Syslinux - Nov 2013 - Booting with Syslinux 6.01 & 6.02 fails, causes restart.

>> Straight away the booting process looks different than with 4.06.
>> The periods that were showing progress in loading the initramfs now
>> does not increase as the initramfs is loaded. So, only three periods
>> after each initramfs.
>
> That happened in version 5.00.
Good to know that this is expected behavior. However, some sort of
indication that the initramfs is loading would have been nice. Solaris
uses a spinning cursor, for instance. But, this is not important to
the current issue.
>> Once the last initramfs is loaded, the system re-starts.
This is the bit I am having a problem with.
> Are you also doing PXE booting?  This detail seems missing but your
> reference seems to indicate possibly.
No, I am using extlinux/syslinux, as far as I am aware they are the
same things these days.

I am trying to boot a volume that has been partitioned with gpt.
It has a legacy bios boot bit, that is set active. As I said before,
with syslinux/extlinux 4.06 this works flawlessly.
> bios/core/pxelinux.0 or bios/core/lpxelinux.0?  Did you use the
> precompiled binary right after extraction with no make commands?
I compiled from sources.
First gnu-efi, then syslinux. I can provide compile logs if you are interested.

Then I installed with extlinux --install -s /boot
and then copied in gptmbr into /dev/sda

and re-created the initramfs bundle that this distrobution boots from .

Then rebooted.


Thanks for the quick response.
-Evert-

> I compiled from sources.
 
Where did you get the Syslinux source? Could you try with the latest 
from Arch Linux [testing], just in case?

FWIW, the Syslinux archives in kernel.org already contain binary 
files. Using official files without re-compiling might help find out 
if perhaps there is some build problem.
> First gnu-efi, then syslinux. I can provide compile logs if you are
interested.
Are you using gnu-efi 3.0u? If not, please update.
> 
> Then I installed with extlinux --install -s /boot
> and then copied in gptmbr into /dev/sda
> 
> and re-created the initramfs bundle that this distrobution boots from .
> 
> Then rebooted.
 
Were you using the same exact procedure, in the same order and exact 
commands with Syslinux 4.xx?

Any specific reason to use "-s" in the installer? Could you try 
without it?

Could you try installing gptmbr.bin first, and then executing the 
extlinux installer?

Are you using c32 modules?

Have you changed anything in your /boot/syslinux.cfg file? Can you 
post it?

Have you tested Syslinux 4.07?

Which filesystem is /boot ?

Regards,
Ady.

Hi there, Ady.
>> I compiled from sources.
>
> Where did you get the Syslinux source? Could you try with the latest
> from Arch Linux [testing], just in case?
I got them from one of the kernel mirrors, which mirror in particular
I am not certain, my distro does not keep track.

I could certainly try. I'll just have to find a download link, then
I'll diff against the sources I have to see if there are any
differences.

> FWIW, the Syslinux archives in kernel.org already contain binary
> files. Using official files without re-compiling might help find out
> if perhaps there is some build problem.
Thanks for the pointer. I will keep that in mind. Saying that, I have
tried quite a few different build options, and nothing changed in the
output files.

> Are you using gnu-efi 3.0u? If not, please update.
The very same. :)
>> Then I installed with extlinux --install -s /boot
>> and then copied in gptmbr into /dev/sda
>>
>> and re-created the initramfs bundle that this distrobution boots from .
>>
>> Then rebooted.
>
> Were you using the same exact procedure, in the same order and exact
> commands with Syslinux 4.xx?
Yes, exactly the same every time.
> Any specific reason to use "-s" in the installer? Could you try
> without it?
I suppose I could. I'll keep it in mind, too.
> Could you try installing gptmbr.bin first, and then executing the
> extlinux installer?
I certainly can.
> Are you using c32 modules?
I am not certain how to check.
> Have you changed anything in your /boot/syslinux.cfg file? Can you
> post it?
Will post in a seperate email, from the system itself. It's a bit long
too type in by hand, and I don't want to make any errors.
> Have you tested Syslinux 4.07?
Nope
> Which filesystem is /boot ?
The first partition on the internal hard disk drive. It's ext2

I get the same error in booting from an external USB HD that is a
duplicate of my internal HDD.

Regards,
Evert