[syslinux] Initial bootloader requirements of extlinux

Simon Rowe simon.rowe at eu.citrix.com
Fri Nov 6 01:53:37 PST 2009


I'm trying to understand what the extlinux bootloader code written into a 
partition needs to successfully start. I have a disk with four partitions, the 
second is marked active and contains a kernel, initrd and root FS and extlinux 
has been run on it. If I use mbr.bin as the initial bootloader the system 
boots fine.

I need this to work within an environment supplied by a third party. They have 
their own bootloader in the MBR and the above installation does not work. 
After leaving their bootloader all I get is 'Boot error'.

Looking at extlinux.asm it appears that it expects ES:DI to point to the 
partition entry and DL to contain the drive number. I've modified the MBR code 
to do this but the system still doesn't boot. Is there anything else that 
extlinux needs?

If I use grub instead the system does boot.

Thanks,
	Simon




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