[syslinux] ISOLINUX: Boot problems

System Administrators admin at netclime.com
Thu Dec 19 10:11:53 PST 2002


Hi,
I'm trying to setup a Linux CD on mashine that will have nothing but a
CDROM. Everything worked fine until I removed the HDD. From this moment on
the CD doesn;t boot. I upgraded to Syslinux 2.0 but with no luck. The error
message I got almost says it all: "Extremely broken BIOS", but can I ask for
help if there some ideas how to fix this, cause if I put the HDD back the CD
boots without any problem.

The hardware:
CPU: VIA C3 Samuel2 1Giga Pro

lspci output:
00:00.0 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8601 [Apollo ProMedia] (rev
05)
00:01.0 PCI bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8601 [Apollo ProMedia AGP]
00:07.0 ISA bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C686 [Apollo Super South]
(rev 40)
00:07.1 IDE interface: VIA Technologies, Inc. Bus Master IDE (rev 06)
00:07.2 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. USB (rev 1a)
00:07.4 Bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C686 [Apollo Super ACPI] (rev 40)
00:0e.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL-8139/8139C
(rev 10)
00:0f.0 Multimedia audio controller: C-Media Electronics Inc CM8738 (rev 10)
00:0f.1 Communication controller: C-Media Electronics Inc CM8738 (rev 20)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Trident Microsystems CyberBlade/i1 (rev
6a)

The CD is primary slave (and there is no way to put it as a master) and
there is a some HDD as a master. If both are available boot CD is working
OK, if I disable HDD from BIOS (or remove it) the CD doesn't boot.

I burn one CD with isolinux.bin-debug and here is its output:
=====================
isolinux: Starting up, DL = 9F
isolinux: Loading spec, packet failed, trying to wing it
isolinux: Extremely broken BIOS detected, last ditch attempt with drive = 9F
isolinux: Loading main image from LBA = 00031A21
isolinux: Sectors to load = 0004
isolinux: Disk error 01, AX = 4221, Drive 9F
=====================

So any info would be appreciated, even one thats says that its BIOS fault.

Regards
Kostadin Galabov
System Administrator
Netclime Inc.




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