[syslinux] installing syslinux on a fresh system (SATA)

[Mau Z]

Hi

I understand you (mostly).
0) How do i "install the MBR code as well and to activate your partition."
1) "mount /dev/sda1 /mnt"  -->> successfully completed.
2) "mkdir /mnt/extlinux"  -->> successfully completed.
3) "extlinux --install /mnt/extlinux"     -->> does not work.
    Funny, but it it seems that there is no such thing as extlinux anymore.
    Here is an Q&A that I got from the syslinux site:

> Hi!

>

> I was looking to download EXTLINUX in the following page  :

> http://www.syslinux.org/wiki/index.php/Download

> But I do not see that it can be done.

>

> It is said that "The SYSLINUX download includes PXELINUX, ISOLINUX and

> MEMDISK as well."

> But, there is no word about EXTLINUX

>

> Please, advise


I see that page needs a little work on terms.


Anyways, EXTLINUX is no longer a separate boot loader variant as its

functionality has been merged into SYSLINUX as of 4.00.

extlinux/extlinux is the SYSLINUX installer for mounted file systems

on Linux.  linux/syslinux and mtools/syslinux are the SYSLINUX

installers for unmounted FAT* file systems on Linux.

  So this puts me back in Square 1.


Thanks
Mau



On Mon, Jan 13, 2014 at 7:43 PM, Ferenc Wagner <wferi at niif.hu> wrote:

> Mau Z <zmau1962 at gmail.com> writes:
>
> > On Mon, Jan 13, 2014 at 10:44 AM, Ferenc Wagner <wferi at niif.hu> wrote:
> >
> >> Mau Z <zmau1962 at gmail.com> writes:
> >>
> >> > So, basically I understand that I must create 2 partitions.
> >>
> >> If your application partition is ext2, then there's no need to create a
> >> separate boot partition, you can simply use extlinux.  Basically,
> >> extlinux is the (mounted) ext[234]/btrfs/XFS installer, while syslinux
> >> is the (not mounted) FAT installer of the same boot loader.
> >
> > Thanks
> > but I am still in the same spot :
> > 1) I have created a partition (ext2 with GParted).
> > 2) Now what ?   I was thinking that I should install syslinux (the
> > bootloader).
> >     All the examples say something like "syslinux --directory
> /boot/syslinux/ --install /dev/sdb1"
> >     but this does not make any seance, because the is no /boot on the
> system.
> >     I have tried it anyways, but the answer was :
> >     "Invalid media signature (not a FAT filesystem?)"
>
> You have to mount the freshly created partition, create the installation
> directory on it (unless you want to install into its root), and install
> extlinux:
>
> # mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt
> # mkdir /mnt/extlinux
> # extlinux --install /mnt/extlinux
>
> Don't forget to install the MBR code as well and to activate your
> partition.
> --
>                                                                 Feri.
>