version 2, including all changes.
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perry |
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SYSLINUX |
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!!!SYSLINUX |
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NAME |
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SYNOPSIS |
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DESCRIPTION |
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OPTIONS |
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FILES |
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BUGS |
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SEE ALSO |
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AUTHOR |
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---- |
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!!NAME |
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syslinux - bootloader for Linux using MS-DOS floppies |
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!!SYNOPSIS |
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__syslinux__ [[ __-s__ ] [[ __-f__ ] [[ __-o__ |
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''offset'' __]__ ''device'' |
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!!DESCRIPTION |
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__Syslinux__ is a boot loader for the Linux operating |
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system which operates off an MS-DOS/Windows FAT filesystem. |
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It is intended to simplify first-time installation of Linux, |
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and for creation of rescue and other special-purpose boot |
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disks. |
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In order to create a bootable Linux floppy using |
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__Syslinux__, prepare a normal MS-DOS formatted floppy. |
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Copy one or more Linux kernel files to it, then execute the |
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command: |
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__syslinux /dev/fd0__ |
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This will alter the boot sector on the disk and copy a file |
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named LDLINUX.SYS into its root directory. |
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On boot time, by default, the kernel will be loaded from the |
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image named LINUX on the boot floppy. This default can be |
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changed, see the section on the __syslinux__ |
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configuration file. |
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If the Shift or Alt keys are held down during boot, or the |
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Caps or Scroll locks are set, __syslinux__ will display a |
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lilo(8) -style |
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__syslinux__ loader does not need to know |
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about the kernel file in advance; all that is required is |
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that it is a file located in the root directory on the |
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disk. |
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__Syslinux__ supports the loading of initial ramdisks |
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(initrd) and the bzImage kernel format. |
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!!OPTIONS |
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__-s__ |
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Install a |
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syslinux__. This version may work on some very buggy |
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BIOSes on which __syslinux__ would otherwise fail. If you |
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find a machine on which the -s option is required to make it |
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boot reliably, please send as much info about your machine |
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as you can, and include the failure mode. |
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!!FILES |
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__Configuration file__ |
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All the configurable defaults in __syslinux__ can be |
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changed by putting a file called SYSLINUX.CFG in the root |
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directory of the boot floppy. This is a text file in either |
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UNIX or DOS format, containing one or more of the following |
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items (case is insensitive for keywords). |
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In the configuration file blank lines and comment lines |
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beginning with a hash mark (#) are ignored. |
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__default__ ''kernel'' [[ ''options ...'' |
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] |
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Sets the default command line. If __syslinux__ boots |
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automatically, it will act just as if the entries after |
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__ |
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If no configuration file is present, or no |
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NOTE: Earlier versions of SYSLINUX used to |
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automatically |
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append the string |
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__append__ ''options ...'' |
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Add one or more ''options'' to the kernel command line. |
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These are added both for automatic and manual boots. The |
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options are added at the very beginning of the kernel |
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command line, usually permitting explicitly entered kernel |
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options to override them. This is the equivalent of the |
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lilo(8) __ |
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__label__ ''label |
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''__ kernel__ ''image |
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''__ append__ ''options ... |
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'' |
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Indicates that if ''label'' is entered as the kernel to |
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boot, __syslinux__ should instead boot ''image'', and |
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the specified |
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''image'' is the same as ''label'', and if |
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no |
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'' |
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__Notes:__ |
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Labels are mangled as if they were DOS filenames, and must |
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be unique after mangling. For example, two labels |
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The |
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__implicit__ ''flag_val'' |
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If ''flag_val'' is 0, do not load a kernel image unless |
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it has been explicitly named in a |
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'' |
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__timeout__ ''timeout'' |
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Indicates how long to wait at the |
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__serial__ ''port'' [[ ''baudrate'' ] |
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Enables a serial port to act as the console. |
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For this directive to be guaranteed to work properly, it |
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should be the first directive in the configuration |
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file. |
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__font__ ''filename'' |
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Load a font in .psf format before displaying any output |
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(except the copyright line, which is output as ldlinux.sys |
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itself is loaded.) __syslinux__ only loads the font onto |
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the video card; if the .psf file contains a Unicode table it |
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is ignored. This only works on EGA and VGA cards; hopefully |
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it should do nothing on others. |
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__kbdmap__ ''keymap'' |
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Install a simple keyboard map. The keyboard remapper used is |
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''very'' simplistic (it simply remaps the keycodes |
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received from the BIOS, which means that only the key |
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combinations relevant in the default layout - usually U.S. |
