[syslinux] Syslinux search for config file

[Gene Cumm]

On Thu, Aug 30, 2012 at 3:38 AM, Tomas M <tomas at slax.org> wrote:
>>> I also tested 4.05, and it did NOT search the install directory if such
>>>  directory is not in the "expected" list. Tomas also got the same result (as
>>>  he wrote in a previous email in this same thread).
>>
>> He stated such but without more data, I can't be certain he's not
>> encountering something that's already been resolved.
>
> I see symptoms as described by Ady Ady
> I install syslinux from windows, using syslinux.exe (32bit binary),
> which I got from syslinux 4.05 source distribution (there is the
> binary precompiled).
> # syslinux.exe -maf -d \slax\boot F:
>
> When booting from such device, I get error message
> ERROR: No configuration file found.

Perfect.  That's the kind of information that I feel makes a bug report.

On Thu, Aug 30, 2012 at 5:23 AM, Tomas M <tomas at slax.org> wrote:
>> 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

The install directory should probably be adjusted on input parsing.
Herein lies a debate:

1) '\' is normally used on *nix platforms as escape.  So this only
applies to Windows.
2) Any character that should need escaping while being usable should
safe in or require quotes instead of needing a '\'.
3) Any escaping is handled before syslinux sees it.

So, should it always sanitize the input to swap '\' for '/' if it's
Windows OR should it require other additional keys, ie "a\b" is
interpreted as-is while "\a\b" is interpreted as "/a/b".

> 2) introduce the same functionality to isolinux so I could have a
> single directory on the CD, like /slax/

This will be akin to PXELINUX's hardcoded options.

> Is there anybody willing to do such job? Name your price! :)
> I wish this is incorporated in 4.06 when its out as final.

-- 
-Gene