broke it.  I was considering
> installing a newer syslinux version.  But it seems 5.01 is the last
> version for which there are premade binaries for XP.  I never built
It should be there.  If looking in 6.xx, look in the bios/
subdirectory first (ie bios/win32/ ).

-- 
-Gene

On Sat, Sep 14, 2013 at 08:03:49PM -0400, Gene Cumm
wrote:
> On Sat, Sep 14, 2013 at 7:39 PM, Regid Ichira <regid23 at nt1.in>
wrote:
> > On Sat, Sep 14, 2013 at 04:51:52PM -0400, Gene Cumm wrote:
> >> On Sat, Sep 14, 2013 at 3:20 PM, Regid Ichira <regid23 at
nt1.in> wrote:
> 
> > Without --force I get:
> >     Not a removable drive (use -f to override)
> > I tried now without --force, and to ignore the suggestion to use -f.
> > It doesn't seem to work.  Without --force I didn't get the
syslinux
> > version message, nor the output of syslinux's display command.  XP
> > booted as if the syslinux installation command was not issued.
> 
> OK.
> 
> >> > The line, and the contniuation slashes, are for clarity.  In
reality
> >> > it was on a single line.
> >> >
> >>
> >> >   3. Result:
> >> > Got a boot: prompt after displaying the cfg file.  But:
> >> >
> >> >     boot: xp
> >> >     Failed to load COM32 file chain.c32
> >>
> >> Do you have any lib*.c32 files around?  Which ones?
> >
> > The syslinux directory has libcom32.c32, libutil.c32.
> >
> >> Tried manually loading libgpl.c32?
> >
> > Loading libgpl.c32 manually doesn't make a change.
> >
> >>
> >> >     boot: memtest
> >> >     Loading memtest86+.bin... ok
> >> >     Booting kernel failed: Bad file number
> >>
> >> This works in 6.02-pre16.
> >>
> >
> >   5.01 worked for me in the past.  I can't tell if reinstalling XP
> > from scratch, or something else, broke it.  I was considering
> 
> > installing a newer syslinux version.  But it seems 5.01 is the last
> > version for which there are premade binaries for XP.  I never built
> 
> It should be there.  If looking in 6.xx, look in the bios/
> subdirectory first (ie bios/win32/ ).
> 
  Now I see it.
With 6.01, I had the following not good experience:
1. When booting, syslinux couldn't see syslinux.cfg.  Which is there.
   Not sure if that is because --install did not print any error
   while not writing the new ldlinux.sys and ldlinux.c32.  Deleting
   ldlinux.sys and ldlinux.c32 through XP cmd prompt was not trivial
   because of their attributes.
2. Both with, and without, manually loading libgpl.c32, 
       linux  memtest86+.bin
   failed.  With 6.01, the failure is due to Invalid argument.
   When I had a working 5.01, I could load memtest86+.bin.
3. It failed to load COM32.  So no chaining with chain.c32.