[syslinux] [leaf-user] FW: CF Boot media creation

[S Mohan]

I downloaded DOS6.22 image from putergeek.com. Used fdisk from that floppy
and format from that floppy. Still no luck.

If I execute fdisk under leaf (monkeynoodle.org) as fdisk/dev/hdc, and give
p for print partition table, I get the following:

Disk /dev/hdc: 16 heads, 32 sectors, 123 cylinders.
Units = cylinders of 512 * 512 bytes

Device Boot   Start  End   Blocks    Id   System
/dev/hdc1         1   119  30208+     4   FAT16 <32M
Partition 1 has different physical/logical beginnings (non-Linux?):
    phys=(0,1,1) logical=(0,1,32)
Partition 1 has different physical/logical endings (non-Linux?):
    phys=(29,31,63) logical=(118,1,32)
Partition 1 does not end on cylinder boundary:
    phys=(29,31,63) should be (29,15,32)

Does this mean something is wrong?

Mohan

Snips from earlier conversation:
<smohan>
I know that is the proper way. Unfortunately, I'm stuck and am mad at myself
for that.

Error message:

ERROR 440D: Unable to lock drive for exclusive access - when I use syslinux
2.00 from freshmeat. the last time, I used syslinux 1.75.
</smohan>
<Luis> No, you run syslinux to create the boot sector ON the CF.
</Luis>
<smohan>
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?
</smohan>
<Luis>
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?
</Luis>
<smohan>
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?
</smohan>



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