[syslinux] Proposal for Chain-Loadable LDLINUX.SYS

[Shao Miller]

On 12/31/2012 16:02, Gert Hulselmans wrote:
> A LDLINUX.SYS that confirms to the (a) multiboot specification might
> be a possibiltity to consider.
> The multiboot entry point can be a different one than the normal entry
> point (e.g doesn't need to load
> the rest of LDLINUX.SYS from disk).

This is true, but there's still the complication of the "missing" 
ldlinux.bin VBR code.  If this "missing" VBR code could be added to 
ldlinux.sys, then such a multiboot entry-point could rebuild ldlinux.bin 
in memory the same way as the current flow yields.

I believe that the build process currently simply chops ldlinux.bin up 
to get ldlinux.sys.  It probably wouldn't be terrifically complicated to 
chop it up and then put it together again in a different order to result 
in an ldlinux.sys with the VBR code somewhere in it, but my original 
proposal ends up having ldlinux.bin == ldlinux.sys, so no more chopping 
(except in the installers).

Time to review the (a) multiboot specification, anyway.  Thanks. :)

- Shao Miller