[syslinux] Problem booting from CF/SD cards and USB Flashdrives using syslinux

[H. Peter Anvin]

c.lee111 at gmail.com wrote:
> I've run into a rather odd problem. It seems that I can format and make 
> bootable CF/SD cards and USB Flashdrives under Windows 98SE and MS-DOS 
> 6.22 that will boot to a A: prompt on my system.
> 
> 
> But when I try making the same CF/SD cards and USB Flashdrives bootable 
> under linux using syslinux I get nothing, not even a error message. It's
> like the syslinux bootloader doesn't even exist on the CF/SD cards and 
> USB Flashdrives.
> 
> I've looked at the CF/SD cards and USB Flashdrives using Gparted and it 
> says the cards using syslinux are bootable, so that's not the problem.
> 
> I'm pretty sure the CF/SD cards and USB Flashdrives aren't being 
> formated as USB-ZIP under Win98se and MS-DOS 6.22, so why can I create
> bootable CF/SD cards and USB Flashdrives under Win98se and MS-DOS 6.22, 
> but not under Linux using syslinux?

They're probably triggering different bugs.  In particular Win98SE and 
MS-DOS may not be using EBIOS, whereas syslinux might be trying to and 
getting a hard lockup.

The first thing to try is to install syslinux with the -s option.  I 
need to add an option to force CBIOS, too.

> Am I overlooking something here?
> 
> Here's a look at my motherboard and BIOS.

What program are you using to print this summary out, out of curiosity?

	-hpa