[syslinux] Proposal for Chain-Loadable LDLINUX.SYS

[Bernd Blaauw]

Op 2-1-2013 12:15, Shao Miller schreef:

> Just for fun, maybe it'd be neat to leave room for some possible future
> hybridization in ldlinux.sys, such as:
> - Current style
> - Multiboot (thinking about tackling this)
> - Linux x86 kernel-format
> - DOS .EXE

UPX executable binary compression support while at it (with leaving 
everything else mentioned intact).
Then again, current core is tiny already. Something that would more 
benefit from that is some variant of GRUB.

I think Eric Auer once wrote some kind of DOS-loader for Memtest+ 
including compression support.

> Although launching from DOS could obviously have complications from DOS
> hooks, TSRs, and a generally stale device state, plus .sys isn't .exe,
> so'd have to be renamed unless launched from config.sys (so why bother).

Don't suppose you'd favor changing the extension by default to .EXE 
hehe. Clean-boot is still possible in most DOS flavors.

If you want a real challenge, make the binary EFI-bootable as well
(without legacy SMBIOS fallback/compatibility layer). SecureBoot support 
optional..