[syslinux] fixing debian's hd-media image

Wed Dec 5 18:41:41 PST 2018

On Wed, Dec 5, 2018 at 2:21 PM Ady Ady via Syslinux <syslinux at zytor.com> wrote:
>
> After some discussion/debugging behind the scenes, we are back on
> track, with updated Debian packages.
>
>
> 0_ Starting from an _original_ (so-called "hd-media") boot.img mounted
> in "target" (or "$target", or some similar notation), and the version
> of Syslinux-related packages in the OS should be
> "6.04~git20171011.af7e95c3+dfsg1-6" or newer. At the moment I'm writing
> this, the packages are in Debian "Unstable" (repo).
>
> Although not all the packages are essential for this procedure, the
> Syslinux-related packages I'm referring to are, at least:
>
> _ extlinux
> _ isolinux
> _ pxelinux
> _ syslinux
> _ syslinux-common
> _ syslinux-efi
> _ syslinux-utils
>
> Note: For each and every step in the following procedure, it is assumed
> that any (prior) process has finished (successfully) and that relevant
> files have been saved and closed before continuing to the next step.
>
> 1_ Create 'target/boot/syslinux/syslinux.cfg'
>
>
> 2_ Content of 'target/boot/syslinux/syslinux.cfg' (please note that the
> PATH directive here is followed by a space character, a dot and a slash
> character; in theory the slash is optional and I choose to use it for
> directories; the space and the dot are absolutely essential in our
> setup):
>
> # D-I config version 2.0
> # search path for the c32 support libraries (libcom32, libutil etc.)
> PATH ./
> DEFAULT debian
> PROMPT 0
> LABEL debian
> CONFIG ../../debian.cfg ../../
>
>
> 3_ Rename 'target/syslinux.cfg' to 'target/debian.cfg'
>
>
> 4_ Edit content of 'target/debian.cfg' to (only) be:
>
> include menu.cfg
> default vesamenu.c32
> prompt 0
> timeout 0
>
>
> 5_ Edit content of 'target/exithelp.cfg' to (only) be:
>
> label menu
>         kernel vesamenu.c32
>         config debian.cfg
>
>
> 6_ (Possibly you need some special/root rights/permissions for this
> step) Delete 'target/ldlinux.*' and 'target/*.c32'.
>
>
> 7_ From the 'bios' subdirectory for Syslinux files in your OS
> (package), copy:
>  _ vesamenu.c32
>  _ libcom32.c32
>  _ libutil.c32
>
> to 'target/boot/syslinux/*.c32'.
>
>
> 8_ Install SYSLINUX to the adequate directory (shown below). Since the
> "device" (boot.img) is currently mounted, I'm using here the 'extlinux'
> command. Please adapt the command to the pertinent paths / notation /
> script(s):
>
>  extlinux --install $target/boot/syslinux/
>
> or
>
>  extlinux --install target/boot/syslinux/
>
> or similar, depending on the adequate notation (for your script).
>
> Alternatively, the installation of SYSLINUX can instead be performed
> later on, once/when the device is unmounted, by using one of the
> alternative official installers for SYSLINUX. This alternative is
> currently _not_ described in this procedure.
>
> Note1: "$target" (or "target") is just one way for me to post the
> command here. Your real path / script / notation might be slightly
> different (yet, all variants shall include the subdirectory
> "boot/syslinux"). Please adapt it accordingly.
>
> Note2: the last slash character in the above command might cause an
> error (which might also be "silent") in some (OS') environments whereas
> it might be a requirement in others; YMMV - reports are appreciated.
>
> For more details about several alternative official installers for
> Syslinux, see:
>
>  www.syslinux.org/wiki/index.php/Install
>
>
> 9_ Create 'target/EFI/BOOT/SYSLINUX/EFI64/'.
>
> Optionally, create the directory 'target/EFI/BOOT/SYSLINUX/EFI32/' too.
>
>
> 10_ From the 'efi64' subdirectory for Syslinux files in your OS, copy
> 'syslinux.efi' to 'target/EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI'.
>
> Optionally, from the 'efi32' subdirectory for Syslinux files in your
> OS, copy 'syslinux.efi' to 'target/EFI/BOOT/BOOTIA32.EFI'.
>
>
> 11_ From the 'efi64' subdirectory for Syslinux files in your OS, copy
> 'ldlinux.e64' to 'target/EFI/BOOT/LDLINUX.E64'.
>
> Optionally, from the 'efi32' subdirectory for Syslinux files, copy
> 'ldlinux.e32' to 'target/EFI/BOOT/LDLINUX.E32'.
>
>
> 12_ From the 'efi64' subdirectory for Syslinux files, copy:
>  _ vesamenu.c32
>  _ libcom32.c32
>  _ libutil.c32
>
> to 'target/EFI/BOOT/SYSLINUX/EFI64/*.c32'.
>
> Optionally, from the 'efi32' subdirectory for Syslinux files, copy:
>  _ vesamenu.c32
>  _ libcom32.c32
>  _ libutil.c32
>
> to 'target/EFI/BOOT/SYSLINUX/EFI32/*.c32'.
>
>
> 13_ Create 'target/EFI/BOOT/SYSLX64.CFG'.
>
> Optionally, create 'target/EFI/BOOT/SYSLIA32.CFG'.
>
>
> 14_ Content of 'target/EFI/BOOT/SYSLX64.CFG':
>
> # D-I config version 2.0
> # search path for the c32 support libraries (libcom32, libutil etc.)
> PATH SYSLINUX/EFI64/
> DEFAULT debian
> PROMPT 0
> LABEL debian
> CONFIG ../../debian.cfg ../../
>
>
> Optionally, the content of 'target/EFI/BOOT/SYSLIA32.CFG':
>
> # D-I config version 2.0
> # search path for the c32 support libraries (libcom32, libutil etc.)
> PATH SYSLINUX/EFI32/
> DEFAULT debian
> PROMPT 0
> LABEL debian
> CONFIG ../../debian.cfg ../../
>
>
> 15_ Unmount the 'target', test and report back! :).
>
> Hopefully I have no typos in the above steps. Let's also hope that the
> description was clear enough to follow, and that the results are as
> expected.
>
> Please note that there are potential improvements to the above setup
> and that not every single aspect of the resulting boot.img has been
> tested.
>

