[syslinux] Difference between linux.c32 and loading linux directly?

[H. Peter Anvin]

On 08/24/2010 04:11 AM, Gene Cumm wrote:
> On Tue, Aug 24, 2010 at 02:56, Michael Tokarev <mjt at tls.msk.ru> wrote:
>> Hello.
>>
>> What's the difference between linux.c32 module and
>> loading linux kernel directly by {sys,pxe,iso}linux?
>>
>> Is there any advantage of using linux.c32 over the
>> built-in method?
> 
> At this time, linux.c32 can deal with memory holes better.  I have a
> machine that with a 40+ MiB initramfs file, I have to use linux.c32.
> There may be other differences that I'm not aware of.

The other difference is that for PXE boot, you can make it pass a copy
of the PXE configuration packets into the initramfs.

The real difference is the memory hole issue, as described above.  What
it *really* is is that linux.c32 is the new code and it will replace the
code currently in the core in Syslinux 5.

	-hpa

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