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Annotated edit history of SysLinux version 4, including all changes. View license author blame.
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4 AristotlePagaltzis 1 SysLinux is a BootLoader for [Linux] which runs off a disk with a [FAT] FileSystem. Such a floppy can be manipulated using standard file management tools on any OperatingSystem that can access [FAT] FileSystem~s. Therefor, SysLinux can completely eliminate the need for distribution of raw diskette images for boot floppies. It is intended to simplify first-time installation of [Linux], and for creation of rescue and other special-purpose boot disks.
1 AristotlePagaltzis 2
3 See also: http://annys.eines.info/cgi-bin/man/man2html?syslinux
4
5 !!! Configuration
6
7 See an example at http://www.knoppix.net/docs/index.php/GnoppixBootfloppyContent
8
4 AristotlePagaltzis 9 All the configurable defaults in SysLinux can be changed by putting a file called <tt>syslinux.cfg</tt> in the root directory of the boot disk. The following options are available:
1 AristotlePagaltzis 10
4 AristotlePagaltzis 11 <tt>DEFAULT kernel options...</tt>:
3 CraigBox 12
4 AristotlePagaltzis 13 Sets the default command line. If SysLinux boots automatically, it will act just as if the entries after <tt>DEFAULT</tt> had been typed in at the <tt>boot:</tt> prompt.
3 CraigBox 14
4 AristotlePagaltzis 15 So, you can include <tt>xmodule=fbdev</tt>, <tt>lang=us</tt> or similar options.
3 CraigBox 16
4 AristotlePagaltzis 17 <tt>APPEND options...</tt>:
3 CraigBox 18
4 AristotlePagaltzis 19 Add one or more options to the [Kernel] CommandLine. These are added both for automatic and manual boots. The options are added at the very beginning of the kernel command line, usually permitting explicitly entered kernel options to override them. This is the equivalent of the [LILO] "append" option.
3 CraigBox 20
4 AristotlePagaltzis 21 <tt>LABEL label %%% KERNEL image</tt>:
3 CraigBox 22
4 AristotlePagaltzis 23 Indicates that if <tt>label</tt> is entered as the [Kernel] to boot, SysLinux should instead boot <tt>image</tt>. The default for <tt>image</tt> is the same as <tt>label</tt>.
3 CraigBox 24
4 AristotlePagaltzis 25 <tt>TIMEOUT timeout</tt>:
26 Indicates how long to wait at the boot
27
28 <tt>KBDMAP keymap</tt>:
29 Install a simple keyboard map
30
31 <tt>DISPLAY filename</tt>:
32 Displays the indicated file on the screen at boot time (before the boot: prompt, if displayed).
33
34 <tt>SAY message</tt>:
35 Prints the message on the screen.
36
37 <tt>F1 filename %%% F2 filename %%% ...etc... %%% F9 filename %%% F0 filename</tt>:
38 Displays the indicated file on the screen when a function key is pressed at the <tt>boot:</tt> prompt.
1 AristotlePagaltzis 39
2 AristotlePagaltzis 40 SysLinux also supports a boot-time-loaded InitialRamDisk.
1 AristotlePagaltzis 41
42 !!! Booting [DOS]
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4 AristotlePagaltzis 44 This is the recommended procedure for creating a SysLinux disk that can boot either [DOS] or [Linux]. This example assumes the drive is <tt>A:</tt> in [DOS] and <tt>/dev/fd0</tt> in [Linux]; for other drives, substitute the appropriate drive designator.
