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

[Ady Ady]

> On 03/18/2017 04:15 PM, Ady Ady via Syslinux wrote:
> >
> >> On 03/18/2017 01:18 AM, Ady Ady via Syslinux wrote:
> >>> _ With the USB device connected to (one of) the problematic
> >>> computer(s), power up the system and get into the BIOS setup. In
> >>> the BIOS setup screen(s), change the boot order in such way that
> >>> the USB device is recognized as first boot device. Other devices
> >>> such as CD-ROM and your local HDD should be listed after the USB
> >>> device in the boot order (as second/third boot devices). Then
> >>> save the BIOS settings and try booting with the USB device.
> >>
> >> I have adjusted the boot order in BIOS setup, but it is unnecessary
> >> -- the only other drive is a CD/DVD-RW drive, and it does not
> >> contain a disc.
> >
> > You probably mean in addition to a HDD, right?
> 
> The computer has a HDD mobile rack.  I removed the HDD when testing the
> Debian installer image on a USB flash drive.  So, the only drive other
> than the USB flash drive under test was the optical drive.
> 
> 
> >>> _ If the BIOS setup includes some "fast (POST) boot" or "quick
> >>> (POST) boot" (or similar) option, disable it.
> >>
> >> Already done.
> ...
> > What exactly was "done"?
> 
> BIOS SETUP UTILITY -> Boot:
> 
> - Silent Boot is Disabled
> 
> - Intel(R) Rapid BIOS Boot is Disabled
> 
> 
> > Which USB modes this BIOS supports? USB-AUTO? USB-HDD?...
> 
> Please see previous post for USB settings.  That's all that is available
> -- there is no "USB-AUTO", "USB-HDD", etc..
> 
> 
> David
 
 
During POST, there should be some option to press some key, in order to 
select a (different) boot device. This is usually done by users when 
they want to use a different boot device just one time, instead of 
modifying the boot order in the BIOS setup screen(s).

After pressing such key (specific to each system, as I described in a 
prior email), there might be different "USB" options, typically 
"USB-AUTO", "USB-HDD", "USB-ZIP", "USB-FLOPPY", among others.

As I mentioned in a prior email, using an older version of ISOLINUX 
(and related packages) would probably give you an "isolinux.bin" file 
smaller than 32KiB, which is one of the possible solutions (if its 
current size happens to be the source for failure).

In another email, you mentioned your desire to use USB devices instead 
of optical ones. You do not need to build ISO images just for USB 
devices. As I explained before, there is an alternative method, better 
suited for broader compatibility than using isohybrid images. Instead 
of learning how to build ISO images just so you can burn them on a USB 
device, I would suggest learning how to use SYSLINUX. And, again, there 
are auxiliary tools that would simplify the procedure even further.

BTW, the ISO image of memtest86+ is not isohybrid. In fact, it is a 
floppy-emulation ISO image. There is an image for USB devices, but it 
is not an ISO image. So, using dd for memtest86+ doesn't mean "the same 
procedure". Or, perhaps we are talking about a different "memtest"?

Once again, I would suggest searching for some auxiliary tool (e.g. 
RUFUS under Windows, there are many others, including those for Linux), 
or learning how to do it manually. It would certainly simplify things 
when you want to customize a/your own Linux distribution (considering 
that isohybrid is, for the most part, read-only, while using SYSLINUX 
allows for writing).

Regarding distros for older computers, there are several. The problem, 
at least at this point, is bootability. Although Antix is for older 
computers, it is also based on Debian and the latest ISOLINUX will also 
be bigger than 32KiB. Perhaps Knoppix or some (of the many) PuppyLinux 
would still use ISOLINUX 4.xx or older. SUSE derivatives also use v. 
4.xx. Slackware derivatives too. DSL used to provide a floppy-emulation 
ISO image, but it is no longer maintained and not suitable for USB 
either.

So, to sum up, if you learn how to use SYSLINUX instead of ISOLINUX, 
or, even simpler than that, search for an auxiliary tool that performs 
(all) the steps for you, you could have a USB device with whichever 
Linux distribution (for x86) you would want to customize for these 
systems.

Regards,
Ady.
 
 
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