ISOLINUX / SYSLINUX

Is there a way to detect when ISOLINUX or SYSLINUX is being used? I built a multiboot disk and I am trying to boot from HDD currently I have this in my .cfg

label Boot From Hard Drive (flashdrive)

localboot -1



label Boot From Hard Drive (cd)

localboot 0x80

Also when I use either one to boot to a HDD and the HDD is encrypted it states the "boot sector" has been changed and freaks out and asks for the password.. Is there way to get around this and just boot the HDD?

I just read about Plop I think this will do what I need to use..

Is there a way to detect when ISOLINUX or SYSLINUX is being used? I built a multiboot disk and I am trying to boot from HDD currently I have this in my .cfg

label Boot From Hard Drive (flashdrive)

localboot -1



label Boot From Hard Drive (cd)

localboot 0x80

Also when I use either one to boot to a HDD and the HDD is encrypted it states the "boot sector" has been changed and freaks out and asks for the password.. Is there way to get around this and just boot the HDD?

from the above, it looks like you are using syslinux...Note: isolinux is for a CD/DVD (i.e. ISO) file boot loader, and for a long time the two were like fraternal twins (very close to one another but still different)...as more and more USB booting on thumb drives started to happen, and even netbooks and other computers without a CD, they have become a lot more like identical twins (other than the actual boot loader...

I think that if a drive is encrypted, the boot loader for that drive would have to load and then ask for the password to allow access to the drive (or is it encrypted in the disk firmware?...either way, a password would need to be given - right)...

As you found, there are MANY different loaders - some really old, but still work OK, others that are still active in development, and still others geared to the future of GPT's and other newer forms of partition tables to handle the large disk sizes that are common today, but almost beyond dreaming 15-20 years ago when some of these tools were written...

Good Luck with Plop!

LOL I realize what the difference between ISOLINUX vs SYSLINUX.. iso = well iso and sys = hdd / flash media..

I built the multiboot the way I did so i didn't need to redo the disk when it is used from a cd /dvd or thumb drive. (that's why there are 2 menu options to boot to the HDD one, when booting from CD and the other when booting from Flash drive..)

It appears Plop can make a workaround and also give extra functionality when booting from usb to add USB 2.0 if the BIOS only supports 1.1

LOL I realize what the difference between ISOLINUX vs SYSLINUX.. iso = well iso and sys = hdd / flash media..

AHHH...I see, and yes, my mistake and it is funny...

What I think you want to look at is the Whichsys.c32 module. As was mentioned recently, a lot of the docs are scattered and a bit difficult to find, and you need to keep an eye out for new things like this and ability to chain to DOS and NTLDRs, etc.

You can probably do something where you have different cfg files and use this as the main, initial cfg to figure it out for you and jump to the right one...

I think this would work.. I have one question though..

Would it be beneficial to use Plop over Whichsys.c32? since Plop will add USB 2.0 if not "built in" the BIOS

I think this would work.. I have one question though..

Would it be beneficial to use Plop over Whichsys.c32? since Plop will add USB 2.0 if not "built in" the BIOS

I think that this is a preference thing...Blonde vs. Brunette???

plop MAY be perfectly fine and as you said, it has it's own usb2 drivers (for older HW)...

On the other hand, you have a working syslinux cfg? So is a bird in the hand worth two in the bush? My own personal advice is to do the mods for syslinux first, then work out a plop method, and then keep which ever one you "like" best...

Maybe you the ifplop.c32 module might be interesting for you too:

http://syslinux.zyto....php/Ifplop.c32