[syslinux] memdisk operations FAIL to boot with Syslinux-4.02

[Gene Cumm]

On Tue, Aug 31, 2010 at 21:43, Prof S W Damle <swdamle at bsnl.in> wrote:
> On Mon, Aug 30, 2010 at 04:13, Gene Cumm [gene.cumm at gmail.com]/Gert
> Hulselmans <gerth at zytor.com> wrote:
>> Prof S W Damle wrote:
>>> Hello all
>>>
>
>>> Following is my syslinux.cfg:
>> Which exact error message do you get when booting a MEMDISK entry?
>
>>Assuming all file names and paths are correct (including having
> linux.c32 in the default folder beside chain.c32).  If this resolves the
> issue, please let us know.
>>
>>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> --------------------------------------------------------
> Hello Sir(s),
>
> Following is my modified/corrected syslinux.cfg file

It's still not fixed as requested.  Only the ones that are explicitly
corrected are corrected.

> LABEL grub4dos
> MENU LABEL ^3.grub4dos
> COM32 chain.c32  fs grldr=/grldr/grldr
>  APPEND file=/grldr/grldr

Repeating myself again.  Not fixed.  For the fourth consecutive time
do not put anything after the image file name.  You will never get the
results you want.  Things like this are probably the reason that you
are now being ignored by others.

> LABEL nu2-2
> MENU LABEL ^2. INSERT\partimage
>  kernel /DiskImages/memdisk
>  append initrd=/DiskImages/BtInsUSB.img
>
> LABEL nu2-4
> MENU LABEL ^4. Partition Magic8
>  kernel /DiskImages/memdisk
>  append initrd=/DiskImages/Pm8.img
>
> LABEL nu2-5
>  MENU LABEL ^5. Plpbt.
>  KERNEL linux.c32
>  INITRD /ISOimages/Plpbt.iso
>  APPEND /ISOimages/memdisk iso
>
> #OR
>
> #LABEL dir
> #MENU LABEL display files in /ISOimages/
> #COM32 ls.c32
>  # APPEND /ISOimages/memdisk iso raw
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---------------------------------------------
> Following are the results for your information please:
>
> menu label ^0. Boot MBR   and    menu label ^1. Boot WinXP/Win98/Win2000
> both operate OK.
>
> [1]
> for  MENU LABEL ^2.cmdcons:
>
> get  the following display:
>
> Loading the boot file . . .
> Booting . . .
> "-" keeps on blinkin

If the file system at "hd0 1" doesn't have some of the other files for
the recovery console, this could be your issue.  Without testing this
and only doing a brief Google search, it appears that there are a
series of dependencies for cmldr.

> -------------------------------------------------------------
> [2]
> for   MENU LABEL ^3.grub4dos:
>  takes   @ 1Min to load  & then Boots in GUI
> ------------------------------------------------------
> [3]
> for  MENU LABEL ^2. INSERT\partimage:
> No action >you are back in menu.
> BtInsUSB.img is of 2.88mb

Check your files for their existence, exact file names and be sure to
use memdisk from the same version of Syslinux (preferably 4.02 which
you mentioned previously that you were using;  Thank you for using the
current stable version).

> -----------------------------------------------------
> [4]
> for MENU LABEL ^4. Partition Magic8 :
> No action >you are back in menu.
> Pm8.img is of 2.88mb

See previous answer.

> ------------------------------------------------------------
> [5i]
> for  "MENU LABEL ^5. Plpbt."
>
> following is the output/display/message:
>
> Linux.c32: not a COM32R image
> Boot: "-" blinking
>
> When I pressed "Enter" key I am back to Menu

You have definitely updated Syslinux but not the modules.  You
_must_update_all_modules_to_match, ie if you use Syslinux 4.02, use
linux.c32 from the same package.  This will resolve this error.

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> -
> [5ii]
> LABEL display files in /ISOimages/
>
> following is the output/display/message:
>
> ls.c32: not a COM32R image
> Boot: "-" blinking
>
> When I pressed "Enter" key I am back to Menu

See previous answer.

>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> -
> What Next?

Please provide a directory listing of your usb drive.  This would be
best as the output of 'ls -lR' (in Linux/*nix).  Barring that
possibility, 'dir /s o:\' from DOS/Windows should do.

-- 
-Gene