Syslinux - Dec 2018 - Any special option to debug kernel just freezing?

Use syslinux 6.03 for my g4l disk imaging project, and it works great.
Have just had a user that has a new thinkpad t440p system and it load the 
syslinux, and he can select any of the various kernels included on the iso, but 
it freezes at a point with no error message just stops?
Originally, the last thing 
ata8: PATA max PIO4 cmd 0x170 ctl 0x376 irq 15
But I built a special kernel with all the PATA stuff removed since it wasn't
using any PATA devices.
Just changed the last thing displayed before the freeze.

Tried some failsafe kernel options that have worked in past, but same results.
Just wondering if there is some syslinux or special kernel option that I'm
not
aware of that might help. 

Don't have direct contact with person, and no access to the system. 

Checked that machine has the latest bios, and has tried a number of options 
in bios settings? 

Thanks for your time, and been very happy with the syslinux since working 
with this project since 2004. So, a long history of all the pieces working.

On Sat, Dec 8, 2018 at 9:29 AM Michael D. Setzer II via Syslinux
<syslinux at zytor.com> wrote:
> Use syslinux 6.03 for my g4l disk imaging project, and it works great.
> Have just had a user that has a new thinkpad t440p system and it load the
> syslinux, and he can select any of the various kernels included on the iso,
but
> it freezes at a point with no error message just stops?
> Originally, the last thing
> ata8: PATA max PIO4 cmd 0x170 ctl 0x376 irq 15
> But I built a special kernel with all the PATA stuff removed since it
wasn't
> using any PATA devices.
> Just changed the last thing displayed before the freeze.
I'd guess it's whatever is loaded/executed next after the last
displayed message.
> Tried some failsafe kernel options that have worked in past, but same
results.
> Just wondering if there is some syslinux or special kernel option that
I'm not
> aware of that might help.
There won't really be any Syslinux-specific options aside from the
fact that Syslinux will adhere to the Linux kernel option "mem=" when
loading and I think adjusts the values returned by BIOS memory query
calls.  Knowing which specific permutations of options might be
useful.
> Don't have direct contact with person, and no access to the system.
>
> Checked that machine has the latest bios, and has tried a number of options
> in bios settings?
BIOS (or UEFI CSM mode) or UEFI boot?  I'm guessing the former...
> Thanks for your time, and been very happy with the syslinux since working
> with this project since 2004. So, a long history of all the pieces working.
Aside from "mem=", I'd consider some of the usual options like
noapic
or rebuilding the kernel with different more compatible optimizations
(ie i486-like instead of something more modern like i686 or SSE4).

-- 
-Gene