[syslinux] HP Drive Key Boot Utility works (2.10?), but syslinux 3.71 doesn't

[Alex Dommasch]

Hi folks.  I'm not very well versed in linux (although I understand the
basics, having used unix quite a bit - albeit a long time ago).  I've
decided to make the break from windows, and I'm trying to learn
something along the way.

 

So, I have a Dell Vostro 200, Core 2 Duo, shipped with no OS.  I decided
to try the Live USB approach to get started.  The first step, of course,
is to make the USB stick bootable.  I have a sandisk cruzer micro 8gb,
and also a dane-elec 1gb.

 

Please note:  right now, I'm not even trying to load up an OS - I'm just
trying to make the stick bootable in some way.

 

I have a winXP box, which I'm trying to use to set everything up.  So I
downloaded syslinux 3.71, and ran the win32 version.  It ran fine with
no errors on the cruzer.  But when I tried to boot from it on the new
box, all I saw was "Boot error".  This message appears (from looking at
the source) to be printed from the ldlinux module, which means the MBR
was set up properly, right?

 

I thought it might be a funky memory stick, so I tried with the
dane-elec - same problem.

 

Finally, after lots of searching I found the HP Drive Key Boot Utility,
which I told to use "Hard Drive" mode (on the dane-elec).  After it
installed syslinux, I cancelled it before it put on an image.  Then when
I tried to boot from it on the new box, voila!  I saw:

 

SYSLINUX 2.10 2004-06-18  Copyright (C) 1994-2004 H. Peter Anvin

 

.plus an error message (since I didn't actually have an OS image on the
stick - which is fine).  What's the difference here?  I've seen it said
that booting from USB is a bit of a black art, which I find
disconcerting.

 

Out of curiosity, I copied the ldlinux.sys file that 3.71 had installed
(and I had saved off) over the HP version - when trying to boot with
that, it says "Boot failed" instead of "Boot error".  But this may be a
meaningless test - does ldlinux.sys have to be written into specific
disk blocks?

 

I looked at the syslinux 2.10 package with a thought of trying to run it
and narrow down the differences, but unfortunately it doesn't have the
precompiled program, and I don't have time to figure out how to compile
it right now.  So I don't know if it's the syslinux version, or some
other mojo that the HP tool is doing.

 

I could probably proceed using the HP tool - but I'd really like to
understand why syslinux isn't working.  And I realize there might not be
enough info here to do anything with, but I'm writing just in case it
spurs some thoughts in someone.

 

Thanks!

 

Alex Dommasch