thr3ads.net - Syslinux - [syslinux] Problem with cascading configurations [Sep 2019]

If this information is useful, please help other people find it:
Share via:

Malte Forkel

2019-Sep-05 14:01 UTC

[syslinux] Problem with cascading configurations

Am 04.09.2019 um 22:18 schrieb Ady Ady via Syslinux:>> I am trying to setup a PXE server for two Debian releases (stretch and
>> buster) using their respective network boot images (netboot.tar.gz),
>> which I extracted into subdirectories of the TFTP server's root
directory:
>>
>> ??? ??? debian
>> ??? ??? ??? buster
>> ??? ??? ??? ??? debian-installer
>> ??? ??? ??? ??? ldlinux.c32 ->
>> debian-installer/i386/boot-screens/ldlinux.c32
>> ??? ??? ??? ??? pxelinux.0 -> debian-installer/i386/pxelinux.0
>> ??? ??? ??? ??? pxelinux.cfg -> debian-installer/i386/pxelinux.cfg
>> ??? ??? ??? ??? version.info
>> ??? ??? ??? stretch
>> ??? ??????? ??? debian-installer
>> ??? ??????? ??? ldlinux.c32 ->
>> debian-installer/i386/boot-screens/ldlinux.c32
>> ??? ??????? ??? pxelinux.0 -> debian-installer/i386/pxelinux.0
>> ??? ??????? ??? pxelinux.cfg -> debian-installer/i386/pxelinux.cfg
>> ??? ??????? ??? version.info
>> ??? ??? pxelinux.0
>> ??? ??? pxelinux.cfg
>> ??? ??? ??? default
>> ??? ??? syslinux
>> ??? ??? ??? ldlinux.c32
>> ??? ??? ??? libutil.c32
>> ??? ??? ??? menu.c32
>>
>> The directory syslinux contains files copied from the host's
package
>> syslinux-common. The host OS is Raspbian stretch.
>>
>> pxelinux.cfg/default looks like:
>>
>> ??? MENU TITLE PXE Remote Boot
>> ??? DEFAULT syslinux/menu.c32
>> ??? PROMPT 0
>>
>> ??? LABEL Debian_9_i386
>> ??????? MENU LABEL Debian 9 Stretch Network Installer (i386)
>> ??????? CONFIG
debian/stretch/debian-installer/i386/pxelinux.cfg/default
>> debian/stretch/
>>
>> ??? LABEL Debian_10_i386
>> ??????? MENU LABEL Debian 10 Buster Network Installer (i386)
>> ??????? CONFIG debian/buster/debian-installer/i386/pxelinux.cfg/default
>> debian/buster/
>>
>> Booting Debian stretch on a PXE client works fine. But trying to boot
>> Debian buster results in an error:
>>
>> ??? Undef symbol FAIL: init_fpu
>> ??? Failed to load libcom32.c32
>> ??? Failed to load COM32 file
>> debian-installer/i386/boot-screens/vesamenu.c32
>>
>> Stretch and buster use incompatible versions of syslinux. And PXE is
>> requesting ldlinux.c32 before switching to the working directory
>> debian/buster specified by CONFIG. So instead of
>> debian/buster/ldlinux.c32, syslinux/ldlinux.c32 is used. Here is and
>> excerpt from the TFTP server's log:
>>
>> ??? in.tftpd[12160]: RRQ from 10.0.1.106 filename /ldlinux.c32
>> ??? in.tftpd[12161]: RRQ from 10.0.1.106 filename
//syslinux/ldlinux.c32
>> ??? in.tftpd[12162]: RRQ from 10.0.1.106 filename
>> /debian/buster/debian-installer/i386/pxelinux.cfg/default
>> ??? in.tftpd[12163]: RRQ from 10.0.1.106 filename
>> /debian/buster/debian-installer/i386/boot-screens/menu.cfg
>> ??? ...
>> ??? in.tftpd[12184]: RRQ from 10.0.1.106 filename
>> /debian/buster/debian-installer/i386/boot-screens/vesamenu.c32
>> ??? in.tftpd[12185]: RRQ from 10.0.1.106 filename
>> /debian/buster/libcom32.c32
>> ??? in.tftpd[12186]: RRQ from 10.0.1.106 filename
>> /debian/buster/debian-installer/i386/boot-screens/libcom32.c32
>>
>> How do I have to configure PXE to make it use the "right"
version of
>> ldlinux.c32?
>  
>  
> For troubleshooting, are you willing to perform a minor test?
>
> To be clear, the following test does not completely resolve a/the 
> (potential) conflict between Syslinux's versions, but perhaps it might 
> still improve the current situation.
>
> 1_ Copy (not link, not move, actual copy) the file:
>
>  debian/buster/debian-installer/i386/boot-screens/ldlinux.c32 
>
> to:
>
>  debian/buster/debian-installer/i386/ldlinux.c32 
>
> (where pxelinux.0 is actually located)
>
>
> 2_ Change the link, from:
>
>      ??? debian
>      ?   ??? buster
>      ?   ?   ??? debian-installer
>      ?   ?   ??? ldlinux.c32 ->
>  debian-installer/i386/boot-screens/ldlinux.c32
>
>
> to:
>
>      ??? debian
>      ?   ??? buster
>      ?   ?   ??? debian-installer
>      ?   ?   ??? ldlinux.c32 ->
>  debian-installer/i386/ldlinux.c32
>
> (where pxelinux.0 is actually located)
>
>
> 3_ After performing the above two steps, please re-test netbooting 
> Buster and report back.
>
> Any changes? Does it go further? Does it fail in the same exact manner 
> as before? Is the TFTP server's log exactly the same as before?
>
> Regards,
> Ady.
>
>I'll happily run any test.

