[syslinux] Installing extlinux into a disk image without being root?

[Ady]

> disk.img is a disk image, which contains a partition table, itself
> describing one partition, formatted ext4, with a Linux root filesystem.
 
 
As stated in several places, the Syslinux-based bootloaders are not installed 
to MBR/GPT areas nor to gaps, but only to volumes/partitions themselves.

There is a reason for having several wiki pages mentioning "*mbr*.bin" files.

Maybe the "--offset" option for the installers would be of some use, but I 
doubt it, considering your additional restrictions.
 
As I mentioned, some Linux distros (or, I should say some downstream projects) 
have Syslinux-related files that include additional features (that are not 
included upstream).

For instance, the yocto project can build a "syslinux" installer that supports 
EXT2/3/4 in addition to FAT. AFAIR, the resulting "syslinux" installer does not 
require "root" privileges, but it still needs writing permissions, of course.

Regards,
Ady.