From ec493651afd67e244c7a761f4fa2c33d41240851 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: hpa Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2004 21:29:04 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] Clean up some old crap --- syslinux.doc | 134 +++++++++++++++++++---------------------------------------- 1 file changed, 42 insertions(+), 92 deletions(-) diff --git a/syslinux.doc b/syslinux.doc index 4def331..898843e 100644 --- a/syslinux.doc +++ b/syslinux.doc @@ -1,8 +1,8 @@ SYSLINUX - A bootloader for Linux using MS-DOS floppies + A suite of bootloaders for Linux - Copyright (C) 1994-2003 H. Peter Anvin + Copyright (C) 1994-2004 H. Peter Anvin This program is provided under the terms of the GNU General Public License, version 2 or, at your option, any later version. There is no @@ -15,29 +15,19 @@ program. Please see the included file COPYING for details. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -SYSLINUX is a boot loader for the Linux operating system which -operates off an MS-DOS/Windows FAT filesystem. It is intended to -simplify first-time installation of Linux, and for creation of rescue- -and other special-purpose boot disks. +The SYSLINUX suite contains the following boot loaders +("derivatives"), for their respective boot media: -SYSLINUX can be used, when properly set up, completely eliminate the -need for distribution of raw diskette images for boot floppies. A -SYSLINUX floppy can be manipulated using standard MS-DOS (or any other -OS that can access an MS-DOS filesystem) tools once it has been -created. + SYSLINUX - MS-DOS/Windows FAT filesystem + PXELINUX - PXE network booting + ISOLINUX - ISO9660 CD-ROM + EXTLINUX - Linux ext2/ext3 filesystem +For historical reasons, some of the sections in this document applies +to the FAT loader only; see pxelinux.doc, isolinux.doc and +extlinux.doc for what differs in these versions. - ++++ WHAT SYSLINUX IS NOT ++++ - -SYSLINUX is probably not suitable as a general purpose boot loader. -It can only boot Linux from a FAT filesystem, and not, for example, -ext2. Since a native Linux implementation will typically use ext2, -another boot loader (e.g. LILO) is probably more suitable. In a -system which actually contains DOS or Windows, LOADLIN may be simpler -to use. - -However, SYSLINUX has shown itself to be quite useful in a number of -special-purpose applications. +Help with cleaning up the docs would be greatly appreciated. ++++ CREATING A BOOTABLE LINUX FLOPPY +++ @@ -50,11 +40,11 @@ it, then execute the DOS command: (or whichever drive letter is appropriate; the [] meaning -s is optional) -If you're running in a Win95/98/ME DOS box, you should execute the -command "lock a:" first. If you're running in a WinNT/2K DOS box, you -will probably get a dialog box about not getting exclusive access and -with Abort/Retry/Ignore buttons; people have reported that selecting -"Ignore" makes the command complete correctly. +Use "syslinux.com" (in the dos subdirectory of the distribution) for +plain DOS (MS-DOS, DR-DOS, PC-DOS, FreeDOS...) or Win9x/ME. + +Use "syslinux.exe" (in the win32 subdirectory of the distribution) for +WinNT/2000/XP. Under Linux, execute the command: @@ -86,6 +76,12 @@ The SYSLINUX loader does not need to know about the kernel file in advance; all that is required is that it is a file located in the root directory on the disk. +There are two versions of the Linux installer; one in the "mtools" +directory which requires no special privilege (other than write +permission to the device where you are installing) but requires the +mtools program suite to be available, and one in the "unix" directory +which requires root privilege. + ++++ CONFIGURATION FILE ++++ @@ -95,9 +91,8 @@ is a text file in either UNIX or DOS format, containing one or more of the following items (case is insensitive for keywords; upper case is used here to indicate that a word should be typed verbatim): -All options here applies to PXELINUX as well as SYSLINUX unless -otherwise noted. See pxelinux.doc for additional information on -PXELINUX. +All options here applies to PXELINUX, ISOLINUX and EXTLINUX as well as +SYSLINUX unless otherwise noted. See the respective .doc files. # comment A comment line. The whitespace after the hash mark is mandatory. @@ -353,39 +348,6 @@ different from the one described above may still work correctly in this version of SYSLINUX, but may break in a future one. - ++++ LARGE KERNELS AND INITIAL RAMDISK SUPPORT ++++ - -This version of SYSLINUX supports large kernels (bzImage format), -eliminating the 500K size limit of the zImage kernel format. bzImage -format kernels are detected automatically and handled transparently to -the user. - -This version of SYSLINUX also supports a boot-time-loaded ramdisk -(initrd). An initrd is