[syslinux] Sysylinux-6.03 freezes at Loading kernel..., works smooth with 4.06 via SD-CARD

[Ady]

> Hi,
> I am trying to boot syslinux with an SD-Card on COMe-mBTi10 board, it works
> perfect with syslinux 4-06(as BIOS supports booting from SD-CARD), but
> hangs with syslinux-6.03 during 'Loading vmlinuz ... '.
> I tried various ways in which I could debug but no hints, just one time I
> got the error below the loading screen.
> 
> 'Loading vmlinuz0 ... CHS: Error 8001 reading sector 34(0/3/3)
> EDD: Error 8000 reading sector 50'
 
Have you tried to install Syslinux 4.06 on the SD-Card again? Is it 
still working?
 
> 
> After this I never got the error again and it hangs. I have also tried
> using sysdump.c32 and debug.c32, even they don't work.
 
You need to use the c32 files from the same version of the bootloader.
 
> 
> In source code, in various files I traced the pattern 'Loading $ ...' and
> inserted strings to locate where exactly in the code my kernel hangs, then
> I recomplied with
> make bios installer
> make install
> 
> After installation I tried installing syslinux using
> syslinux -i /dev/sdb1   as well as
> from the linux subdirectory ./syslinux.c --install /dev/sdb1
> But no change.
 
Surely you know that "./syslinux.c" is not the installer.

In 6.03, the installer you are referring to is located in:

 syslinux-6.03/bios/linux/ 

In any case, the syslinux command requires for you to first *UNmount* 
the filesystem on which you are installing SYSLINUX, before you execute 
the installer. By leaving the filesystem mounted while executing the 
syslinux installer you might corrupt such filesystem.

And, again, you need to copy the corresponding c32 files from the same 
version of the installer. For Syslinux 6.03, these are under the 
"/bios/" subdirectory.

Using c32 files from different versions than the bootloader or from a 
different firmware/architecture (e.g. efi64) will most probably fail.

> 
> The 'Loading kernel ...' pattern stays the same.
> Also i could not find a documentation which shows how to compile from
> source. Please help.
> 
> below is the Bios info and syslinux.cfg.
 
 (snip)
 
> 
> I have tried every possible combination but no success at all. When i try
> to use linux.c32 comboot module, it does not even say Loading vmlinuz0 ...
> it hangs even before that.
> 
> The same kernel and initrd works perfectly with Syslinux-4.06 where it
> boots from SD-card without any single error.
> Please help or suggest.
> best regards.
> Micheal
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The content of syslinux.cfg as you posted it is inadequate, probably 
because you are blindly testing several possibilities (for example, you 
have more than one DEFAULT directive).

I would suggest temporarily changing the name of any "syslinux.cfg" and 
of any "extlinux.conf" files you might have (in _any and every_ 
location, including in "/[boot/]syslinux/" and "/[boot/]extlinux/".

When SYSLINUX fails to find the configuration file (using any of its 
naming alternatives in any of its alternative locations), it should 
show you the boot prompt and a message (about not finding the 
configuration file). In this context, this means SYSLINUX was 
successful to boot your SD-Card.

Since you are comparing with Syslinux 4.06, you should also double 
check that you are actually trying to boot in CSM (aka. BIOS) mode, not 
in UEFI.

Regards,
Ady.