[syslinux] Linux boot hangs after/during read of initrd.img

[Paul Smith]

Didier,

Thanks for the suggestion.  I tried building using your 'xorriso' script but
the resulting image booted, and then failed, in exactly the same way.  Again
it got as far as appearing to be loading initrd into memory and then hung.

Paul DS.

-----Original Message-----
From: Syslinux [mailto:syslinux-bounces at zytor.com] On Behalf Of Didier
Spaier via Syslinux
Sent: 12 March 2018 11:05
To: syslinux at zytor.com
Subject: Re: [syslinux] Linux boot hangs after/during read of initrd.img

Hell,

[quoted lines from Paul Smith]:
> Precis: I'm trying to debug a problem with CentOS7 failing to install from
an ISO written to a USB pendrive - anyone got suggestions?
> 
> What works - installing on a modern, 'standard PC'; the pendrive image 
> boots and installs as I expect
> 
> What does not work - same pendrive booting in an ATCA blade.  What 
> I've tried is.
> 
> 
>   1.  Boot the standard CentOS7 minimal image.  This seems to start but
then just sits at a black screen
>   2.  Forcing 'serial' from the isolinux.cfg. This seems to have little
effect.
>   3.  Rebuilding the CentOS7 minimal image but using the latest
SYSLINUX/ISOLINUX source code compiled by me; rebuilding into an ISO then
isohybrid.ed.  This shows 'Loading vmlinux.ok' and 'loading initrd.img.ok'
and then hangs in a similar way to the vanilla image.
>   4.  Adding a printfs() into the SYS/ISOLINUX source code to try and
narrow down the problem.  This seems to exhibit number of strange problems..

I have had more luck using xorriso to write an hybrid ISO than
post-hybriding the ISO using isohybrid.

I am CCing Thomas Schmitt, xorriso mantainer who could shed more light.

Here is an example: 

# ISO is the path to the root of the ISO tree # PATHTOISO is the path to the
hybrid ISO being written, including its name. 
( cd $ISO
if [ "$SFX" = "64" ]; then
  EFIOPTIONS="-eltorito-alt-boot -e isolinux/efiboot.img
-isohybrid-gpt-basdat -no-emul-boot"
fi
xorriso -as mkisofs \
    -isohybrid-mbr /usr/share/syslinux/isohdpfx.bin \
    -hide-rr-moved \
    -U \
    -V "MyCENTOS" \
    -J \
    -joliet-long \
    -r \
    -v \
    -o $PATHTOISO \
    -b isolinux/isolinux.bin \
    -c isolinux/boot.cat \
    -no-emul-boot \
    -boot-info-table $EFIOPTIONS . \
)

Have a good day,

Didier
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