1 AristotlePagaltzis 45
4 AristotlePagaltzis 46 ! Under [Linux]
1 AristotlePagaltzis 47
4 AristotlePagaltzis 48 # Make a [DOS] bootable disk. This can be done either by specifying the <tt>/s</tt> option when formatting the disk in [DOS], or by running the [DOS] command <tt>SYS</tt> (this can be done under dosemu(1) if dosemu(1) has direct device access to the relevant drive): <tt>format a: /s</tt> or <tt>sys a:</tt>
49 # Boot [Linux]. Copy the [DOS] boot sector from the disk into a file: <tt>dd if=/dev/fd0 of=dos.bss bs=512 count=1</tt>
3 CraigBox 50 # Run SysLinux on the disk: <tt>syslinux /dev/fd0</tt>
4 AristotlePagaltzis 51 # Mount the disk and copy the [DOS] boot sector file to it. The file __must__ have extension <tt>.bss</tt>: <tt>mount -t msdos /dev/fd0 /mnt && cp dos.bss /mnt</tt>
52 # Copy the [Linux] [Kernel] image(s), initrd(s), etc to the disk, and create/edit <tt>syslinux.cfg</tt> and help files if desired: <tt>cp vmlinux /mnt && cp initrd.gz /mnt</tt>
3 CraigBox 53 # Unmount the disk (if applicable): <tt>umount /mnt</tt>
1 AristotlePagaltzis 54
4 AristotlePagaltzis 55 ! Under [DOS]/[Windows] only
1 AristotlePagaltzis 56
4 AristotlePagaltzis 57 To make this installation in [DOS] only, you need the utility <tt>copybs.com</tt> (included with SysLinux) as well as the <tt>syslinux.com</tt> installer. If you are on an WinNT-based system (WinNT, Win2k, WinXP or later), use <tt>syslinux.exe</tt> instead.
1 AristotlePagaltzis 58
4 AristotlePagaltzis 59 # Make a [DOS] bootable disk. This can be done either by specifying the /s option when formatting the disk in [DOS], or by running the [DOS] command <tt>SYS</tt>: <tt>format a: /s</tt> or <tt>sys a:</tt>
60 # Copy the [DOS] boot sector from the disk into a file. The file __must__ have extension <tt>.bss</tt>: <tt>copybs a: a:dos.bss</tt>
3 CraigBox 61 # Run SysLinux on the disk: <tt>syslinux a:</tt>
62 # Copy the [Linux] [Kernel] image(s), initrd(s), etc to the disk, and create/edit syslinux.cfg and help files if desired: <tt>copy vmlinux a:</tt>, then <tt>copy initrd.gz a:</tt>
1 AristotlePagaltzis 63
64 !!! Bootable [CDROM]s
65
4 AristotlePagaltzis 66 SysLinux can be used to create bootdisk images for El Torito-compatible bootable [CDROM]s. However, it appears that many [BIOS]es are very buggy when it comes to booting [CDROM]s. Some users have reported that the following steps are helpful in making a [CDROM] that is bootable on the largest possible number of machines:
1 AristotlePagaltzis 67
4 AristotlePagaltzis 68 # Use the <tt>-s</tt> (safe, slow and stupid) option to SysLinux
69 # Put the boot image as close to the beginning of the [ISO] 9660 FileSystem as possible.
1 AristotlePagaltzis 70
4 AristotlePagaltzis 71 A [CDROM] is so much faster than a floppy that the <tt>-s</tt> option shouldn't matter from a speed perspective.
1 AristotlePagaltzis 72
4 AristotlePagaltzis 73 SysLinux has a companion called ISOLinux which is more suited for this task.
1 AristotlePagaltzis 74
75 !!! Booting from HardDisk
76
4 AristotlePagaltzis 77 SysLinux can boot from a [FAT12] or [FAT16] FileSystem partition on a HardDisk ([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.
1 AristotlePagaltzis 78
4 AristotlePagaltzis 79 Under [DOS], you can install a standard simple [MBR] on the primary hard disk by running <tt>FDISK /MBR</tt>. Then use <tt>FDISK</tt> to mark the appropriate partition active.
1 AristotlePagaltzis 80
81 A simple [MBR], roughly on par with the one installed by [DOS] (but unencumbered), is included in the SysLinux distribution.