[syslinux] Advice/directions to users of Syslinux

[Ronald F. Guilmette]

In message <70229.1390169666 at server1.tristatelogic.com>, I wrote:

>In message <52DC29E3.7080004 at mattiasschlenker.de>, 
>Mattias Schlenker <ms at mattiasschlenker.de> wrote:
>
>>To cut a log story short, we probably should write some advices for best 
>>practices of creating bootable media...
>...
>   http://www.syslinux.org/wiki/index.php/SYSLINUX

In addition to any & all other advice and directions given to users
of Syslinux, I would like to suggest the following:

1)  Make sure that your distribution images and/or install instructions
    results in the end-user ending up with a USB stick that contains
    one partition that is explicity flagged as "bootable".  (As I have
    now learned, this isn't absolutely necessary for booting off a USB
    stick with my... admittedly dated... BIOS, however it does cause
    the device to show up on the Boot Priority list, and this in turn
    can eliminate one possible source of confusion for end-users.)

2)  In the usage instructions for your Syslinux-assisted bootable
    product (i.e. the instructions that YOU give to end-users) advise
    the end-users that if they have trouble booting your product when
    it is installed onto a USB device that is itself plugged into one
    of the front USB ports on a traditional "desktop" type system that
    they should try instead connecting the device to one of the rear
    USB ports.   (I personally don't know if this is even actually an
    issue, but some have suggeted here that it may sometimes be.)

    In the usage instructions for your Syslinux-assisted bootable
    product (i.e. the instructions that YOU give to end-users) advise
    the end-users that if they have trouble booting your product when
    it is installed onto a USB device that is itself plugged into some
    add-on USB controller card (e.g. a USB 3.0 add-on card), then they
    should try instead connecting the device to one of the built-in
    USB ports that are a part of the base motherboard.  (I can attest
    now, based on an experiment that I just now ran, that indeed the
    ports on the USB 3.0 add-on card that I have installed into my
    Gigabtye GA-M55Plus-S3G are not even seen by the BIOS, and that
    thus, a stick which is perfectly bootable from the regular mother-
    board USB 2.0 ports cannot be booted when plugged into the USB 3.0
    ports on the add-on card.)


Regards,
rfg