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English - can be mapped) but should at least help people |
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with AZERTY keyboard layout and the locations of = and , |
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(two special characters used heavily on the Linux kernel |
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command line.) |
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2 |
perry |
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The included program keytab-lilo.pl(8) from the |
1 |
perry |
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lilo(8) distribution can be used to create such |
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keymaps. |
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__display__ ''filename'' |
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Displays the indicated file on the screen at boot time |
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(before the boot: prompt, if displayed). Please see the |
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section below on DISPLAY files. If the file is missing, this |
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option is simply ignored. |
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__prompt__ ''flag_val'' |
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If ''flag_val'' is 0, display the |
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''flag_val'' is 1, always display the |
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'' |
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__f1__ ''filename |
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''__f2__ ''filename |
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... |
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''__f9__ ''filename |
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''__f0__ ''filename |
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'' |
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Displays the indicated file on the screen when a function |
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key is pressed at the |
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When using the serial console, press |
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'''' to get to the help |
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screens, e.g. '''' to get to the f2 |
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screen, and '''' for the f10 |
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one. |
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__Display file format__ |
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DISPLAY and function-key help files are text files in either |
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DOS or UNIX format (with or without ''''). In |
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addition, the following special codes are |
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interpreted: |
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'''' = '''' = ASCII |
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12 |
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Clear the screen, home the cursor. Note that the screen is |
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filled with the current display color. |
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'''', '''' = |
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'''' = ASCII 15 |
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Set the display colors to the specified background and |
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foreground colors, where '''' and |
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'''' are hex digits, corresponding to the |
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standard PC display attributes: |
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0 = black 8 = dark grey |
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1 = dark blue 9 = bright blue |
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2 = dark green a = bright green |
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3 = dark cyan b = bright cyan |
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4 = dark red c = bright red |
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5 = dark purple d = bright purple |
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6 = brown e = yellow |
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7 = light grey f = white |
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Picking a bright color (8-f) for the background results in the corresponding dark color (0-7), with the foreground flashing. |
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colors are not visible over the serial console. |
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''''filename'''', |
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'''' = '''' = ASCII |
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24 |
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If a VGA display is present, enter graphics mode and display |
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the graphic included in the specified file. The file format |
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is an ad hoc format called LSS16; the included Perl program |
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The image is displayed in 640x480 16-color mode. Once in |
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graphics mode, the display attributes (set by |
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'''' code sequences) work slightly differently: |
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the background color is ignored, and the foreground colors |
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are the 16 colors specified in the image file. For that |
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reason, ppmtolss16 allows you to specify that certain colors |
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should be assigned to specific color indicies. |
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Color indicies 0 and 7, in particular, should be chosen with |
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care: 0 is the background color, and 7 is the color used for |
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the text printed by SYSLINUX itself. |
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'''', '''' = '''' |
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= ASCII 25 |
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If we are currently in graphics mode, return to text |
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mode. |
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''''..''''__,__ |
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''''__..__'''' __= |
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ASCII 16-23__ |
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These codes can be used to select which modes to print a |
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certain part of the message file in. Each of these control |
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characters select a specific set of modes (text screen, |
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graphics screen, serial port) for which the output is |
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actually displayed: |
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Character Text Graph Serial |
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------------------------------------------------------ |
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For example: |
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... will actually print out which mode the console is in! |
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'''' = '''' = ASCII |
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26 |
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End of file (DOS convention). |
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__Comboot Images and other operating |
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systems__ |
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This version of __syslinux__ supports chain loading of |
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other operating systems (such as MS-DOS and its derivatives, |
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including Windows 95/98), as well as COMBOOT-style |
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standalone executables (a subset of DOS .COM files; see |
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separate section below.) |
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Chain loading requires the boot sector of the foreign |
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operating system to be stored in a file in the root |
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directory of the filesystem. Because neither Linux kernels, |
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boot sector images, nor COMBOOT files have reliable magic |
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numbers, __syslinux__ will look at the file extension. |
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The following extensions are recognised: |
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none or other Linux kernel image |
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CBT COMBOOT image (not runnable from DOS) |
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BSS Boot sector (DOS superblock will be patched in) |
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BS Boot sector |
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COM COMBOOT image (runnable from DOS) |
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For filenames given on the command line, __syslinux__ will search for the file by adding extensions in the order listed above if the plain filename is not found. Filenames in KERNEL statements must be fully qualified. |
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A COMBOOT file is a standalone executable in DOS .COM |
