[syslinux] [Sugar-devel] Unbootable machine

[H. Peter Anvin]

On 08/30/2009 10:30 AM, Jonas Smedegaard wrote:
> 
> Instead of "bootable on hardware that supports USB-FDD boot method" or
> "bootable on hardware that supports USB-ZIP boot method" or "bootable on
> hardware that supports USB-HDD boot method" - makebootfat creates sticks
> that are "bootable on hardware that supports either USB-FDD, USB-ZIP or
> USB-HDD boot methods".
> 
> ...or, as Peter Anvin points out (if I understand correctly),
> makebootfat creates sticks that are "bootable on hardware that supports
> either USB-FDD, USB-ZIP or USB-HDD boot methods and does note choke on
> the combo tricks in the MBR cheat design".
> 

One of my major concerns is that USB-FDD might very well still fail,
since normally neither EDD nor geometry query works on a FDD, and you
might find yourself dead in the water at that time, unless the BIOS
chooses the same geometry that your disk is using (this is presumably
the purpose of the fake FAT superblock.)

	-hpa

-- 
H. Peter Anvin, Intel Open Source Technology Center
I work for Intel.  I don't speak on their behalf.