[syslinux] syslinux efi configuration file name proposal

[Ady]

> Hello Ady,
> 
> On Fri, Aug 01, 2014 at 08:35:27PM +0300, Ady wrote:
> > Goal: To have one USB drive capable of booting UEFI IA32 and UEFI X64 
> > (with an optional Syslinux menu containing multiple entries).
> > 
> > Problem (solved) #1: The default directory location for both 
> > syslinux.efi is the same.
> > 
> > Solution #1: Rename each syslinux.efi to bootx64.efi and to 
> > bootia32.efi.
> > 
> > Problem (solved) #2: Each syslinux.efi needs at least its respective 
> > ldlinux module.
> > 
> > Solution #2: Each ldlinux module is renamed with its corresponding 
> > file name extension according to firmware/architecture. Each 
> > syslinux.efi searches for its respective ldlinux.{e32,e64} module.
> > 
> > Problem (solved) #3: Similarly to the ldlinux module, the other 
> > modules also use the same file names for every firmware/architecture.
> > 
> > Solution #3: Use the PATH directive and a combination of relative and 
> > absolute path notation. This solution allows maintaining current 
> > configurations, tutorials, easy copying, in-common cfg files... as 
> > the same "c32" file name extension is kept for all alternatives.
> > 
> > 
> > Problem #4: The initial configuration file, "syslinux.cfg", is also 
> > using the same default file name and the same default location. The 
> > content of "syslinux.cfg" might not be in-common to both UEFI 
> > architectures (e.g. different values for the PATH directive).
> > 
> >  ---- 
> > 
> > Proposing a solution for Problem #4: syslinux.efi should look first 
> > for a corresponding "sysl<arch>.cfg", and then fallback to 
> > syslinux.cfg in the same searched-for location.
> 
> [...]
> 
> Your suggested proposal is, entirely by chance, almost exactly the same
> solution that I'm currently using in Knoppix since version 7.2, i.e.
> bitness-dependent ldlinux.e32/ldlinux.e64 and also a
> syslnx32.cfg/syslnx64.cfg with a fallback to syslinux.cfg. It's merely
> renaming and adding file names to the syslinux configuration file array,
> just a few lines of code. So far, the patch is only included on Knoppix,
> but feel free to use it on your distro as well.
 
I didn't know that Knoppix was already using such method. That's good 
news, because it means that it should be relatively simple to 
implement in official Syslinux (hopefully in the near future and 
before the next stable release), and it also means that it can be 
actually helpful for users and distros.

I'd like to point out the particular naming format I am suggesting. 
The UEFI specification already uses "boot<arch>.efi". So using the 
same "<arch>" should provide certain degree of coherence.

Taking 4 initial characters (same as "boot*.efi") from "syslinux.cfg" 
and adding the same <arch> should make the file name unique and its 
goal clear, keeping "8.3" format, easy to read/type (reducing typos!) 
and simple for tasks such as searching / copying / whatever. For 
example:
 sysl*.* 
 sysl*.cfg 
 *x64.* 
 *ia32.* 
 *.cfg 

 
> 
> I'd vote for acceptance of your proposal.
> 
> Regards
> -Klaus
> 

Thank you. I hope Peter agrees.

Regards,
Ady.