[syslinux] "isolinux.bin missing or corrupt" when booting USB flash drive in old PC

[Geert Stappers]

On Fri, Mar 17, 2017 at 09:51:52PM -0700, David Christensen via Syslinux wrote:
> 
> I have two older computers with Intel D865GBFLK motherboards (~2003)
> and Pentium 4 HT CPU's.  They both have the latest available BIOS
> installed.  I would like to put Debian on them.
> 
> When I put debian-8.7.1-i386-xfce-CD-1.iso on a CD-R, it boots correctly.
> 
    ... tests with  USB memory stick  and memtest86 ...
> 
> My conclusion is that debian-8.7.1-i386-xfce-CD-1.iso, when put on a
> USB flash drive, is not compatible with the BIOS in the older
> computers.
> 
> 
> I have filed a Debian bug report, and have been advised to post here:
> 
>     https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=857597
> 
> 
> Please advise.

Choose for either running Debian on ~14 year old hardware installed by CD-R
or booting from USB memory stick on the very same hardware.

The path of finding out what makes USB memtest boot possible
and translating it into making USB booting Debian Installer
would be the more interresting one.

My advise is to take the memtest.gz build process
and replace the "memtest kernel" by the more regular kernel (plus initrd)
of d-i.


Groeten
Geert Stappers
-- 
Leven en laten leven