26 replies to this topic

[Elena]

Hi to all

I would like to install with RMPrepUSB on my USB Stick GRUB4DOS and also SYSLINUX.
Does this work together, because I use BOOT DISK IMAGES that work with GRUB4DOS and SYSLINUX.
Thank you in advance for any help and respond.
Cheers
Elena

[steve6375]

You could install one to the MBR and one to the PBR and then chain from the MBR to the PBR boot record.

For instance:

1 Install syslinux using RMPrepUSB
2 Install grub4dos using RMPrepUSB to the MBR
3Make a menu.lst file which contains your grub4dos menu entries and also an extra entry:

title load syslinux

#chainloader (hd0,1)+1  [TYPO in original post!]

chainloader (hd0,0)+1

However, if you have images which contain syslinux, you can usually just run the image using a grub4dos menu only (no need to install syslinux to the boot drive).

[Elena]

Hi and thank you very, very much for your respond.
Which "Boot Option" I need to choose?

[steve6375]

choose FAT32 and any boot option will do as you are overwriting it anyway - so choose say Win7/Vista/Bootmgr option.

[Elena]

Hi Steve
Thank you very much for your respond and help!
Sorry for my late respond, but I need to test several solutions, it doesn't work with some configurations.
I need to read alot about Isolinux, Syslinux, Grub4Dos.
I test a lot, trying and suddenly it worked flawlessly.
Here my conf:
Boot Option: Syslinux
Filesystem: FAT32

Choose Syslinux option:

-r RAID option (if fail boot next device)

No.

Choose folder location for Idlinux.sys

isolinux.
Install GRUB4DOS.
My USB Stick boot now at first with GRUB4DOS.
In "menu.lst" I add for booting Syslinux:

title Syslinux

chainloader (hd0,0)+1

Thats works for me.

At the beginning, I tried as boot option BOOTMGR and NTDLR, unfortunately it did not work.
I don't know why.
Maybe the BIOS was the reason, for testing purpose I use a old HP dx5150 MT.

Now I have cool working booting USB Stick and I'm happy with it.
Cheers
Elena

[steve6375]

Sorry - I made a typo in my previous post!!! I should have said chainloader (hd0,0)+1 and not chainloader (hd0,1)+1

[Elena]

No problem Steve.

[sambul61]

I'm trying to devote some time to test running Syslinux inside VMWare - its a good exercise to learn Syslinux, also a quite useful bootloader. So, I connected a HD to VM, it has 2 partitions: one NTFS with the latest NeoGrub and Win7 Bootmgr installed, and a bunch of VHDs, and the other FAT32 with a bunch of ISOs. NeoGrub is obviously not installed in MBR, but rather hooked via Bootmgr.

I added Syslinux to the FAT32 partition with RMPrepUSB, using some hints from Steve's Tutorial 62 (method 2), except adding G4D into MBR. The following files were added by the app to FAT32 partition: ldlinux.sys and syslinux.bin. For alternative option, I also added Syslinux to that partition with EasyBCD - it adds NSTLinux.mbr on NTFS partition to hook Syslinux via Bootmgr. Then added Menu section to Neogrub:

title Syslinux
chainloader (hd0,1)+1

When the VM starts, I select either Syslinux from Win Boot Menu (booted via Bootmgr), or open NeoGrub Menu and select Syslinux from it (booted via G4D). In both scenarios the Error pops-up: "Remove disks or other media. Press any key to restart". The same error, when manually entering G4D commands. Other items of both Menus boot fine.

Why this happens, and how to resolve? Is it required to install G4D into MBR for G4D & Syslinux tandem to work even if they are on different partitions, and why exactly? Why the same error pops-up when booting Syslinux via Bootmgr?

[Wonko the Sane]

What do you think that is actually done when the command (in Steve6375's Tutorial 62):

syslinux.exe -f X: X:syslinux.bin

is executed?

Choose one:

• The X: volume bootsector code is modified installing code loading Syslinux
  
• The X: volume bootsector code is left untouched and the data in it is used to create a bootsector loading Syslinux, saved as X:syslinux.bin

Hint:
The mentioned tutorial a few lines later says to load Syslinux from grub4dos as follows:

title Load syslinux menu

chainloader /syslinux.bin

Wonko

[sambul61]

Nice trick: when you don't know the answer - ask a question, showing you're a smart ass anyway...

I don't remember adding a bootsector to that volume to begin with.

The above Menu section worked well for Elena. Changing it to Steve's resulted in limited progress:

[steve6375]

what is in your syslinux.cfg file? The error message usually means you have no default vesamenu.c32 line in it???

[sambul61]

Sorry to say, but your trusted RMPrepUSB didn't add any syslinux.cfg file on any partition, and the need to add it or any other files manually wasn't mentioned in your Tutorial either.

[steve6375]

it does not add a menu.lst file either or a boot.ini or a BCD!

