[syslinux] Syslinux docs for core variants and installers

[Bernd Blaauw]

Op 28-10-2012 23:20, Ady schreef:

> New common users get to know Syslinux first by the simple menu. So
> when a user is trying to know and understand Syslinux,
> ./doc/syslinux.txt (and the equivalents in the wiki) is too long and
> touches many different matters.

I'd agree. Checking out distributions (PartedMagic? UBCD?) to see what 
their isolinux.cfg file looks like is very informative as example, 
instead of only a reference manual listing all the possible directives.

1) basic requirements (ia32/x86-64, 2 or 3MB RAM at least, filesystems)
2) basic limitations (same filesystem, limited 64bit support)
3) installer usage on various platforms
4) possibilities and limitations of using syslinux without config file
    (start a module or kernel, that's it..localboot & imgfile support
    stripped). ENTER/CTRL-V/ESC/TAB all that's possible?
5) bare config file (non-graphic textmode) + possibilities
6) config file + graphics file (LSS/PPM)
7) GUI mode with textmenu
8) GUI mode with vesamenu (background picture)
9) Advanced topics like new config files, serial, isohybrid etc

Just imagine a bootCD using isolinux but without config file (same with 
syslinux as the bundled installer doesn't create a basic config file if 
no config file exists yet) :
No filesystem explorarion, no idea what to do, no possibilities to boot 
to next device. Only obvious option to try hitting ENTER or to remove CD 
and reboot to default bootdevice.

Bernd