[syslinux] syslinux 2.04 and linux 2.4.21?

[H. Peter Anvin]

Andreas Haumer wrote:
> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> Hash: SHA1
> 
> Hi!
> 
> I have problems booting linux 2.4.21 with syslinux 2.04
> from floppy.
> 
> Booting with this combination I get the following error:
> 
> Loading kernel................
> Boot failed: please change disks and press a key to continue.
> 
> (Note: there are exactly 16 dots ".", it this is relevant)
> 

This means read error returned by the BIOS.

> Note:
> 
> a) The _same_ floppy boots fine if I use LILO or GRUB (that's
>    the reason there are other files not belonging to SYSLINUX
>    in the floppy listing above). So it's not a hardware problem.

Bogus assumption.  Different bootloaders have different access patterns,
so BIOS/hardware problems can manifest differently.

> b) If I replace the 2.4.21 kernel image with an image from linux
>    2.2.21 (again, on the same floppy), syslinux does _not_ print
>    the error. Instead it boots the kernel and the initial ramdisk
>    just fine. Both kernels are bzImages, by the way.

Again, access pattern difference.

> I haven't tried other kernel images yet.
> 
> Any idea anyone?

Try syslinux -s.

	-hpa