Relocating ldlinux.c32 as you suggested didn't have any visible effect
on the boot process. Error message and TFTP log entries are the same.

Thanks,
Malte

Ady Ady

2019-Sep-06 04:28 UTC

head link

[syslinux] Problem with cascading configurations

> Relocating ldlinux.c32 as you suggested didn't have any visible effect
> on the boot process. Error message and TFTP log entries are the same. 
 
Adding ldlinux.c32 to the location where pxelinux.0 is located is only 
one part of the troubleshooting process. The addition to the "right" 
location might change the initial "working directory" (when comparing 
to the prior situation, originated/based on the netboot images' parent 
tree). This change might (or might not) be useful.

As I said in my prior email, the aforementioned addition/change cannot 
really resolve the (potential) conflict between Syslinux's versions.

One possible workaround for the versioning conflict (that might work in 
some cases) would be to use pxechn.c32 (from the same version as the 
active pxelinux.0 bootloader) instead of your CONFIG directive entries.

With CONFIG, the cfg files are (expected to be) parsed by the same 
version of Syslinux. Using pxechn.c32 instead, you first chainload the 
pxelinux.0 file/version that comes within the respective netboot.img.gz 
archive. From that point on, the "new" pxelinux.0 expects its 
corresponding ldlinux.c32 and all c32 modules that are already included 
within the same netboot image. As long as the Syslinux's binaries work 
correctly, the versioning conflict should no longer be a problem.

There are several places to look up for info about pxechn.c32, 
including the Syslinux wiki.

Regards,
Ady.

Malte Forkel

2019-Sep-07 16:31 UTC

head link

[syslinux] Problem with cascading configurations

Am 06.09.2019 um 06:28 schrieb Ady Ady via Syslinux:>> Relocating ldlinux.c32 as you suggested didn't have any visible
effect
>> on the boot process. Error message and TFTP log entries are the same.
>  
>  
> Adding ldlinux.c32 to the location where pxelinux.0 is located is only 
> one part of the troubleshooting process. The addition to the
"right"
> location might change the initial "working directory" (when
comparing
> to the prior situation, originated/based on the netboot images' parent 
> tree). This change might (or might not) be useful.
>
> As I said in my prior email, the aforementioned addition/change cannot 
> really resolve the (potential) conflict between Syslinux's versions.
The relocation proofed to be not necessary when pxechn.c32 was used (see
below).
> One possible workaround for the versioning conflict (that might work in 
> some cases) would be to use pxechn.c32 (from the same version as the 
> active pxelinux.0 bootloader) instead of your CONFIG directive entries.
>
> With CONFIG, the cfg files are (expected to be) parsed by the same 
> version of Syslinux. Using pxechn.c32 instead, you first chainload the 
> pxelinux.0 file/version that comes within the respective netboot.img.gz 
> archive. From that point on, the "new" pxelinux.0 expects its 
> corresponding ldlinux.c32 and all c32 modules that are already included 
> within the same netboot image. As long as the Syslinux's binaries work 
> correctly, the versioning conflict should no longer be a problem.
>
> There are several places to look up for info about pxechn.c32, 
> including the Syslinux wiki.
>
>Thanks, using pxechn.c32 solved my problem. The sample configuration now
looks like this:

??? LABEL Debian_9_i386
??????? MENU LABEL Debian 9 Stretch Network Installer (i386)
??????? KERNEL pxechn.c32 debian/stretch/pxelinux.0

??? LABEL Debian_10_i386
??????? MENU LABEL Debian 10 Buster Network Installer (i386)
??????? KERNEL pxechn.c32 debian/buster/pxelinux.0

I had top copy pxechn.c32 and libcom32.c32 to directory syslinux in the
TFTP server's root.

Regards,
Matle

Seemingly Similar Threads

Search for more seemingly similar threads

Syslinux - Sep 2019 - Problem with cascading configurations

[syslinux] Problem with cascading configurations

[syslinux] Problem with cascading configurations

[syslinux] Problem with cascading configurations

Seemingly Similar Threads