[syslinux] syslinux error message

Joel Ebel jbebel at ncsu.edu
Sun Aug 15 07:02:06 PDT 2004


I've received this same error on my IBM 256 MB memory key, while my 
friend's Lexar Jump Drive doesn't produce the error.  I'm also using 
mtools pre6-3.9.8 on slackware 10.0.  On both drives syslinux in windows 
works fine, as does syslinux-nomtools.  I'd suggest using either of 
those.  Or you could do as it says and add the suggested line to your 
.mtoolsrc or /etc/mtools.conf, though I prefer to keep the sanity 
checks.  Also, 2.10 has had an issue loading the default options for me, 
so you may want to try going back to 2.09 or using 2.11-pre2.  Both seem 
to work fine for me.

Syslinux is only responsible for the ldlinux.sys file.  Your linux 
distribution is putting the --linux-.--- files there.  That's a part of 
the umsdos filesystem.  When the drive is mounted with -t umsdos the 
--linux-.--- files are used to provide long filenames, ownerships, 
permissions, etc. to the other files in the directory.  In windows all 
these files will be shortened and have junk added to the end, but in 
Linux they all look normal.  You don't see the --linux-.--- files then 
either, since they are part of the filesystem.

Hope this helps, and Peter, consider it a success report for 2.10-pre2 
if you haven't gotten enough already.

Joel

Andrew wrote:

> Hi,
> I've got a couple of questions,
> I'm trying to get syslinux 2.10 to work on my Apacer Handy Steno TN202  
> 128MB flash drive,
> 
> I'm getting...
> 
> root at will # syslinux /dev/sdb1
> Total number of sectors not a multiple of sectors per track!
> Add mtools_skip_check=1 to your .mtoolsrc file to skip this test
> 
> ...but if I try the same command on a mandrake box the syslinux command 
> is  successful.
> The syslinux version  on my Mandrake 10  box is 1.76.
> 
> Has anyone come across this problem?
> is this a known problem?
> Is this a problem with my Flash drive?
> what files does syslinux actually put on the drive when you execute the  
> command?
> is   --linux-.--- one of them?
> 
> I hope someone can help me...TIA
> 
> Andrew
> 
> 




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