Differences between version 3 and previous revision of SysLinux.
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| Newer page: | version 3 | Last edited on Monday, May 15, 2006 3:32:21 pm | by CraigBox | Revert |
| Older page: | version 2 | Last edited on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 8:33:41 pm | by AristotlePagaltzis | Revert |
@@ -7,16 +7,31 @@
See an example at http://www.knoppix.net/docs/index.php/GnoppixBootfloppyContent
All the configurable defaults in SysLinux can be changed by putting a file called __syslinux.cfg__ in the root directory of the boot disk. The following options are available:
-;;
%%% __DEFAULT kernel options...__ : Sets the default command line. If SysLinux boots automatically, it will act just as if the entries after DEFAULT had been typed in at the "boot:" prompt. %%% %%% So, you can include __xmodule=fbdev__, __lang=us__ or similar "cheatcodes".
-;; %%%
__APPEND options...__ : 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.
-;; %%%
__LABEL label %%% KERNEL image__ : Indicates that if "label" is entered as the [Kernel] to boot, SysLinux should instead boot "image". The default for "image" is the same as "label".
-;; %%%
__TIMEOUT timeout__ : Indicates how long to wait at the boot
-;; %%%
__KBDMAP keymap__ : Install a simple keyboard map
-;; %%%
__DISPLAY filename__ :
Displays the indicated file on the screen at boot time (before the boot: prompt, if displayed).
-;; %%%
__SAY message__ : Prints the message on the screen.
-;; %%%
__F1 filename %%% F2 filename %%% ...etc... %%% F9 filename %%% F0 filename__ : Displays the indicated file on the screen when a function key is pressed at the boot: prompt
+
%%%__DEFAULT kernel options...__:
+
Sets the default command line. If SysLinux boots automatically, it will act just as if the entries after DEFAULT had been typed in at the "boot:" prompt. %%% %%% So, you can include __xmodule=fbdev__, __lang=us__ or similar "cheatcodes".
+
+
__APPEND options...__:
+
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.
+
+
__LABEL label %%% KERNEL image__:
+
Indicates that if "label" is entered as the [Kernel] to boot, SysLinux should instead boot "image". The default for "image" is the same as "label".
+
+
__TIMEOUT timeout__:
+
Indicates how long to wait at the boot
+
+
__KBDMAP keymap__:
+
Install a simple keyboard map
+
+
__DISPLAY filename__:
+
Displays the indicated file on the screen at boot time (before the boot: prompt, if displayed).
+
+
__SAY message__:
+
Prints the message on the screen.
+
+
__F1 filename %%% F2 filename %%% ...etc... %%% F9 filename %%% F0 filename__:
+
Displays the indicated file on the screen when a function key is pressed at the boot: prompt
SysLinux also supports a boot-time-loaded InitialRamDisk.
!!! Booting [DOS]
@@ -24,23 +39,23 @@
This is the recommended procedure for creating a SysLinux disk that can boot either [DOS] or [Linux]. This example assumes the drive is __A:__ in [DOS] and __/dev/fd0__ in [Linux]; for other drives, substitute the appropriate drive designator.
!! Under [Linux]
-# 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 __
SYS__
(this can be done under DOSEMU if DOSEMU has direct device access to the relevant drive): %%% __
format a: /s__ %%%
or %%% __
sys a:__ %%%
-# Boot [Linux]. Copy the [DOS] boot sector from the disk into a file: %%% __
dd if=/dev/fd0 of=dos.bss bs=512 count=1__ %%%
-# Run SysLinux on the disk: %%% __
syslinux /dev/fd0__ %%%
-# Mount the disk and copy the [DOS] boot sector file to it. The file __must__ have extension .bss: %%% __
mount -t msdos /dev/fd0 /mnt__ %%% __
cp dos.bss /mnt__ %%%
-# Copy the [Linux] [Kernel] image(s), initrd(s), etc to the disk, and create/edit __syslinux.cfg__ and help files if desired: %%% __
cp vmlinux /mnt__ %%% __
cp initrd.gz /mnt__
%%%
-# Unmount the disk (if applicable): %%% __
umount /mnt__
+# 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>
(this can be done under DOSEMU if DOSEMU has direct device access to the relevant drive): <tt>
format a: /s</tt>
or <tt>
sys a:</tt>
+# 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>
+# Run SysLinux on the disk: <tt>
syslinux /dev/fd0</tt>
+# Mount the disk and copy the [DOS] boot sector file to it. The file __must__ have extension .bss: <tt>
mount -t msdos /dev/fd0 /mnt<tt> <tt>
cp dos.bss /mnt</tt>
+# Copy the [Linux] [Kernel] image(s), initrd(s), etc to the disk, and create/edit __syslinux.cfg__ and help files if desired: <tt>
cp vmlinux /mnt;
cp initrd.gz /mnt</tt>
%%%
+# Unmount the disk (if applicable): <tt>
umount /mnt</tt>
!! Under [DOS]/[Windows] only
To make this installation in [DOS] only, you need the utility __copybs.com__ (included with SysLinux) as well as the __syslinux.com__ installer. If you are on an WinNT-based system (WinNT, Win2k, WinXP or later), use __syslinux.exe__ instead.
-# 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 __SYS__: %%% __
format a: /s__
or __
sys a:__ %%%
-# Copy the [DOS] boot sector from the disk into a file. The file __must__ have extension .bss: %%% __
copybs a: a:dos.bss__ %%%
-# Run SysLinux on the disk: %%% __
syslinux a:__ %%%
-# Copy the [Linux] [Kernel] image(s), initrd(s), etc to the disk, and create/edit syslinux.cfg and help files if desired: %%% __
copy vmlinux a:__ %%% __
copy initrd.gz a:__
+# 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 __SYS__: <tt>
format a: /s</tt>
or <tt>
sys a:</tt>
+# Copy the [DOS] boot sector from the disk into a file. The file __must__ have extension .bss: <tt>
copybs a: a:dos.bss</tt>
+# Run SysLinux on the disk: <tt>
syslinux a:</tt>
+# 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>
!!! Bootable [CDROM]s
SysLinux can be used to create bootdisk images for El Torito-compatible bootable [CDROM]s. However, it appears that many BIOSes 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:
@@ -49,9 +64,9 @@
# Put the boot image as close to the beginning of the ISO 9660 FileSystem as possible.
A [CDROM] 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
.
+SysLinux has a companion called
ISOLINUX which is more suited for this task
.
!!! Booting from HardDisk
