[syslinux] Trouble with Ubuntu 15.10 / syslinux 6.03

Gene Cumm gene.cumm at gmail.com
Wed Dec 9 02:57:26 PST 2015


On Wed, Dec 9, 2015 at 5:19 AM, Hadmut Danisch via Syslinux
<syslinux at zytor.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I'm looking for a hint about what has changed in syslinux 6.03.

A lot under the covers.  The installer usage hasn't really changed.

> Some years ago I had written a script that configures a bootable USB
> pen drive with syslinux and some boot images, which still worked well
> under Ubuntu 14.04 LTS and previous versions, but does not work
> anymore under Ubuntu 15.10 with syslinux 6.03.

http://packages.ubuntu.com/search?keywords=syslinux&searchon=names&suite=trusty&section=all
says v4.05.

> I've boiled this down to a test-script that isolates the problem:
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> #!/bin/bash
>
> device=/dev/disk/by-id/usb-SMI_Corporation_CnMemory_00040127008368-0:0
> device=`realpath $device`
> echo "Device $device"
>
> if [[ ! -b $device ]] ; then
>   echo 1>&2 "Device $device missing"
>   exit 1
> fi
>
> parted -s $device rm 1 || :
> parted -s $device rm 2 || :
> parted -s $device rm 3 || :
> parted -s $device rm 4 || :
>
> parted -s $device mkpart primary fat32 0MB 4000MB
> parted -s $device set 1 boot on
>
> blockdev --rereadpt $device
>
> sleep 2
>
> dd if=/usr/lib/SYSLINUX/mbr.bin of=$device
>
> mkdosfs ${device}1
>
> syslinux --install ${device}1
>
> kvm -drive file=${device},format=raw
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------

Nothing wrong there.

> That script works under 14.04 LTS and creates a running pendrive
> (i.e. syslinux boot process reaches the point where it complains about
> the missing config file as expected, the test script does not install
> a config file)), while on 15.10 with syslinux 6.03 it creates
> a USB device that can't boot, it just brings the lines
>
> SYSLINUX 6.03 EDD 20150813 Copyright...
> Boot error

1) This is an Ubuntu build as indicated by the datestamp.  Did you try
6.03 from the binary/source archive at kernel.org?
http://www.syslinux.org/wiki/index.php/Download  If these work, you'll
need to report it to Ubuntu rather than skipping them in your bug
report.

2) This indicates an error that occurs very early within SYSLINUX.
The portion in the VBR (volume boot record) is attempting to load the
rest of SYSLINUX and fails.

> What has changed between syslinux 6.03 and the older version in Ubuntu
> 14.04, that causes this different behaviour?

If memory serves, NASM 2.11.06 has issues though the version string
indicates it should be 2.11.05:
http://packages.ubuntu.com/search?keywords=nasm&searchon=names&suite=wily&section=all

-- 
-Gene


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