Mailing List Archive: SYSLINUX doing odd things since upgrade

SYSLINUX doing odd things since upgrade

Jan 28, 2008, 7:59 AM

Post #1 of 4 (3138 views)

Hello list!

I'm tearing my hair out over this. I have a USB flash drive that has been
working nicely with SYSLINUX for about a year, and I have upgraded
SYSLINUX on it a couple of times during that period with no ill effects -
including a complete format/re-install from scratch.

However, on Friday I was using this drive (and it was working) and I
decided to upgrade to the latest version (3.60) from whatever was
installed (I think 3.54). I also updated MEMDISK and MENU.C32 at the same
time.

SYSLINUX still boots to the prompt, but loading MENU.C32 either freezes,
reboots the PC or - on one occasion - complains of a corrupted kernel
image. MEMDISK is similarly afflicted, as it successfully loads a
compressed disk image but freezes at "loading boot sector".

I have tried downgrading to every version of SYSLINUX, MENU.C32 and
MEMDISK to 3.51, and even tried 3.35 out of desperation. Even formatting
and setting everything up from scratch as I have done in the past doesn't
cure the problem (I use the win32 executable syslinux -mad boot f:). The
problems are occuring on the exact same PC I was using before getting the
problems (a Dell GX280 A06), and I tried some other PCs too just in case.

Any suggestions? I'm lost without this - didn't realise how much I used
it!

Thanks
Chris

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Re: SYSLINUX doing odd things since upgrade [ In reply to ]

hpa at zytor

Jan 28, 2008, 10:15 AM

Post #2 of 4 (2897 views)

Permalink

Chris.Young@serco.com wrote:
> Hello list!
>
> I'm tearing my hair out over this. I have a USB flash drive that has been
> working nicely with SYSLINUX for about a year, and I have upgraded
> SYSLINUX on it a couple of times during that period with no ill effects -
> including a complete format/re-install from scratch.
>
> However, on Friday I was using this drive (and it was working) and I
> decided to upgrade to the latest version (3.60) from whatever was
> installed (I think 3.54). I also updated MEMDISK and MENU.C32 at the same
> time.
>
> SYSLINUX still boots to the prompt, but loading MENU.C32 either freezes,
> reboots the PC or - on one occasion - complains of a corrupted kernel
> image. MEMDISK is similarly afflicted, as it successfully loads a
> compressed disk image but freezes at "loading boot sector".
>
> I have tried downgrading to every version of SYSLINUX, MENU.C32 and
> MEMDISK to 3.51, and even tried 3.35 out of desperation. Even formatting
> and setting everything up from scratch as I have done in the past doesn't
> cure the problem (I use the win32 executable syslinux -mad boot f:). The
> problems are occuring on the exact same PC I was using before getting the
> problems (a Dell GX280 A06), and I tried some other PCs too just in case.
>
> Any suggestions? I'm lost without this - didn't realise how much I used
> it!
>

Since you say it fails with multiple machines... any way you could send
an image of the failing drive, so I could try to reproduce the boot
failure here?

-hpa

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Re: SYSLINUX doing odd things since upgrade [ In reply to ]

Chris.Young at serco

Jan 30, 2008, 2:56 AM

Post #3 of 4 (2885 views)

Permalink

syslinux-bounces@zytor.com wrote on 28/01/2008 18:15:36:

> Chris.Young@serco.com wrote:
> > Hello list!
> >
> > I'm tearing my hair out over this. I have a USB flash drive that has
been
> > working nicely with SYSLINUX for about a year, and I have upgraded
> > SYSLINUX on it a couple of times during that period with no ill
effects -
> > including a complete format/re-install from scratch.
> >
> > However, on Friday I was using this drive (and it was working) and I
> > decided to upgrade to the latest version (3.60) from whatever was
> > installed (I think 3.54). I also updated MEMDISK and MENU.C32 at the
same
> > time.
> >
> > SYSLINUX still boots to the prompt, but loading MENU.C32 either
freezes,
> > reboots the PC or - on one occasion - complains of a corrupted kernel
> > image. MEMDISK is similarly afflicted, as it successfully loads a
> > compressed disk image but freezes at "loading boot sector".
> >
> > I have tried downgrading to every version of SYSLINUX, MENU.C32 and
> > MEMDISK to 3.51, and even tried 3.35 out of desperation. Even
formatting
> > and setting everything up from scratch as I have done in the past
doesn't
> > cure the problem (I use the win32 executable syslinux -mad boot f:).
The
> > problems are occuring on the exact same PC I was using before getting
the
> > problems (a Dell GX280 A06), and I tried some other PCs too just in
case.
> >
> > Any suggestions? I'm lost without this - didn't realise how much I
used
> > it!
> >
>
> Since you say it fails with multiple machines... any way you could send
> an image of the failing drive, so I could try to reproduce the boot
> failure here?

Sent by private mail.

However... I've managed to get it working. The drive needed to be
formatted as FAT32 not FAT16. This still doesn't explain why it suddenly
stopped working after I upgraded it, and I thought it was formatted as
FAT16 previously. My DOS.BSS isn't working but I'm not too bothered about
that (it's handy for the Panasonic Toughbooks which don't seem to like
memdisk) and I can try to fix that later.

Thanks Peter for a great little bootloader.

Chris

***Disclaimer****
This e-mail and any attachments are for the intended addressee(s) only and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. If you are not a named addressee, do not use, retain or disclose such information. This email is not guaranteed to be free from viruses and does not bind Serco in any contract or obligation.

Serco Limited. Registered in England and Wales. No: 242246 Registered Office: Serco House,16 Bartley Wood Business Park, Bartley Way, Hook, Hampshire RG27 9UY United Kingdom.

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Re: SYSLINUX doing odd things since upgrade [ In reply to ]

hpa at zytor

Jan 30, 2008, 9:49 AM

Post #4 of 4 (2894 views)

Permalink

Chris.Young@serco.com wrote:
>
> Sent by private mail.
>
> However... I've managed to get it working. The drive needed to be
> formatted as FAT32 not FAT16. This still doesn't explain why it suddenly
> stopped working after I upgraded it, and I thought it was formatted as
> FAT16 previously. My DOS.BSS isn't working but I'm not too bothered about
> that (it's handy for the Panasonic Toughbooks which don't seem to like
> memdisk) and I can try to fix that later.
>
> Thanks Peter for a great little bootloader.
>

DOS uses a different boot sector for FAT32, so you'd need to regenerate
your dos.bss file.

-hpa

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