[syslinux] binaries in syslinux-4.02.tar.bz2

[Gene Cumm]

On Wed, Sep 22, 2010 at 10:55, Alex Zeffertt
<alex.zeffertt at eu.citrix.com> wrote:
> Hi list,
>
> I've noticed that there are a number of binaries in syslinux-4.02.tar.bz2,
> which seems a bit odd.  Even stranger is that I get different syslinux

This is to aid most users.  There are a lot of complex build
requirements that are eliminated by having the full binaries included.
 It also helps knowing exactly byte by byte what the end binaries (not
the installers) are looking like to ensure that a compiler bug doesn't
cause different behavior.

http://syslinux.zytor.com/wiki/index.php/Common_Problems#Official_Binaries

> behaviour depending on whether I rebuild these or use the ones from the
> tarball.

This commonly indicates your build environment is different and
probably has issues.

> To use the ones from the tarball I:
>
>  $ make clean
>  $ make installer
>  $ make install-all

This does not reuse all of the binaries.  It rebuilds the installers.
Try just "make install-all" first rather than all three.

> ... whereas to rebuild everything from source I:
>
>  $ make spotless
>  $ make all
>  $ make installer
>  $ make install-all
>
> If I reuse the binaries from the tarball I get the following output after
> control is passed to my MBR:
>
>
>  SYSLINUX 4.02 2010-07-21  Copyright (C) 1994-2010 H. Peter Anvin et al
>  boot:
>  Booting...
>  ERR: Not a Multiboot bootloader!

Look at your config file.  Try adding "PROMPT 1" and "TIMEOUT 0" as an
extra diagnostic step.

Also, could you give more information here?  What's the media you've
installed SYSLINUX on, including file system?  What system are you
using to see this error?

> ... whereas if I rebuild everything from source I get no output at all.

>From this, I'd guess something is wrong with your build environment.

> I tried looking for the error message "Not a Multiboot bootloader" in the
> syslinux source but I couldn't find it anywhere, which made me wonder if it
> comes from one of those binaries.
>
> Does anybody know why the source tarball contains binaries?  I feel I need
> to understand this before I can start debugging my boot failure.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Alex

-- 
-Gene