[syslinux] [PATCH] git tree: libfat, chain, mtools/syslinux, menu.txt

[H. Peter Anvin]

On 08/25/2010 08:17 PM, Gene Cumm wrote:
> 
> Based on discussions here and IRC, I have a proposal.  For the
> libfat-linked installers, put in a quick open/close just before the
> first write to make sure libfat_open() is happy with the file system
> at the relatively minor cost of the open/close.  Option "-f" would
> activate the code I made, preserving the old behavior without it
> (opt.force passed as new parameter to libfat_open(), ie tryForce,
> doForce, force).  Additionally, remove "MTOOLS_SKIP_CHECK=1"  (and
> possibly "MTOOLS_FAT_COMPATIBILITY=1") from the mtools config unless
> -f is specified.  Also document it in usage(), doc/syslinux.txt, and
> probably NEWS.
> 
> Another option is to introduce a new option that gently encourages
> some broken behavior but does not force it as hard as possible.
> 

[Cc: Alain, who might have a thing or two to say about this ;)]

Agreed.

We do not want to drop MTOOLS_FAT_COMPATIBILITY=1: it is normal for a
filesystem to have more FAT sectors than necessary; especially on flash
media (for alignment).

However MTOOLS_SKIP_CHECK=0 might be a good idea.

There is another thing, too: I've considered whether we can drop libfat
completely for the mtools installer specifically and simply use the
mshowfat command to map the file; that would avoid the weird issues when
the file is not in the root directory.

	-hpa

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