Rich Mahn
2014-Jan-22 15:20 UTC
[syslinux] After USB boot problems on Gigabyte GA-M55Plus-S3G
> > Both sticks show very unusual factors for heads and sectors > > which are hardly intentional. If BIOS gets confused like fdisk, > > then the failure to find files is quite plausible. > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > Could you please exercise what is described for Linux in > > http://www.syslinux.org/doc/usbkey.txt > > and check whether > > mkdiskimage -4 /dev/sda 0 64 32 > > prepares a problematic stick for a normal installation of > > Clonezilla, which then boots ? > > > > I have to disagree., at least at this point. >I have to disagree with the disagree, at least so some extent. I find mkdiskimage to be an extremely useful and compact tool to do what otherwise takes several potentially more error-prone steps. I actually use different parameters: mkdiskimage -4 -z -F /dev/sdX which is the same thing as above except using FAT32 instead of FAT16. This has worked flawlessly with various USB thumb drives from 256 MiB to 32 GiB in size on PCs with dozens of different motherboards from about a half-dozen different vendors. (Actually the PCs only have one MB each--it's the aggregation that has the dozens of MBs). On the larger sticks I carry several versions of a number of distributions--Clonezilla, AVG, GParted, Parted Magic, System Rescue CD, Fedora, Centos, and several other diagnostic tools. This gives me most of the tools I might need, all on one or two USB sticks. Adapting these distributions to this type of USB stick has become almost trivial with Syslinux 6.02. If it is of interest, I'll be glad to provide details and step-by-step instructions. Perhaps this type of information could be useful somewhere in the wiki. I'm not much of a writer, but I'm good at step-by-step instructions.
Thomas Schmitt
2014-Jan-22 18:36 UTC
[syslinux] After USB boot problems on Gigabyte GA-M55Plus-S3G
Hi, Rich Mahn wrote:> mkdiskimage -4 -z -F /dev/sdXAdded to my emerging article. Thanks.> This has worked flawlessly with various USB thumb drives from 256 MiB to > 32 GiBCylinder size 64x32 is fully consistent only up to 1 GiB. What start LBA, block count, end CHS do you get with larger ones ?> Perhaps this type of information could be useful somewhere in the wiki.Here ! (Jumping up and down) http://www.syslinux.org/wiki/index.php/User:Scdbackup#New_Common_Problems_Bad_Heritage_on_MS_DOS_disk Have a nice day :) Thomas
Dean Graff
2014-Jan-22 18:41 UTC
[syslinux] After USB boot problems on Gigabyte GA-M55Plus-S3G
Could i get an example to make a binary hard disk image with `mkdiskimage', populate it and install syslinux please? Preferably with a single FAT partition. On Wed, Jan 22, 2014 at 9:20 AM, Rich Mahn <rich at lat.com> wrote:> > > > Both sticks show very unusual factors for heads and sectors > > > which are hardly intentional. If BIOS gets confused like fdisk, > > > then the failure to find files is quite plausible. > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > > > Could you please exercise what is described for Linux in > > > http://www.syslinux.org/doc/usbkey.txt > > > and check whether > > > mkdiskimage -4 /dev/sda 0 64 32 > > > prepares a problematic stick for a normal installation of > > > Clonezilla, which then boots ? > > > > > > > I have to disagree., at least at this point. > > > > I have to disagree with the disagree, at least so some extent. I find > mkdiskimage to be an extremely useful and compact tool to do what > otherwise takes several potentially more error-prone steps. > > I actually use different parameters: > mkdiskimage -4 -z -F /dev/sdX > which is the same thing as above except using FAT32 instead of FAT16. > > This has worked flawlessly with various USB thumb drives from 256 MiB to > 32 GiB in size on PCs with dozens of different motherboards from about a > half-dozen different vendors. (Actually the PCs only have one MB > each--it's the aggregation