[syslinux] syslinux versus pxelinux

[Geert Stappers]

Op 02-05-2007 om 18:25 schreef Pascal Vandeputte:
> 
> Hello,
> 
> I've been digging some more during the last couple of days, as no-one
> has yet replied to my original e-mail I guess I'll do so myself.
> 
> I've progressed a little, but unfortunately I'm not there yet. At least
> by starting out with the mkdiskimage tool I can perfectly convert an
> ISO to a "disk image" which will boot the machine *if I put it on a USB
> stick*.
> 
> My ISO file is 108MB large, so I create a 110MB disk image:
>     # mkdiskimage -o -M ubcd403.img 110 16 63
>     32256
> 
> Install boot loader:
>     # /usr/local/syslinux-3.36/unix/syslinux -o 32256 ubcd403.img
> 
> Mount ISO and disk image:
>     # losetup -o 32256 /dev/loop0 ubcd403.img
>     # mkdir /tmp/iso /tmp/img
>     # mount -o loop,ro ubcd403.iso /tmp/iso/
>     # mount /dev/loop0 /tmp/img/
> 
> And copy the ISO contents:
>     # cd /tmp/imag
>     # cp -R /tmp/iso/* .
> 
> Unmount everything and detach disk image from loop device:
>     # umount /tmp/img/ /tmp/iso
>     # losetup -d /dev/loop0
> 
> So now I've got a nice ubcd403.img file. If I dd it to a flash drive
> in /dev/sda I can perfectly boot the "Ultimate Boot CD" from it.
> 
> So I tend to think the disk image file itself is okay.
> 
> However, making it available through pxelinux as follows doesn't work:
> 
>     label ubcd
>         kernel memdisk
>         append initrd=images/test/ubcd403.img harddisk
> 
> The machine just hangs there at "Loading boot sector... booting..."
> 
> 
> What am I doing wrong?

  :-)


Several things, one is asking "What am I doing wrong?"

<preach>
   Make the challenge a common challenge by avoiding 'I'.

   Wrong is the wrong word, there is nothing wrong with a expriment.
   If an expriment does learn you something, it is good expriment.
</preach> 


The missing knowlegde ( in fact the missing imagination ) :

 Syslinux is started from ROM and loads a kernel or program from floppy
 or other FAT filesystem and starts it.

 Isolinux is started from ROM and loads a kernel or program from CD
 and starts it.

 PXElinux is started from ROM and loads a kernel or program from the
 network and starts it.



What your expriment proves, is that you have started PXElinux starting
a syslinux that can't do it's job.


> Best regards,
> 
> Pascal Vandeputte


Cheers
Geert Stappers
-- 
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So please reply below the original text.