[syslinux] 64/32 auto select

[Geert Stappers]

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On Wed, Dec 28, 2005 at 09:34:41AM +0100, Velu Erwan wrote:
> Jun OKAJIMA a écrit :
> >
> >One idea - how about making ISOLINUX swichable between IA32 and AMD64 
> >automatically?
> >
> >A sample config is like this.
> >-----------------------------------------
> >Under ISOLINUX.CFG:
> >  label default
> >  arch=IA32:
> >     kernel=vmlinuz.32 initrd=image32.gz
> >  arch=AMD64:
> >     kernel=vmlinuz.64 initrd=image64.gz
> >-----------------------------------------
> >
> >What is the merit?:
> >You can use same CD for both IA32 PC and AMD64 PC.
> > 
> >
> You can use a x86 kernel on a x86_64 architecture (but you will not use 
> it with its full capabilities) but you can't use a x86_64 kernel on a 
> x86 system.

And Aunt Tillie[1] can't tell ia32 and foo64 apart.
When you try to explain it to her, she will ask: "Is it a computer or isn't?"


> It could make senses to use a "ARCH" flag somewhere in syslinux.
> We can try to find the "lm (long mode)" flags on the cpu capabilities 
> for checking if it's a x86_64 capable system and then decide which 
> configuration files you needs to downloads or using an "arch=" option as 
> Jun Okajima suggest.
> H. Peter Anvin ? Does it make sense for you ?

This mailinglist had recently a thread named "PXE-on-a-disk".

It uses 'ethersel.c32' to detect Network Interface Cards
and based on that information it starts Etherboot for the right NIC.


My suggestion is to write a 'archsel.c32'
when you have an Aunt Tillie.


GSt

[1] http://www.catb.org/~esr/jargon/html/A/Aunt-Tillie.html
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