[syslinux] isolinux problem since 3.74

[H. Peter Anvin]

On 10/13/2009 02:15 PM, Stillwell, Bryan wrote:
> I'm working on getting the latest Linux distros working well on one of
> our prototype machines, however, some of them are failing to boot into
> the installer from the CD/DVD images.  I've narrowed it down to isolinux
> hanging just before displaying the graphical menu.  After a little
> bisecting between the last version that worked (3.73) and the first
> version which was broken (3.74), I found this piece of code that is
> responsible for the problem:
> 
> ======================================================================
> --- syslinux-3.73/core/com32.inc        2009-10-12 16:51:06.294747337
> -0600
> +++ syslinux-3.74/core/com32.inc        2009-10-12 16:51:09.750744468
> -0600
> @@ -172,13 +172,14 @@
> 
>                 ; Now everything is set up for interrupts...
> 
> +               push dword [HighMemSize]        ; Memory managed by
> Syslinux
>                 push dword com32_cfarcall       ; Cfarcall entry point
>                 push dword com32_farcall        ; Farcall entry point
>                 push dword (1 << 16)            ; 64K bounce buffer
>                 push dword (comboot_seg << 4)   ; Bounce buffer address
>                 push dword com32_intcall        ; Intcall entry point
>                 push dword command_line         ; Command line pointer
> -               push dword 6                    ; Argument count
> +               push dword 7                    ; Argument count
>                 sti                             ; Interrupts OK now
>                 call pm_entry                   ; Run the program...
>                 ; ... on return, fall through to com32_exit ...
> ======================================================================
> 
> Removing these changes in the 3.83 release allows the prototype machines
> to boot the installer, but I'm not sure why these changes are needed
> since it works on other (released) machines I have access to.  I'm
> writing the list because I would like to determine if this is a firmware
> bug that we can fix before we release, or a bug in isolinux that this
> machine aggrevates?
> 

Sounds like you're using stale .c32 files -- your .c32 files need to
match your isolinux.bin.

	-hpa

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