[syslinux] Problems in CF Boot creation using SYSLINUX

[S Mohan]

Latest syslinux 2.00 stable version from freshmeat. Are the programs that
will just copy boot sectors or create boot sectors for /dev/hda1, /dev/hda2
etc.. that I can simply copy with a dd command?

Mohan

-----Original Message-----
From: leaf-user-admin at lists.sourceforge.net
[mailto:leaf-user-admin at lists.sourceforge.net]On Behalf Of
Luis.F.Correia
Sent: 05 November 2002 15:01
To: leaf-user at lists.sourceforge.net
Subject: RE: [leaf-user] (no subject)


What syslinux version have you tried?

I had only success with version 2.00-pre6 (at the time)
Version 2.00 has just come out, give it a try and test it!

What is the exact error given by syslinux?

-----Original Message-----
From: S Mohan [mailto:smohan at vsnl.com]
To: leaf-user at lists.sourceforge.net
Subject: CF Preparation
Addendum to my post. I downloaded syslinux.lrp and mkdosfs.lrp from
monkeynoodle.org. I copied them to my hard disk (/dev/hda1), did lrpkg -i
syslinux and lrpkg -i mkdosfs. Both got installed into memory.

I then gave syslinux /dev/hdc. Syslinux aborted saying sector sizes should
be 512 and fs does not seem to be FAT. I executed mkdosfs /dev/hdc and
mkdosfs refused to create fs on hdc. I then gave mkdosfs /dev/hdc1 ant it
went thro'. I then gave "syslinux /dev/hdc1". This also went thro'. I
changed my syslinux.cfg in hard disk to take packeges from/dev/hdc1 and
rebooted. Boot went thro' smoothly. I rebooted and disabled Hard disk in
bios. While booting from flash, the system gave a message "Hit any key to
reboot" and kept going in a loop.

I know that unless syslinux /dev/hdc goes thro' smoothly, I cannot boot from
the CF. Question is - how do I? /dev/hdc1 partition is flagged for booting.

Mohan

-----Original Message-----
From: leaf-user-admin at lists.sourceforge.net
[mailto:leaf-user-admin at lists.sourceforge.net]On Behalf Of S Mohan
To: leaf-user at lists.sourceforge.net
Subject: [leaf-user] (no subject)


I've been at this point before and did get some help. I've got stuck at this
point again. I'm in search of an workable elegant solution.

When I started with leaf, I wanted to install it on a hard disk. When I used
syslinux dos version, I got an error saying cannot get exclusive access. I
was told I must use DOS6.22 Fdisk. I did and my problem got solved. I then
got a ATA PCMCIA Flash drive on which I used a 8MB PCMCIA SANDISK flash
card. It went thro' without a problem. I've a set-up machine which has a
hard disk with a 16MB partition on which leaf is installed. I boot with a
DOS floppy, execute syslinux to install MBR on the flash and then boot leaf
off the HDD(/dev/hda1) and backup to the flash (/dev/hdc1). I then disable
the hard disk in the bios and check if I can boot off the flash. So far so
good.

I got a IDE CF adaptor recently. The CF card is a 32MB card. It gets
formatted to FAT16 when formatted using DOS. I think DOS6.22 uses FAT12. I
checked syslinux site and it says we can boot off FAT12 or FAT16 partitions.
Problems occur only when cylinder count > 1024 or cluster size > 16kb. I
remember Guitarlynn's oft repeated comment in the mailing list that syslinux
gives a problem if partition is > 24MB.

I also tried Ranish Partition Manager to format the CF card in FAT12 mode.
Still syslinux gave the same error. Syslinux unix version executed under
leaf gives a grsec and segmentation fault.

Now I'm beginning to pull my hair out. I know I can do "dd if=/dev/hda
of=/dev/hdc bs=512 count=1" to get the boot sector from HDD to CF. Then my
CF should become hda1.

I tried the fdisk.lrp, installed fdisk on leaf and went thro' that fdisk too
to create the partitions. Same result.

Is there an easier method? Am I missing something very trivial? Can a more
experienced person create a script or a program to do this off leaf?

I did not fight with the system for so long the first time around. If FDISK
with DOS6.22 alone is the issue, I'm stuck in trying to locate one. Is there
another alternative? Is mkfs.msdos available in leaf?

Bye
S Mohan
<http://www.vectrasystems.com/>