[syslinux] Using Linux as bootloader

[Geert Stappers]

On Sat, Oct 29, 2011 at 07:02:48AM -0400, Rajeev Agrawala wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> Not sure if this is the right mailing list for this kind of question,
> but I am looking for a way to boot Linux/other OS from within Linux
> i.e. once I have booted into Linux may be using pxe or otherwise
> and then I decide to boot Windows from or Linux from localdisk,
> then instead of rebooting th machine can I somehow execute the
> boot sector/grub/ntldr etc from within Linux?
> Is this at all possible?

What I know about it.

Linux can execute another kernel with 'kexec'[1]
Syslinux, at pxelinux, can be build as a kernel.

So what I think that might answer the question,
is to let Linux start a pxelinux kernel.

I haven't done that, so your milage surely varies.


> It seems something similar exists for ARM processor only
> (http://www.embeddedarm.com/software/arm-linux-bootloader.php).

I only can guess that it uses 'kexec'.


> Thanks.  		 	   		  


Groeten
Geert Stappers

Foot notes
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kexec

-- 
> And is there a policy on top-posting vs. bottom-posting?
Yes.