legacy still works as before. (at least help and booting linux do, I
didn't test every option)

uefi falis with:
Failed to load COM32 file vesamenu.c32

this change fixes it:
> $target/EFI/BOOT/SYSLX64.CFG <<EOF
-PATH SYSLINUX/EFI64/
+PATH EFI/BOOT/SYSLINUX/EFI64/

Lack of leading / tells me CWD is / not /EFI/BOOT

good news: linux boots.

bad news: selecting the Help option locks it up - menu is still there
and keys don't move highlight or anything.  cpu

here is the relevant bits of
https://salsa.debian.org/debconf-video-team/ansible/blob/61b833ad1a010c4f046ea9d1d8c81679e97671e9/usbinst/uefi/build_uefi.sh

+ cp /usr/lib/SYSLINUX.EFI/efi64/syslinux.efi target/EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI
+ cp /usr/lib/syslinux/modules/efi64/ldlinux.e64 target/EFI/BOOT/LDLINUX.E64
+ cp \
/usr/lib/syslinux/modules/efi64/vesamenu.c32 \
/usr/lib/syslinux/modules/efi64/libcom32.c32 \
/usr/lib/syslinux/modules/efi64/libutil.c32 \
target/EFI/BOOT/SYSLINUX/EFI64

target
├── adtxt.cfg
├── boot
│   └── syslinux
│       ├── ldlinux.c32
│       ├── ldlinux.sys
│       ├── libcom32.c32
│       ├── libutil.c32
│       ├── syslinux.cfg
│       └── vesamenu.c32
├── debian.cfg
├── disk.lbl
├── EFI
│   └── BOOT
│       ├── BOOTX64.EFI
│       ├── LDLINUX.E64
│       ├── SYSLINUX
│       │   └── EFI64
│       │       ├── libcom32.c32
│       │       ├── libutil.c32
│       │       └── vesamenu.c32
│       └── SYSLX64.CFG
├── exithelp.cfg
├── f10.txt
├── f1.txt
├── f2.txt
├── f3.txt
├── f4.txt
├── f5.txt
├── f6.txt
├── f7.txt
├── f8.txt
├── f9.txt
├── initrd.gz
├── linux
├── menu.cfg
├── prompt.cfg
├── rqtxt.cfg
├── splash.png
├── stdmenu.cfg
└── txt.cfg

+ cat target/boot/syslinux/syslinux.cfg
# D-I config version 2.0
# search path for the c32 support libraries (libcom32, libutil etc.)
PATH ./
DEFAULT debian
PROMPT 0
LABEL debian
CONFIG ../../debian.cfg ../../

+ cat target/debian.cfg
include menu.cfg
default vesamenu.c32
prompt 0
timeout 0

+ cat target/exithelp.cfg
label menu
    kernel vesamenu.c32
    config debian.cfg

+ cat target/EFI/BOOT/SYSLX64.CFG
# D-I config version 2.0
# search path for the c32 support libraries (libcom32, libutil etc.)
PATH EFI/BOOT/SYSLINUX/EFI64/
DEFAULT debian
PROMPT 0
LABEL debian
CONFIG ../../debian.cfg ../../

+ qemu-system-x86_64 -m 512 -bios OVMF.fd -drive file=boot.img,format=raw

> Regards,
> Ady.
>
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--
Carl K