[syslinux] PXE boot Windows PE in EFI mode

[Ady]

> On 10/11/14 14:36, Bernd Eggenmüller wrote:
> > is there a way to boot a Windows PE image over PXE in UEFI mode.
> > If there is one, how do I write the entry in the syslinux.cfg file?
> 
> I don't know the syslinux answer to this, but you can definitely do it 
> via iPXE and wimboot: see http://ipxe.org/wimboot for instructions.
> 
> Michael
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Just a "tease" about Syslinux directives (mostly undocumented, tests 
results under UEFI mode are unknown):


 *** append initrd+=  ***
[quote Shao]
The "initrd+=" option allows you to append initramfs-style blobs 
(files which can be produced with 'cpio -o -H newc') to whatever 
"initrd" was specified via the "initrd=" option (or was specified 
indirectly via the INITRD directive).

This means you can have some custom initramfs that contains some 
stuff you might like to layer on top of whatever initramfs your Linux 
distribution gives you; useful for changing startup scripts or adding 
drivers/features or changing behaviour.

This option can be specified more than once, and can take a 
comma-separated list of files.
[/quote]

[quote Shao]
Given "initrd+=foo initrd+=bar", linux.c32 will concatenate both 
files "foo" and "bar" to the initrds that it has already loaded due 
to the "initrd=" option.  That is, the "initrd+=" option can be 
specified multiple times.

The position of any "initrd=" option relative to any "initrd+=" 
option is irrelevant.  The "initrd=" option is always processed 
before all "initrd+=" options.

PLEASE NOTE: It is important to note that there are NO SPACES 
involved in using the "initrd+=" option.  "initrd += foo" will not 
work.
[/quote]


 *** append initrdfile=  ***
[quote Shao]
The "initrdfile=" option allows you to load a file and encapsulate it 
as though you had used 'cpio -o -H newc', and pass the resulting blob 
alongside the other items that might have been specified with 
"initrd=" or "initrd+=".

This is useful for taking a raw file from the Syslinux booted-from 
filesystem and sending it through to Linux' rootfs via the initramfs 
scheme.

This option can be specified more than once, and can take a 
comma-separated list of files.

Besides use for Linux, this implementation also allows Syslinux users 
to boot Michael Brown's 'wimboot' kernel and be able to pass it the 
raw files it needs in order to boot a Microsoft Windows PE .WIM.
[/quote]

[quote Shao]
One can specify the desired path/filename for the file to have within 
the rootfs by using the at (@) sign, as in:

  initrdfile=foo@/goes/to/foo

One can also specify multiple files, separated by commas, such as:

  initrdfile=foo,bar@/somewhere/bar,baz

One can also use this option multiple times, as in:

  initrdfile=foo,bar initrdfile=baz@/somewhere/baz
[/quote]

Regards,
Ady.