[syslinux] isohybrid has 2 variants

[Thomas Schmitt]

Hi,

Ady:
> _ Wiki should use more user-friendly language and "less deep" 
> technical information.

I tried to stay at the surface of isohybrid.
(Didier already asked for more depth about expert options.)


> _ In the Syslinux wiki, "PC-BIOS" should rather be called plain 
> "BIOS".

I understand there are other "BIOS" for other hardware.
But ok. Let's use the term BIOS.


> _ Specific ISO-building tools should not be part of the generic 
> explanation, but rather a separate section, such as "Examples".

I give the examples to make clear what is meant in the
general statements.

The three programs mentioned are those which users will encounter
on free operating systems. I understand they all are available
under Cygwin, too.


> _ Specific details (e.g. about the usage of the respective 
> ISO-building tools) should be searched in the respective 
> documentation for each tool, not in the Syslinux wiki. 

It's a standard complaint that this documentation is either too
fat or too sparse.

Especially problematic is the fact that the home page of
cdrtools has vanished and the -e-capable version of genisoimage
is not the vanilla version from cdrkit.

The examples given are derived from the basic mkisofs example on
  http://www.syslinux.org/wiki/index.php/ISOLINUX#How_Can_I_Make_a_Bootable_CD_With_ISOLINUX.3F


> _ It should be clear for a common reader that any commands involving 
> ISO-building tools are just very basic examples

That's the nature of examples in documentation.
They give a starting point for detail study and development.


> _ Mentioning paths for specific distros should be avoided if 
> possible.

I count them as hands-on examples.


> _ When a command or tool works only under certain OS or OS-type (e.g. 
> Linux), this fact should be mentioned.

Throughout the wiki there is a lack of non-Linux info.
I personally cannot fill this gap, because i lack experience
with Apple and Microsoft.


> When 
> information is too-technical, or the wording sounds too-technical, 
> most users won't even read it.

I only mentioned what i deem indispensible to understand
the purpose and the variations of isohybrid.
If you see particular statements which are surplus under this
aspect, then we can discuss and eventually throw them out.


>  _ in the "mbr" page (where other alternative *.bin files are already 
> mentioned); or,

There is an MBR page ? Where ? I'd like to link to it.


> _ The firmware "target(s)" can be different than the one used by the 
> host where the ISOLINUX and/or isohybrid image is being built. 
> Multiple simultaneous firmware targets are allowed (although this 
> possibility depends on the variant and version of the isohybrid 
> program too).

Urm. Now you lost me. What exactly is meant with "firmware target" ?
BIOS, UEFI, MAC ?


> _ Eventually "isohybrid" should be a separate page in the wiki

Could be easily done. Currently it is just exposed for discussion.


> _ Relevant items for common users:
>  _ command options supported by each isohybrid variant;

I avoided to show options. The only one is clearly attributed to
utils/isohybrid.c.


>  _ if the version of the isohybrid program should match the version 
> of ISOLINUX (perhaps depending on isohybrid variant, or version that 
> includes a new feature, or ISO-building tool used, or...), this fact 
> should be clearly mentioned.

I wrote:
"Both programs contain MBR code which has to match the version of
 the ISOLINUX file isolinux.bin. So always use the program from the
 same SYSLINUX installation which provided this file for the ISO 9660
 production."

Better wording would be welcome.


>  _ if different iso*.bin files are to be used for different needs, 
> then each case should be clear for the common user.

It is not even clear to the uncommon wiki writer.
So i cowardly staid with defaults.


>  _ What to do with the resulting ISO image;

Yeah. Putting an image onto USB stick is not easy to explain.
(Best is to have read S.R. Bourne's "The Unix System".)

On MS-Windows i would be totally helpless.


>  _ xorriso builds the ISO image, and it can (optionally and) 
> simultaneously make it isohybrid too. This is an _alternative_ 
> method.

Stated by "The result needs no further treatment by isohybrid tools."


>  _ The different _alternatives_ should be clear to a common user, 
> specially to avoid confusion with "serial-like" steps.

I hoped to make clear that the user should run one isohybrid
command, or produce the ISO with isohybrid on the first hand.
 

>  _ Yet, the steps should be "generic", as opposed to getting into the 
> details

I would try to do this if i could.
Examples need to be tangible. So they expose details.

Do you have proposals how to avoid this dilemma ?


> This wiki page should focus on the isohybrid variants and their 
> available options / differences.

I showed three of the variants: isohybrid.pl, isohybrid.c, xorriso.
The other two are not clear enough to me.


> _ BTW, mkisofs supports building ISO images for EFI, but the specific 
> arguments are different than those used by xorriso.

It would be helpful to know that option.


Have a nice day :)

Thomas