[syslinux] efi config hang

[Ady Ady]

> works with legacy, hangs with efi.
> 
> where works is:
> No DEFAULT or UI configuration directive found!
> but enter and ^v make things happen
> 
> hangs is: nothing happens, no response from keyboard, have to reboot.
> 
> note:
> config prompt.cfg
> prompt.cfg does not exist, but I would expect similar behaviour
> between efi and legacy.
> 
> test is:
> starting with blank image, mkfs, mount it...
> 
> + 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
> 
> + cp /usr/lib/syslinux/modules/bios/vesamenu.c32
> /usr/lib/syslinux/modules/bios/libcom32.c32
> /usr/lib/syslinux/modules/bios/libutil.c32 target/boot/syslinux/
> + sudo extlinux --install target/boot/syslinux/
> target/boot/syslinux/ is device /dev/loop0
> 
> target
> ├── boot
> │   └── syslinux
> │       ├── ldlinux.c32
> │       ├── ldlinux.sys
> │       ├── libcom32.c32
> │       ├── libutil.c32
> │       ├── syslinux.cfg
> │       └── vesamenu.c32
> └── EFI
>     └── BOOT
>         ├── BOOTX64.EFI
>         ├── LDLINUX.E64
>         ├── SYSLINUX
>         │   └── EFI64
>         │       ├── libcom32.c32
>         │       ├── libutil.c32
>         │       └── vesamenu.c32
>         └── SYSLX64.CFG
> 
> 
> # EFI/BOOT/SYSLX64.CFG
> PATH /EFI/BOOT/SYSLINUX/EFI64/
> default vesamenu.c32
> label help
>     menu label ^Help
>     config prompt.cfg
> 
> # /boot/syslinux/syslinux.cfg
> PATH /boot/syslinux/
> default vesamenu.c32
> 
> label help
>     menu label ^Help
>     config prompt.cfg
> 
> https://salsa.debian.org/carlfk-guest/syslinux/blob/15fc479eb7ca5ab252ff6ff1fc94eb98d1ec31c9/tests/build_uefi_help.sh
> 
> --
> Carl K
 
I thought that we would be discussing simplified (narrow) cases with 
the purpose of troubleshooting each issue, instead of mixing all the 
aspects of the whole setup together again. Anyway...

Since you have no UI directive, you need at least DEFAULT and PROMPT 
directives (and, at least in the example you are providing here, you 
don't have the latter; in our prior discussion thread, you did have 
it).

Also, it is highly recommended to use labels, not modules/commands, for 
the DEFAULT command.

The third issue is that the PATH directive is using absolute paths. The 
buggy PATH directive doesn't understand absolute paths correctly ATM. 
My prior email was long, but not _that_ unclear in this regard.

Additionally, your setup for BIOS and for UEFI in this example are not 
"the same". In BIOS, you are using the same directory for the cfg file 
and for the c32 modules (the same as your WD), whereas in UEFI, the cfg 
file is in your WD, and your c32 modules are located in a different 
directory.

Considering the aforementioned differences and issues, it is not a 
surprise that you get different behaviors. Testing simplified setups 
would had helped you see each of these issues separately.

Finally, you are using vesamenu.c32, without a background. In BIOS, 
although possibly slightly "ugly" in the eyes of some users, it can 
still work as expected - it is "usable". UEFI in contrast, has several 
problems with it:

_ in UEFI, the default vesamenu.c32 colors / contrast is not only 
"ugly", but rather very unclear for the user;

_ as oppose to BIOS, the screen doesn't "clear / clean" correctly. Try 
"[CTRL]+[L]" from the boot prompt under BIOS and under UEFI and see the 
difference, and/or use MENU CLEAR and see the different behavior 
between BIOS vs. UEFI from the menu (this is probably the worst matter 
in terms of usage);

_ in many UEFI implementations, the support for a screen resolution of 
640x480 is "flaky" at best, and thus, the default vesamenu.c32 behavior 
under UEFI is very "unfriendly", to say the least. Using the 'MENU 
RESOLUTION' directive might help for some UEFI cases/implementations, 
but the "splash" background file should also match the same setting. 
See:

 www.syslinux.org/wiki/index.php/Menu#MENU_RESOLUTION

One thing you could try is to test menu.c32 (not vesa*) under UEFI 
(after "solving" the other issues I mentioned above). The same issues 
as for vesamenu.c32 in UEFI are relevant, but the default colors and 
presentation are different, so testing it might help towards deciding 
which default configuration/setup is more adequate for UEFI.


So, unfortunately, the short answer is "no"; since your setup under 
BIOS is not "the same" as in UEFI, and each firmware has its pros and 
cons, it is not a surprise that the resulting behavior in this case is 
not the same.

Regards,
Ady.