[syslinux] Extremely broken BIOS detected

[H. Peter Anvin]

Leif W wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> Not sure where to start looking, so I start with the program that threw 
> the message.  Not sure what information I need to provide or the 
> preferred formatting.
> 
> I did a BIOS update and now get an error message I never saw before.  
> System seems to boot ok, run programs ok, access devices ok (SATA DVD, 
> IDE HDD, SATA HDD, network, video, audio, USB, IEEE1394).  But I don't 
> think Linux knows my CPU (no friendly name for my AMD Athlon 64 X2 
> 6000+), and it can't see all my RAM (3 of 8GB).  memtest86+ sees all my 
> RAM, I think.  Not sure if there's any other issues.  Disks don't have 
> proper file systems or OS installs on them as of yet.  2 discs were part 
> of a RAID6 set of 4.  4xSATA HDDs and 2xIDE HDDs.  Not sure if it's a 
> BIOS setting, software problem, hardware newer than software, etc.  I 
> didn't notice the error message with previous BIOS version.
> 

It's very simple, you installed a BIOS with a broken El Torito stack.

The fact that it boots anyway means that ISOLINUX was able to
successfully guess how to work around it.

> ======== Error message ========
> ISOLINUX 3.31 2006-09-25 isolinux: Loading spec packet failed, trying to 
> wing it
> ...
> isolinux: Extremely broken BIOS detected, last ditch attempt with drive = 9F
> isolinux: See http://syslinux.zytor.com/sbm for more information.
> 
> ===========================

	-hpa