[syslinux] syslinux tool for Win2k and 'safeboot' option

[Ole Hansen]

Hello Josef

Thanks for replying.

> Hi,
> 
> Ole Hansen <ole at danelec.dk> schrieb am 25.10.02 23:24:40:
> > 1.
> > We use an IDE<->compactflash-adapter in our target-system. We use a
> > USB-compact-flash reader/writer(SanDisk/ImageMate) on our 
> linux-host to
> > write the flash. It appears in the Linux-system as 
> '/dev/sda', and we can
> > use syslinux and mount for copying kernel, syslinux.cfg and our
> > initial-ramdisk. This works very elegant.
> 
> note that linux uses this device as /dev/sdX, just like any 
> other disk drive. 

Yes, but Linux allow you to access any devices according to /dev/xxxx -
permissions
Windows NT/2K/XP does not allow that.

> 
> > If we try the same technic on a Win2k-system, the USB-compact-flash
> > reader/writer appears as a non-permanent-disk and I can 
> read/write kernel,
> > syslinux.cfg and our initial-ramdisk as expected, but 
> syslinux.com reports
> > an error trying to write to bootsector(most likely a 
> permission-problem). 
> > In the user-notes for syslinux, it says that this can be 
> ignored and that it
> > is likely to work anyway. I have now tried on 3 different 
> systems without
> > luck(Win2k/sp2).
> > 
> > Has anybody made a version of syslinux.com that works on 
> win2k on flashdisks
> > ??
> 
> Are you sure that W2K treats the 'removable device' it 
> reports as a plain
> disk drive, or that the driver of the USB reader interferes 
> with the MBR? 

No, I guess it treats it as a SCSI-harddisk... ??

> 
> Did you try this (just for confirmation) with the IDE-CF 
> adaptor attached to the
> W2K machine? This would prevent changing the CF card while 
> W2k is booted,
> though ...

This is same problem. It is the way SysLinux tries to gain access to
'raw'-device
that makes the problem. I mean, when other tools like PartitionMagic can, it
should be
possible...

> 
> I think there's something wrong with accessing the MBR in the 
> CF reader, 
> and so syslinux fails.

No, it gets a permission error. There is a message saying that a program
tried to gain access to the device raw, and the choices: ignore or cancel.
If I choose ignore, it only copies the bootloader on to the flash, but does
not setup a pointer to it !!

best regards

ole at danelec.dk

* danelec electronics a/s
* Blokken 44
* DK-3460 Birkeroed
* DENMARK
 * Phone: +45 45821879
  * Fax:  +45 45821979
   * Email: ole at danelec.dk
    * http://www.danelec.dk
     * ftp://ftp.danelec.dk
      * Radio call sign: oz1jru
       ***************************************************************
       *    If you seek luck, luck will strike you ..... 8o)         *
       ***************************************************************