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diff --git a/syslinux.doc b/syslinux.doc new file mode 100644 index 00000000..30f942b5 --- /dev/null +++ b/syslinux.doc @@ -0,0 +1,255 @@ + SYSLINUX
+ Version 1.30
+
+ A bootloader for Linux using MS-DOS floppies
+
+ Copyright (C) 1994-96 H. Peter Anvin
+
+This program is provided under the terms of the GNU General Public
+License, version 2 or, at your option, any later version. There is no
+warranty, neither expressed nor implied, to the function of this
+program. Please see the included file COPYING for details.
+
+SYSLINUX is a boot loader for the Linux operating system which operates
+off MS-DOS floppies. It is intended to simplify first-time installation
+of Linux. It is *not* intended to be used as a general purpose boot
+loader; once the operating system is installed I recommend LILO as the
+boot loader, except for people whose root filesystem is a UMSDOS
+filesystem (where a DOS defragmenter could wreck havoc with LILO's
+carefully set up block tables) -- for them I recommend Loadlin (which
+loads Linux from the DOS command line).
+
+SYSLINUX could, however, in conjunction with the UMSDOS filesystem,
+completely eliminate the need for distribution of raw diskette images
+for boot floppies. A 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.
+
+ ++++ CREATING A BOOTABLE LINUX FLOPPY +++
+
+In order to create a bootable Linux floppy using SYSLINUX, prepare a
+normal MS-DOS formatted floppy. Copy one or more Linux kernel files to
+it, then execute the DOS command:
+
+ SYSLINUX drive:
+
+This will alter the boot sector on the disk and copy a file named
+LDLINUX.SYS into its root directory.
+
+On boot time, by default, the kernel will be loaded from the image named
+LINUX on the boot floppy. This default can be changed, see the section
+on the SYSLINUX config file.
+
+If the Shift or Alt keys are held down during boot, or the Caps or Scroll
+locks are set, SYSLINUX will display a LILO-style "boot:" prompt. The
+user can then type a kernel file name followed by any kernel parameters.
+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
+file called SYSLINUX.CFG in the root directory of the boot floppy. This
+is a text file in either UNIX or DOS format, containing one or more of
+the following items (case is insensitive for keywords; upper case is used
+here to indicate that a word should be typed verbatim):
+
+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, except that the option "auto" is
+ automatically added, indicating an automatic boot.
+
+ If no configuration file is present, or no DEFAULT entry is
+ present in the config file, the default is kernel name "linux",
+ with no options.
+
+APPEND options...
+
+ Add one or more options to the kernel command line. 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 kernel
+ APPEND options...
+
+ Indicates that if "label" is entered as the kernel to boot,
+ SYSLINUX should instead boot "kernel", and the specified APPEND
+ options should be used instead of the ones specified in the
+ global section of the file (before the first LABEL command.)
+ The default for "kernel" is the same as "label", and if no
+ APPEND is given the default is to use the global entry (if any).
+ Up to 16 LABEL entries are permitted.
+
+ Note that LILO uses the syntax:
+ image = mykernel
+ label = mylabel
+ append = "myoptions"
+
+ corresponding to the SYSLINUX:
+ label mylabel
+ kernel mykernel
+ append myoptions
+
+ APPEND -
+
+ Append nothing. APPEND with a single hyphen as argument in a
+ LABEL section can be used to override a global APPEND.
+
+IMPLICIT flag_val
+
+ If flag_val is 0, do not load a kernel image unless it has been
+ explicitly named in a LABEL statement. The default is 1.
+
+TIMEOUT timeout
+
+ Indicates how long to wait at the boot: prompt until booting
+ automatically, in units of 1/10 s. The timeout is cancelled as
+ soon as the user types anything on the keyboard, the assumption
+ being that the user will complete the command line already
+ begun. A timeout of zero will disable the timeout completely,
+ this is also the default.
+
+ NOTE: The maximum possible timeout value is 35996; corresponding to
+ just below one hour.
+
+DISPLAY filename
+
+ Displays the indicated file on the screen at boot time (before
+ the boot: prompt, if displayed). This option takes the place of
+ the LINUXMSG.TXT and BOOTMSG.TXT files in SYSLINUX 1.0. Please
+ see the section below on DISPLAY files.
+
+ NOTE: If the file is missing, this option is simply ignored.