that has the dozens of MBs). > > On the larger sticks I carry several versions of a number of > distributions--Clonezilla, AVG, GParted, Parted Magic, System Rescue CD, > Fedora, Centos, and several other diagnostic tools. This gives me most > of the tools I might need, all on one or two USB sticks. > > Adapting these distributions to this type of USB stick has become almost > trivial with Syslinux 6.02. If it is of interest, I'll be glad to > provide details and step-by-step instructions. Perhaps this type of > information could be useful somewhere in the wiki. I'm not much of a > writer, but I'm good at step-by-step instructions. > > _______________________________________________ > Syslinux mailing list > Submissions to Syslinux at zytor.com > Unsubscribe or set options at: > http://www.zytor.com/mailman/listinfo/syslinux > Please do not send private replies to mailing list traffic. > >
> > > > Both sticks show very unusual factors for heads and sectors > > > which are hardly intentional. If BIOS gets confused like fdisk, > > > then the failure to find files is quite plausible. > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > > > Could you please exercise what is described for Linux in > > > http://www.syslinux.org/doc/usbkey.txt > > > and check whether > > > mkdiskimage -4 /dev/sda 0 64 32 > > > prepares a problematic stick for a normal installation of > > > Clonezilla, which then boots ? > > > > > > > I have to disagree., at least at this point. > > > > I have to disagree with the disagree, at least so some extent. I find > mkdiskimage to be an extremely useful and compact tool to do what > otherwise takes several potentially more error-prone steps.I have nothing against the mkdiskimage script. My disagreement in the email you quoted was regarding starting to play with CHS values, whichever success they might have for others. We already know that, for Ronald, their USB drives and their mainboards, a geometry of Nx255x63 will work as expected. Additionally, certain tools will initially default / assume that the geometry is Nx255x63. Most common information nowadays posted in websites / forums are also assuming such geometry. So, for simplicity, my suggestion was / is for Ronald to use Nx255x63, which should work correctly. Regards, Ady.
Rich Mahn
2014-Jan-22 21:39 UTC
[syslinux] After USB boot problems on Gigabyte GA-M55Plus-S3G
Dean Graff <graff97 at gmail.com> wrote:> Could i get an example to make a binary hard disk image with `mkdiskimage', > populate it and install syslinux please? Preferably with a single FAT > partition. >Thomas Schmitt <scdbackup at gmx.net> wrote:> Hi, > > Rich Mahn wrote: > > mkdiskimage -4 -z -F /dev/sdX > > Added to my emerging article. Thanks. > > > > This has worked flawlessly with various USB thumb drives from 256 MiB to > > 32 GiB > > Cylinder size 64x32 is fully consistent only up to 1 GiB. > What start LBA, block count, end CHS do you get with larger ones ? >With a 32 GiB drive on /dev/sdf, here's what I do: # <syslinux_dir>/bios/utils/mkdiskimage -4 -z -F /dev/sdf # <syslinux_dir>/bios/linux/syslinux /dev/sdf4 # fdisk -l /dev/sdf Disk /dev/sdf: 32.1 GB, 32057065472 bytes 64 heads, 32 sectors/track, 30572 cylinders, total 62611456 sectors Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes Disk identifier: 0x571aaf5a Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System /dev/sdf4 * 32 62611455 31305712 c W95 FAT32 (LBA) now to put in some programs # mkdir m # mount /dev/sdf4 m # mkdir -p m/syslinux # find <syslinux_dir>/bios -name '*.c32' -o -name '*.com' -exec cp '{}' m/syslinux ';' # cp <syslinux_dir>/bios/memdisk/memdisk m/syslinux need a config file # cat > m/syslinux.cfg <<! UI vesamenu.c32 PROMPT 0 LABEL hello COM32 hello.c32 ! # umount m # rmdir m Use this as a basis to add whatever else you need. Of course you probably will have /dev/sdb or /dev/sdc for your thumb drive. I've got a lot of disks on this particular system.