loaded from a DOS file if the option -"initrd=filename" (where filename is the filename of the initrd image; -the file must be located in the root directory on the boot floppy) is -present on the processed command line (after APPEND's have been added, -etc.). If several initrd options are present, the last one has -precedence; this permits user-entered options to override a config -file APPEND. Specifying "initrd=" without a filename inhibits initrd -loading. The file specified by the initrd= option will typically be a -gzipped filesystem image. - -NOTE: One of the main advantages with SYSLINUX is that it makes it -very easy to support users with new or unexpected configurations, -especially in a distribution setting. If initrd is used to -extensively modularize the distribution kernel, it is strongly -recommended that a simple way of adding drivers to the boot floppy be -provided. The suggested manner is to let the initrd system mount the -boot floppy and look for additional drivers in a predetermined -location. - -To bzImage and recent zImage kernels, SYSLINUX 1.30 and higher will -identify using the ID byte 0x31. PXELINUX identifies using the ID -byte 0x32, and ISOLINUX 0x33. The ID range 0x34-0x3f is reserved for -future versions or derivatives of SYSLINUX. - - ++++ DISPLAY FILE FORMAT ++++ DISPLAY and function-key help files are text files in either DOS or UNIX @@ -583,19 +545,15 @@ programs. ++++ NOVICE PROTECTION ++++ -SYSLINUX will attempt to detect if the user is trying to boot on a 286 -or lower class machine, or a machine with less than 608K of low ("DOS") -RAM (which means the Linux boot sequence cannot complete). If so, a +SYSLINUX will attempt to detect booting on a machine with too little +memory, which means the Linux boot sequence cannot complete. If so, a message is displayed and the boot sequence aborted. Holding down the Ctrl key while booting disables this feature. -The compile time and date of a specific SYSLINUX version can be obtained -by the DOS command "type ldlinux.sys". This is also used as the -signature for the LDLINUX.SYS file, which must match the boot sector. - -Any file that SYSLINUX uses can be marked hidden, system or readonly if -so is convenient; SYSLINUX ignores all file attributes. The SYSLINUX -installed automatically sets the readonly attribute on LDLINUX.SYS. +Any file that SYSLINUX uses can be marked hidden, system or readonly +if so is convenient; SYSLINUX ignores all file attributes. The +SYSLINUX installed automatically sets the readonly/hidden/system +attributes on LDLINUX.SYS. ++++ NOTES ON BOOTABLE CD-ROMS ++++ @@ -613,17 +571,17 @@ that is bootable on the largest possible number of machines: A CD-ROM is so much faster than a floppy that the -s option shouldn't matter from a speed perspective. -Of course, you may want to use ISOLINUX instead. See isolinux.doc. +Of course, you probably want to use ISOLINUX instead. See isolinux.doc. ++++ BOOTING FROM A FAT FILESYSTEM PARTITION ON A HARD DISK ++++ -SYSLINUX can boot from a FAT12 or FAT16 filesystem partition on a hard -disk (FAT32, introduced in Windows 95 OSR-2, is not supported, -however.) The installation procedure is identical to the procedure -for installing it on a floppy, and should work under either DOS or -Linux. To boot from a partition, SYSLINUX needs to be launched from a -Master Boot Record or another boot loader, just like DOS itself would. +SYSLINUX can boot from a FAT filesystem partition on a hard disk +(including FAT32). The installation procedure is identical to the +procedure for installing it on a floppy, and should work under either +DOS or Linux. To boot from a partition, SYSLINUX needs to be launched +from a Master Boot Record or another boot loader, just like DOS itself +would. Under DOS, you can install a standard simple MBR on the primary hard disk by running the command: @@ -633,20 +591,12 @@ disk by running the command: Then use the FDISK command to mark the appropriate partition active. A simple MBR, roughly on par with the one installed by DOS (but -unencumbered), is included in the SYSLINUX distribution - - - ++++ KNOWN BUGS ++++ +unencumbered), is included in the SYSLINUX distribution. To install +it under Linux, simply type: -SYSLINUX is unsafe to use on any filesystem that extends past cylinder -1024. This is a fundamental limitation of the standard BIOS API. The -"extended" BIOS API can *sometimes* be used to work around it, but -there simply is not enough space in the SYSLINUX boot sector to -support both APIs. + cat mbr.bin > /dev/XXX -SYSLINUX will not work (and will refuse to install) on filesystems -with a cluster size of more than 16K (typically means a filesystem of -more than 1 GB.) +... where /dev/XXX is the device you wish to install it on. ++++ HARDWARE INFORMATION +++ -- 2.7.4