+
+PROMPT flag_val
+
+ If flag_val is 0, display the boot: prompt only if the Shift or Alt
+ key is pressed, or Caps Lock or Scroll lock is set (this is the
+ default). If flag_val is 1, always display the boot: prompt. This
+ option takes the place of testing for the LINUXMSG.TXT file in
+ SYSLINUX 1.0.
+
+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. This can be used to implement
+ pre-boot online help (presumably for the kernel command line
+ options.) Note that F10 MUST be entered in the config file as
+ "F0", not "F10", and that there is currently no way to bind
+ 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.
+
+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.
+
+The following combinations of options can be used to mimic the behaviour
+of SYSLINUX 1.0 with LINUXMSG.TXT or BOOTMSG.TXT present, respectively:
+
+# Mimic SYSLINUX 1.0 with LINUXMSG.TXT file present:
+display linuxmsg.txt
+prompt 1
+
+# Mimic SYSLINUX 1.0 with BOOTMSG.TXT file present:
+display bootmsg.txt
+
+ ++++ LARGE KERNELS AND INITIAL RAMDISK SUPPORT ++++
+
+This version of SYSLINUX supports large kernels (bzImage format),
+eliminating the 500K size limit of the zImage kernel format. bzImage
+format kernels are detected automatically and handled transparently to
+the user.
+
+This version of SYSLINUX also supports a boottime-loaded ramdisk
+(initrd). An initrd is loaded from a DOS file if the option
+"initrd=filename" (where filename is the filename of the initrd image;
+the file must be located in the root directory on the boot floppy) is
+present on the processed command line (after APPEND's have been added,
+etc.). If several initrd options are present, the last one has
+precedence; this permits user-entered options to override a config
+file APPEND. Specifying "initrd=" without a filename inhibits initrd
+loading. The file specified by the initrd= option will typically be a
+gzipped filesystem image.
+
+NOTE: One of the main advantages with SYSLINUX is that it makes it
+very easy to support users with new or unexpected configurations,
+especially in a distribution setting. If initrd is used to
+extensively modularize the distribution kernel, it is strongly
+recommended that a simple way of adding drivers to the boot floppy be
+provided. The suggested manner is to let the initrd system mount the
+boot floppy and look for additional drivers in a predetermined
+location.
+
+To bzImage and recent zImage kernels, SYSLINUX 1.30 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
+format (with or without <CR>). In addition, the following special codes
+are interpreted:
+
+<FF> <FF> = <Ctrl-L> = ASCII 12
+ Clear the screen, home the cursor. Note that the screen is
+ filled with the current display color.
+
+<SI><bg><fg> <SI> = <Ctrl-O> = ASCII 15
+ Set the display colors to the specified background and
+ foreground colors, where <bg> and <fg> are hex digits,
+ corresponding to the standard PC display attributes:
+
+ 0 = black 8 = dark grey
+ 1 = dark blue 9 = bright blue
+ 2 = dark green a = bright green
+ 3 = dark cyan b = bright cyan
+ 4 = dark red c = bright red
+ 5 = dark purple d = bright purple
+ 6 = brown e = yellow
+ 7 = light grey f = white
+
+ Picking a bright color (8-f) for the background results in the
+ corresponding dark color (0-7), with the foreground flashing.
+
+<SUB> <SUB> = <Ctrl-Z> = ASCII 26
+ End of file (DOS convention).
+
+ ++++ NOVICE PROTECTION ++++
+
+SYSLINUX will attempt to detect if the user is trying to boot on a 286
+or lower class machine, or a machine with less than 608K of low ("DOS")
+RAM (which means the Linux boot sequence cannot complete). If so, a
+message is displayed and the boot sequence aborted. Holding down the
+Ctrl key while booting disables this feature.
+
+The compile time and date of a specific SYSLINUX version can be obtained
+by the DOS command "type ldlinux.sys". This is also used as the
+signature for the LDLINUX.SYS file, which must match the boot sector.
+
+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.
+
+ ++++ BUG REPORTS ++++
+
+I would appreciate hearing of any problems you have with SYSLINUX. I
+would also like to hear from you if you have successfully used SYSLINUX,
+*especially* if you are using it for a distribution.
+
+Please contact me at email <hpa@zytor.com>.
+
+Sincerely,
+
+ H. Peter Anvin November 2, 1996
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