[syslinux] Any way to boot a CD if no BIOS support & CD-ROM is not 100% standard?

[Bernd Blaauw]

Nazo schreef:
>> Why a kernel+initrd when all what is needed is code to boot from CD-ROM?
>> IIRC does have the FreeDOS project such technique.
>>     
Sorry, all we have for FreeDOS is SBM ported/converted into a com32 module.
How about GRUB or the ReactOS bootloader (FreeLDR) ?

http://odin.fdos.org/odin2005/
contains a 1.44MB disk image (freeldr.img) which boots FreeDOS, then 
GRUB (actually GRUB4DOS).
To my knowledge, GRUB has an option to specify "(cd)" and I think it 
contains some Eltorito code.
Also, the SBM's eltorito code was never separated (made standalone) from 
its project.

For such an ancient laptop, LinuxBIOS also won't help as an opensource 
BIOS replacement.
No idea if there are still companies that create custom BIOS
> Code to boot from a CD-ROM?  You mean such as SBM?  I WANT code to
> boot from a CD-ROM, that's what I said earlier.  Like I said already,
> kernel+initrd is a bit of an awkward solution and I really would
> prefer to boot the CD directly like I'm used to, complete with a nice
> little isolinux+menu setup and all, but, right now I can't even boot a
> really simple CD.  As for freedos, I'm not clear on what you're
>   
Storing kernel + initrd (on diskette or harddisk) might be enough to 
gain access to your Linux disk in the cdrom drive.
> through one of those loaders designed to load from within an OS.  I've
> never been a fan of the idea of loading an os from within another os. 
> Bad enough just doing a frontend like Windows.  A DOS based solution
> would be more awkward than kernel+initrd.
>   
perhaps. Fact is, as long as DOS is in realmode without memory managers 
and TSRs loaded, you could use LOADLIN or GRUB.
> It's too bad you can't get chain.c32 to do it or something.  That
> would solve everything...  Isn't there anything out there besides SBM
> though?  SBM doesn't really look like it's exactly seeing active
> developement anymore, and I prefer projects that are alive and
> breathing, not old and stagnant -- at least, when I can help it and
> get a choice.
SBM died a few years ago indeed. However, it's the best (though more 
often doesn't than that it actually works) available option so far.

Bernd