[syslinux] syslinux installation issues

[Shao Miller]

Bernd Blaauw wrote:
>
> Op 11-11-2009 9:04, H. Peter Anvin schreef:
> > almost-completely-undocumented disk locking API again, and I think I got
> > something working that works both in DOS mode and in Windows mode, at
> > least on WinME (which is what I have working in a VM at the moment.)
> >
> > I pushed it out as syslinux-3.84-pre1 together with HDT 0.3.5.
> >
> >       -hpa
> >   
>
> I'm afraid I haven't got terribly good news. My initial testing was on
> FreeDOS, but to be sure to make my testing more valid against your own,
> I went back to a Win98 (Second Edition) bootdisk, with msdos 7.10 on it,
> supporting fat32 etc.
>
Just to verify: This DOS 7.10 boot-disk is a 1.44 MB floppy image which 
you are attaching to the VM as a floppy disk using VMware's methods for 
doing so, right?  Or are you booting this floppy image as a MEMDISK or 
RAM disk via some other means?  I ask only to rule out INT 0x13 business.
>
> msdos 7.10 , C: (fat32) exists, not formatted: "sector read error" (not
> even hitting 'read error..abort/retry/fail')
>
What does this mean?  How did you get a "FAT32" partition, but not 
formatted?
>
> msdos 7.10, C: (fat32) exists, formatted by FORMAT C: (not FORMAT C: /S
> so no system files transferred): sector read error
>
What DOS did you use to format with FAT32?  What was your 'FORMAT.COM' 
command-line?
>
> msdos 7.10, C: (fat16) exists, not formatted: "sector read error"
>
Not sure what FAT16 with "not formatted" means here.  Did you manually 
put a partition type code into the MBR?  Are you referring to an 
'FDISK.EXE' option somewhere?  I think you'll have best results running 
'SYSLINUX C:' on a formatted partition.
>
> msdos 7.10, C: (fat16) exists, formatted by FORMAT C: --> WORKS
> (silently, no visual feedback on succes or failure except DIR /AH C:\*.*
> to show hidden C:\LDLINUX.SYS)
>
I'm confused as to how you are getting a FAT32 partition.  Are you using 
the same DOS floppy image to run 'SYSLINUX.COM C:' that you used for the 
'FDISK' and the 'FORMAT'?  Are you running any anti-virus or 
terminate'n'stay-resident programs before trying the 'SYSLINUX.COM C:' 
command?  It's best to have _nothing_ loaded by DOS' CONFIG.SYS nor 
AUTOEXEC.BAT for SYSLINUX installation, in my experience.
>
> I'm not sure if VMware changed anything in their Workstation virtual
> machines or that the syslinux.com (DOS) program doesn't understand fat32
> somehow on harddisk partitions.
>
If 'SYSLINUX.COM C:' is working on FAT16 but not FAT32, it would be good 
to know why.  Would you possibly share the exact command-line and the 
exact output from your 'SYSLINUX.COM C:' attempt?

I usually have a 1.44 MB FAT12-formatted floppy with some version of 
DOS' system files on it (IO.SYS, MSDOS.SYS, perhaps) as well as 
FDISK.EXE, FORMAT.COM, SYSLINUX.COM.  I do the 'FDISK.EXE', I reboot, I 
do the 'FORMAT C:', then maybe 'LOCK C:' (for Win98, for example), then 
'SYSLINUX.COM C:'.

By the way, don't move or overwrite LDLINUX.SYS by copying in your own 
version.  I believe it needs to be installed by SYSLINUX.COM into 
wherever it's going to stay.

Good luck!

- Shao Miller