[syslinux] [PATCH] isohybrid: user options

[Luciano Miguel Ferreira Rocha]

On Fri, May 15, 2009 at 01:30:14PM +0200, Thomas Schmitt wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> > I have one USB stick under 2GB, that I want to keep as compatible as
> > possible to the USB-Zip boot option in BIOS. So I want to use partition
> > 4 instead.
>  
> So you have BIOSes which would not boot
> that stick with pentry == 1 ?

Yes, though not many, and only ancient ones.

> I don't quite understand yet the role of
> fstype, as with isohybrid the filesystem
> is ISO 9660 anyway.
> So what is the reason for 0x83 "Linux" or
> 0x1c "FAT" ?

As far as most operating systems are concerned, it's meaningless. fstype
holds the value of the partition type (0: empty; 5: extended; ...).
Linux doesn't care what it says. Old Windows did (till Windows Me, at
least), current ones I'm not sure.

> > Whether you should add support for it in libisofs and xorriso, it's not
> > up to me, but more options should hurt, no? ;)
> 
> Well, it will increase the size of code and
> documentation in any case :)
> Main criteria for decision are:
> - Can it do any harm ? Do i have to warn users ?

No, and no. Well, users could define an invalid partition number, that
in isohybrid case would mean no partition, or make the partition
extended, which has other problems. But the defaults are sane.

> - What is it good for ?
> - How to describe this in libisofs API and in
>   xorriso man page ?

Well, you should describe the current defaults (creates partition number
1, starting at sector 0, with type 83 (Linux)), so adding a paragraph
about changing defaults shouldn't be much trouble...

> I'll watch the further carreer of your patch
> here and will eventually bring it into the
> builtin isohybrid of libisofs.
> Thanks for your advise.

No problem.

> Have a nice day :)

You too,
Luciano Rocha

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lfr
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