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format. They can, among other things, be produced by the |
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Etherboot package by Markus Gutschke and Ken Yap. The |
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following requirements apply for these files to be |
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sufficiently syslinux__ to |
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be able to load and run them: |
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The program must not execute any DOS calls (since there is |
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no DOS), although it may call the BIOS. The only exception |
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is that the program may execute INT 20h (Terminate Program) |
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to return to the __syslinux__ prompt. Note especially |
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that INT 21h AH=4Ch, INT 21h AH=31h or INT 27h are not |
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supported. |
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Only the fields pspInt20 at offset 00h, pspNextParagraph at |
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offset 02h and pspCommandTail at offset 80h (contains the |
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arguments from the __syslinux__ command line) in the PSP |
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are supported. All other fields will contain |
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zero. |
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The program must not modify any main memory outside its 64K |
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segment if it returns to __syslinux__ via INT |
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20h. |
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__Syslinux__ currently doesn't provide any form of API |
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for the use of COMBOOT files. If there is need, a future |
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version may contain an INT interface to some __syslinux__ |
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functions; please contact me if you have a need or ideas for |
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such an API. |
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__Novice protection__ |
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__Syslinux__ will attempt to detect if the user is trying |
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to boot on a 286 or lower class machine, or a machine with |
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less than 608K of low ( |
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__ |
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The compile time and date of a specific __syslinux__ |
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version can be obtained by the DOS command |
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__ |
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Any file that __syslinux__ uses can be marked hidden, |
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system or readonly if so is convenient; __syslinux__ |
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ignores all file attributes. The SYSLINUX installed |
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automatically sets the readonly attribute on |
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LDLINUX.SYS. |
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__Bootable CD-ROMs__ |
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SYSLINUX can be used to create bootdisk images for El |
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Torito-compatible bootable CD-ROMs. However, it appears that |
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many BIOSes are very buggy when it comes to booting CD-ROMs. |
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Some users have reported that the following steps are |
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helpful in making a CD-ROM that is bootable on the largest |
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possible number of machines: |
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Use the -s (safe, slow and stupid) option to |
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SYSLINUX |
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Put the boot image as close to the beginning of the ISO 9660 |
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filesystem as possible. |
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434 |
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435 |
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A CD-ROM is so much faster than a floppy that the -s option |
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shouldn't matter from a speed perspective. |
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439 |
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__Booting from a FAT partition on a hard |
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disk__ |
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442 |
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443 |
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SYSLINUX can boot from a FAT12 or FAT16 filesystem partition |
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on a hard disk (FAT32, introduced in Windows 95 OSR-2, is |
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not supported, however.) The installation procedure is |
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447 |
identical to the procedure for installing it on a floppy, |
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448 |
and should work under either DOS or Linux. To boot from a |
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449 |
partition, SYSLINUX needs to be launched from a Master Boot |
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450 |
Record or another boot loader, just like DOS itself |
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would. |
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!!BUGS |
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454 |
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SYSLINUX is unsafe to use on any filesystem that extends |
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past cylinder 1024. This is a fundamental limitation of the |
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standard BIOS API. |
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458 |
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459 |
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SYSLINUX will not work (and will refuse to install) on |
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filesystems with a cluster size of more than 16K (typically |
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means a filesystem of more than 1 GB.) |
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__Bug reports__ |
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466 |
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467 |
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I would appreciate hearing of any problems you have with |
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|
469 |
SYSLINUX. I would also like to hear from you if you have |
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470 |
successfully used SYSLINUX, especially if you are using it |
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|
471 |
for a distribution. |
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472 |
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473 |
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If you are reporting problems, please include all possible |
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475 |
information about your system and your BIOS; the vast |
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476 |
majority of all problems reported turn out to be BIOS or |
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|
477 |
hardware bugs, and I need as much information as possible in |
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478 |
order to diagnose the problems. |
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479 |
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480 |
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481 |
There is a mailing list for discussion among SYSLINUX users |
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and for announcements of new and test versions. To join, |
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|
483 |
send a message to majordomo@linux.kernel.org with the |
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|
484 |
line: |
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485 |
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486 |
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__subscribe syslinux__ |
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488 |
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489 |
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490 |
in the body of the message. The submission address is |
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491 |
syslinux@linux.kernel.org. |
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!!SEE ALSO |
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493 |
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494 |
|
2 |
perry |
495 |
lilo(8), keytab-lilo.pl(8), fdisk(8), |
1 |
perry |
496 |
mkfs(8), superformat(1). |
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497 |
!!AUTHOR |
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498 |
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499 |
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500 |
This manual page is a modified version of the original |
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501 |
__syslinux__ documentation by H. Peter Anvin |
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502 |
__ |
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503 |
---- |