[syslinux] Syslinux search for config file

[Ady Ady]

> From: tomas at slax.org
> Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2012 11:23:14 +0200
> To: syslinux at zytor.com
> Subject: Re: [syslinux] Syslinux search for config file
> 
> > After a closer look at the source code, the following should work:
> >
> > syslinux.exe -maf -d /slax/boot F:
> 
> I tried that before and it didn't work for some strange reason, but I
> probably made a mistake, because now I tried it again and it works.
> 
> So using forward slashes in the -d parameter for syslinux.exe works
> and fixes the bug!
> Thank you very much for finding this, it'll make my life much easier :)
> 
> This remains for my full happiness:
> 1) fix syslinux sources so windows installer works as it should even
> if directory parameter for -d contains backslashes
> 2) introduce the same functionality to isolinux so I could have a
> single directory on the CD, like /slax/
> 
> Is there anybody willing to do such job? Name your price! :)
> I wish this is incorporated in 4.06 when its out as final.
> 
> Thank you
> 
> Tomas M
 
I have to apologize. When I stated before that it didn't work for me,
 it was my memory failing me (I am also testing other issues with Syslinux
 and I've been adequately taking notes for those other tests). I repeated my
 tests regarding "--directory", this time with specific notes
 (as I should have done before).
 
Observations:
 
1._ Under Linux, using the CURRENT command line parameters:
 syslinux --directory /slax/ --install /dev/sdb1 
 
 the SYSLINUX installer works correctly in both versions, 4.05 and 4.06-pre11.
 Note that Tomas is not using "--install" in his reports.
 
2._ As with the Linux-based installer, the Windows-based SYSLINUX 4.05
 installer also works (as usual, the Windows-based SYSLINUX installer version
 4.06-pre11 always fails).
 I have not tested backslash usage.
 
3._ I decided not to test EXTLINUX for now, since it doesn't include
 "--directory" when executing "extlinux --help".
 
4._ Since some "short" options are not working correctly in some recent
 versions ("-s" doesn't work, but "--stupid" does), I am using only the
 complete long form of command line arguments for now.
 
5._ I have yet to test more possible relative positions of the respective
 command line options (using "-d" before "-i" might not give the same result
 as "-i -d", "-id", or "-d /directory/ -i /dev/sdb1", or using the complete
 long arguments, or...). For the final user, this is not _that_ evident.
 
6._ I have been NOT successful with isolinux.bin "installed" in directories
 other than the expected ones. I mean that I can "install" it correctly and
 the ISO image is bootable, but then the cfg file is not _automatically_
 found if it is located in the same directory where isolinux.bin is located.
 This means that the current ISOLINUX behavior (for the final user) is
 different from SYSLINUX. I understand that this is different for developers,
 but I am using the final user's perspective.