[syslinux] Any special option to debug kernel just freezing?

[Gene Cumm]

On Sat, Dec 8, 2018 at 9:29 AM Michael D. Setzer II via Syslinux
<syslinux at zytor.com> wrote:
> Use syslinux 6.03 for my g4l disk imaging project, and it works great.
> Have just had a user that has a new thinkpad t440p system and it load the
> syslinux, and he can select any of the various kernels included on the iso, but
> it freezes at a point with no error message just stops?
> Originally, the last thing
> ata8: PATA max PIO4 cmd 0x170 ctl 0x376 irq 15
> But I built a special kernel with all the PATA stuff removed since it wasn't
> using any PATA devices.
> Just changed the last thing displayed before the freeze.

I'd guess it's whatever is loaded/executed next after the last
displayed message.

> Tried some failsafe kernel options that have worked in past, but same results.
> Just wondering if there is some syslinux or special kernel option that I'm not
> aware of that might help.

There won't really be any Syslinux-specific options aside from the
fact that Syslinux will adhere to the Linux kernel option "mem=" when
loading and I think adjusts the values returned by BIOS memory query
calls.  Knowing which specific permutations of options might be
useful.

> Don't have direct contact with person, and no access to the system.
>
> Checked that machine has the latest bios, and has tried a number of options
> in bios settings?

BIOS (or UEFI CSM mode) or UEFI boot?  I'm guessing the former...

> Thanks for your time, and been very happy with the syslinux since working
> with this project since 2004. So, a long history of all the pieces working.

Aside from "mem=", I'd consider some of the usual options like noapic
or rebuilding the kernel with different more compatible optimizations
(ie i486-like instead of something more modern like i686 or SSE4).

-- 
-Gene