[syslinux] booting FreeDOS ISO image using syslinux hangs

[Ady Ady]

> Date: Sun, 1 Jul 2012 13:21:32 -0400
> From: gene.cumm at gmail.com
> To: syslinux at zytor.com
> Subject: Re: [syslinux] booting FreeDOS ISO image using syslinux hangs
> 
> On Sun, Jul 1, 2012 at 11:28 AM, Ady Ady <ady-sf at hotmail.com> wrote:
> >> 1) I created a partition to my 2GB memory stick:
> >>
> >> Disk /dev/sdb: 2013 MB, 2013265920 bytes
> >> 62 heads, 62 sectors/track, 1022 cylinders, total 3932160 sectors
> >
> > Take note of those values:
> >
> > c=1022 h=62 s=62
> 
> No issue there. They may seem unusual but that may be the "natural"
> geometry that plays nicely with BIOSs due to how USB autodetection
> works. I've had issues trying to manually assign a geometry with some
> systems.
> 
 
 I don't say there is an issue. I pointed out the values not because there is a "problem", but because it might be a potential performance gain by changing some values (either the CHS values or the fs values, or both, if the changes are possible and compatible with the BIOS).
 
 In addition, some utilities might need those values to be specified, or would accept the "default and typical" values ONLY.
Among such utilities, some DOS "fdisk-like" tools. And MEMDISK might need "such type of values" (not those specifically), for example if instead of a FreeDOS ISO image, the user wants to try some uncommon floppy image. (To be clear, MEMDISK would need the CHS values for uncommon images to be loaded, not the CHS values of the real media where the images reside.)

> >> Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
> >> /dev/sdb1 * 62 3928567 1964253 6 FAT16
> >
> > Your ID is for FAT16 with partition size of about 2GB (too big for normal use).
> 
> It's _just_ under the limits. If it was over about 2GiB as FAT16,
> that would likely cause issues. In fact, some systems refuse FAT32
> while others refuse FAT16.
> 
> -- 
> -Gene

 In theory, it's under the limits. In practice, in this particular case I still think that FAT32 would be only beneficial, the same as using the RAW parameter, for FreeDOS v.1.1 images.
 
I am not saying there is no other way. I am only suggesting possibilities. My apologies if I wasn't clear enough in my previous message.