[syslinux] ifcpu[64].c32 functions drop to command line

[John McDonnell]

> On Behalf Of Gene Cumm
> 
> 1) Since the included file is just for the menu, why not use MENU INCLUDE
> instead?

I hadn't thought of using MENU INCLUDE for that as I usually include labels.
(I usually (I don't currently use these on my test config, just default) have config files that get called ahead of default that are network or machine specific that include default so that I have all my options available but can customize for different segments by customizing timeout values and ONTIMEOUT events (i.e., boot this lab into ghost, the computers in this building need a BIOS update, etc.) so that I can streamline my workflow.)

> 2) TIMEOUT and TOTALTIMEOUT are global options.  I find it easier to put
> these outside LABELs for clarity.

I had thought they should have been global options but for some reason I'm thinking I originally put them outside of the LABELs but it wasn't working which is why I moved them inside and it worked. I currently have them disabled for testing, so I'll look into putting them back outside of the LABELS once I get the other things working and reinstate the timeouts.

> 3) I find logging in atftpd better although a packet capture can also work (and
> is sometimes necessary).

I had debated between aftpd and tftp-hpa when I originally setup my PXE server a couple years ago, but it seems I was reading more recommendations for using tftp-hpa at that time (not sure if that recommendation has changed now) and never looked further into it as I never had any issues. (One of the goals was RIS though I still have yet to get around to setting that up, though I have actually done some of the work for it now, but just haven't added the labels for it yet to test.)

> 4) What about if you use pxelinux.0 (but requires only TFTP) or lpxelinux.0?

I have never used lpxelinux.0, though I did copy the file over to my test install of 5.10-pre2. Hoping it takes the same syntax and such. I'll give it a try.

When booting 5.10-pre2 with lpxelinux.0 it still seems to load into text mode instead of graphical. I get "netconn_write error -5 failed: No such file or directory" when trying to boot my System Rescue menu item. So, once again it seems that ifcpu.c32 is working but it's not loading it from HTTP. After converting it to pull from TFTP since I'm going to try pxelinux.0 next, it does boot into System Rescue on both 64-bit and 32-bit machines. After testing with pxelinux.0 (just for thoroughness) I'll try this back on gpxelinux.0.

pxelinux.0 and gpxelinux.0 both work with 5.10-pre2 to boot my ifcpu.c32 label to select the proper boot item and then boot my selection using TFTP. I did leave the netboot=http://****/sysrcd.dat line in as I don't remember if it can actually load those files via TFTP, but it worked as it had already boot into the Linux install and pulled that fine.) [g|l]pxelinux.0 all fail when trying to boot via HTTP however on 5.10-pre2.

I know you're not supposed to mix c32 modules with different versions of syslinux, but I tried using the ifcpu.c32 module from 5.10-pre2 with 5.01 just to see what happens... And it still drops me to the command line.

> 5) Reading over the entire config, I don't see anything wrong.  Could you try
> pwd.c32 (which should show "::") and Ctrl-N (which should show the IP
> address and path prefix)?  I vaguely recall reading someone hit that message
> when the menu got confused somehow.

pwd.c32 still shows :: on 5.10-pre2 and Ctrl-N seems to bring up my last used command or goes to the next menu option if in the menu. 5.01 does the same.

I think I remembered to try all the suggestions given and a few variations thereof. Any more ideas?

I'll have to check further into lpxelinux.0 as I don't know anything about it. Is it recommended to use lpxelinux.0 over gpxelinux.0?

Thanks again for the help.

-- 
John D McDonnell