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Diffstat (limited to 'syslinux.doc')
| -rw-r--r-- | syslinux.doc | 38 |
1 files changed, 34 insertions, 4 deletions
diff --git a/syslinux.doc b/syslinux.doc index e8ea734b..072f90a3 100644 --- a/syslinux.doc +++ b/syslinux.doc @@ -1,6 +1,6 @@ SYSLINUX - Version 1.44 - March ??, 1999 + Version 1.45 + June 14, 1999 A bootloader for Linux using MS-DOS floppies @@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ 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. + ++++ WHAT SYSLINUX IS NOT ++++ SYSLINUX is probably not suitable as a general purpose boot loader. @@ -34,6 +35,7 @@ to use. However, SYSLINUX has shown itself to be quite useful in a number of special-purpose applications. + ++++ CREATING A BOOTABLE LINUX FLOPPY +++ In order to create a bootable Linux floppy using SYSLINUX, prepare a @@ -76,6 +78,7 @@ 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. + ++++ CONFIGURATION FILE ++++ All the configurable defaults in SYSLINUX can be changed by putting a @@ -148,6 +151,15 @@ TIMEOUT timeout NOTE: The maximum possible timeout value is 35996; corresponding to just below one hour. +SERIAL port [baudrate] + Enables a serial port to act as the console. "port" is a + number (0 = /dev/ttyS0 = COM1, etc.); if "baudrate" is + omitted, the baud rate defaults to 9600 bps. The serial + parameters are hardcoded to be 8 bits, no parity, 1 stop bit. + + For this directive to be guaranteed to work properly, it + should be the first directive in the configuration file. + FONT filename Load a font in .psf format before displaying any output (except the copyright line, which is output as ldlinux.sys @@ -197,12 +209,18 @@ F0 filename file names to F11 and F12. Please see the section below on DISPLAY files. -Blank lines, and comment lines beginning with a hash mark (#) are ignored. + When using the serial console, press <Ctrl-F><digit> to get to + the help screens, e.g. <Ctrl-F><2> to get to the F2 screen, + and <Ctrl-F><0> for the F10 one. + +In the configuration file blank lines and comment lines beginning +with a hash mark (#) are ignored. Note that the configuration file is not completely decoded. Syntax 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), @@ -234,6 +252,7 @@ To bzImage and recent zImage kernels, SYSLINUX 1.30 and higher will identify using the ID byte 0x31. The ID range 0x32-0x3f is reserved for future versions of SYSLINUX. + ++++ DISPLAY FILE FORMAT ++++ DISPLAY and function-key help files are text files in either DOS or UNIX @@ -261,9 +280,12 @@ are interpreted: Picking a bright color (8-f) for the background results in the corresponding dark color (0-7), with the foreground flashing. + Colors are not visible over the serial console. + <SUB> <SUB> = <Ctrl-Z> = ASCII 26 End of file (DOS convention). + ++++ COMBOOT IMAGES AND OTHER OPERATING SYSTEMS ++++ This version of SYSLINUX supports chain loading of other operating @@ -288,7 +310,8 @@ file by adding extensions in the order listed above if the plain filename is not found. Filenames in KERNEL statements must be fully qualified. - ++++ BOOTING DOS ++++ + + ++++ BOOTING DOS (OR OTHER SIMILAR OPERATING SYSTEMS) ++++ 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 @@ -357,6 +380,7 @@ To make this installation in DOS only, you need the utility copybs.com copy vmlinux a: copy initrd.gz a: + ++++ COMBOOT EXECUTABLES ++++ @@ -391,6 +415,7 @@ COMBOOT files. If there is need, a future version may contain an INT interface to some SYSLINUX functions; please contact me if you have a need or ideas for such an API. + ++++ NOVICE PROTECTION ++++ SYSLINUX will attempt to detect if the user is trying to boot on a 286 @@ -407,6 +432,7 @@ 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. + ++++ NOTES ON BOOTABLE CD-ROMS ++++ SYSLINUX can be used to create bootdisk images for El @@ -422,6 +448,7 @@ 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. + ++++ BOOTING FROM A FAT FILESYSTEM PARTITION ON A HARD DISK ++++ SYSLINUX can boot from a FAT12 or FAT16 filesystem partition on a hard @@ -438,6 +465,7 @@ disk by running the command: Then use the FDISK command to mark the appropriate partition active. + ++++ KNOWN BUGS ++++ SYSLINUX is unsafe to use on any filesystem that extends past cylinder @@ -447,6 +475,7 @@ 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.) + ++++ COMPATIBILITY WITH SYSLINUX 1.0 ++++ The following combinations of options can be used to mimic the behaviour @@ -459,6 +488,7 @@ prompt 1 # Mimic SYSLINUX 1.0 with BOOTMSG.TXT file present: display bootmsg.txt + ++++ BUG REPORTS ++++ I would appreciate hearing of any problems you have with SYSLINUX. 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