[syslinux] Boot Linux ram disk image from DOS prompt

Bernd Blaauw bblaauw at home.nl
Wed Jan 30 13:01:47 PST 2013


Op 30-1-2013 21:31, Leandro Becker schreef:
> But this is meant to be run on the creation of boot disk right? How I
> can do this after boot ramdisk DOS and make DOS change next syslinux
> boot to Linux?

The basic idea is to:
[1] get an USB Flash device
[2] install Syslinux bootloader including modules
[3] install your DOS
[4] restore Syslinux bootloader if bootsector got changed
[5] make sure to boot from syslinux to DOS (use chain.c32)
[6] add the Linux files
[7] reference your Linux in syslinux.cfg

Once that's all done you can try finding a way to modify the ADV by 
using/running for example the DOS installer. AUTOEXEC.BAT does miracles. 
I'm not sure if a C32 Syslinux module exists that's allowed to modify 
the ADV region.

Usually bootmanagers don't write to filesystems (or storage devices) 
directly, they leave that to operating systems.

As you asked for LOADLIN anyway, all this assumes you're using FAT 
filesystem. If using something else, then DOS will be the OS requiring a 
ramdisk (Syslinux provides MEMDISK for this) due to only being 
compatible with FAT.

> Thank you, and sorry if I'm asking silly questions...

Experiment a little bit :)

Bernd


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