[syslinux] Unable to figure out extlinux

[Dyks, Axel (XL)]

Peter wrote:
>> Which steps did you perform to actually _install_ the bootloader?
>> By the way, the CLFS book explains how to use grub and not
>> how to use syslinux/extlinux.
>>
> The problem with lilo and grub is that they expect to be used in an
> environment that isn't cross compiled, and the drives tend not to
> change. In this case, I'm building the flash card out on a laptop and
> then moving it to the platform.
Both grub as well as syslinux/extlinux can be installed on drives/media
that are _temporarily_ attached to your "build system".
As long as the target system's CPU "understands" the (x86) instructions
of the boot loader everything should work as expected.

> It's too slow to actually build on, and
> to save space, I don't have a compiler anyway. Makes this part harder,
> but the rest is easier and faster (compiling on an AMD X2 4800 is faster
> than a 300 MHz AMD low voltage x86).
Isn't the "C" in CLFS refering exactly to what you are intending?
I would expect to be able to "chroot" to the CLFS on the build host,
finalize the environment, copy a "stripped down" version of the CLFS
to the target medium and install the boot loader.
I've done a similar thing with "gentoo-embedded" where the "chroot-ed"
build environment compiles for i386 and uses uclibc (== target environment)
whereas the native build machine's environment is i686/glibc (Pentium-M Dual Core).
 
> The steps were what I gleaned from the docs in the syslinux package.
> Still don't have it quite right, but hopefully I figure it out tonight.
It would help to know,
  * where the target filesystem has been mounted to within the
    (chroot-ed) build system    
  * which directory layout you've chosen for the target file system
  * which commands you've used
      - to install extlinux
      - to copy "mbr.bin"
      - to make the partion active
  * what's in extlinux.conf
  * and last but not least which version of syslinux/extlinux you are using.