[sambul61]

It might be a good idea to mention syslinux.cfg in your Tutorial. Besides, G4D has default embedded Menu, apparently not available in Syslinux, hence adding a default syslinux.cfg makes sense in the above operation. How to add the file manually?

[Wonko the Sane]

I don't remember adding a bootsector to that volume to begin with.

Actually you don't normally do that, the bootsector is written when you format the volume.

BTW, the right answer is #2.

You reported that you used syslinux to create *something* (as per tutorial) then (UNlike the tutorial) you do not chainload it, but rather the bootsector of the volume.

Now, this may or may not be connected with the issue you have (because maybe you actually did install the Syslinux bootsector through EasyBCD), but you should know that the mentioned tutorial (method 2) is about creating a copy of the bootsector BUT with Syslinux Code, then chainload this copy of the bootsector, by-passing the volume bootsector.


Wonko

[sambul61]

Now, this may or may not be connected with the issue you have...

Are you still pretending, your original suggestion makes some sense? Btw, it shows, you in fact never used the above tool to add Syslinux, and possibly didn't work with Syslinux for ages if ever.

What about the missing part - the default syslinux.cfg. Where a novice user is supposed to get it?

[steve6375]

What about the missing part - the default syslinux.cfg. Where a novice user is supposed to get it?

syslinux.cfg is the equivalent to menu.lst for grub4dos - you make it using Notepad if you don't already have one OR you rename the current isolinux.cfg file to syslinux.cfg if you have one. It depends on why you want to run syslinux in the first place. I assume that if you want to run syslinux, then you have syslinux payload files...

[Wonko the Sane]

What about the missing part - the default syslinux.cfg. Where a novice user is supposed to get it?

By reading the available info?
Though the site is currently (actually since months ) down:
http://www.syslinux.org/wiki/
if you got the actual syslinux.exe you probably got this file:
ftp://ftp.kernel.org.../boot/syslinux/
ftp://ftp.kernel.org...slinux-4.05.zip
(if you don't have it, you should get it)
in it you can find doc subdirectory containing several files that you should have read, among which one called Syslinux.txt:

.....

++++ CONFIGURATION FILE ++++

.....

If no configuration file is present, or no DEFAULT entry is
present in the config file, an error message is displayed and
the boot: prompt is shown.

...

BTW, the error you previously reported was

Now I want to test boot Syslinux inside VMWare. When the VM starts, it shows Windows Boot Menu, and I can select either Syslinux from it directly (booted via Bootmgr) or open NeoGrub Menu and select Syslinux from it (booted via G4D). In both scenarios Error pops-up: "Remove disks or other media. Press any key to restart". The same error pops-up, when manually entering G4D commands. Other Menu items boot normally.

which was another one from the one you later posted the screenshot.


Wonko

[sambul61]

Steve6375,

Latest PartedMagic didn't boot via G4D for me, so I wanted to try Syslinux or Memdisk. You shouldn't expect a user be experienced enough to prepare his own syslinux.cfg (without any hint in your Tut), yet novice enough to use RMPrepUSB to install Syslinux - doesn't make sense to me.

Can you post a sample (default) syslinux.cfg that properly refers the above menu & vesa files, and possibly has a section to boot some ISO, like any recent PartedMagic version?

Wonko,

Pls read attentively: "resulted in limited progress". Btw, the Menu I used was suggested also here among other places, and EasyBCD was indeed expected to update VBR - not sure it did - how to check?

[steve6375]

If you just read the next section in the tutorial you will see an example!

[sambul61]

Thanks,

I've got the idea, now the Long Road in the Dunes begins - nice Tut!

Since Syslinux Project site is down, those struggling to get some Syslinux Introduction might want to take a quick look at ArchLinux Syslinux Wiki.

[Wonko the Sane]

Pls read attentively: "resulted in limited progress".

I try to read attentively, but if you could post something like:

OK (optional:, thanks to your suggestion,) I tried chainloading Syslinux.bin and now I am past that error, but now I have another one.

I may be able to understand you better than if you post this:

The above Menu section worked well for Elena. Changing it to Steve's resulted in limited progress:

.... and EasyBCD was indeed expected to update VBR - not sure it did - how to check?

Backup the bootsector before running EasyBCD, back it up again after running it, compare the two backups (even FC would do, if there are no differences, then the bootsector has remained the same).
But it is also possible that EasyBCD did it's work BUT *something* else prevented the booting.
Even now, if you compare you current bootsector with the syslinux.bin you created, they should be identical (IF EasyBCD installed the syslinux bootsector AND IF it uses the same version as Syslinux as RMPREPUSB does OR the bootsector code hasn't changed between different releases)


Wonko

[steve6375]

There are many tuts on my web for booting parted magic installs...
Maybe a better Q would be
How do I boot xxxx using grub4dos ???

[davlak]

Latest PartedMagic didn't want to boot via G4D

what?
I normally boot PM through G4D, putting the iso in the root of the drive or editing the syslinux.cfg inside the bootsyslinux if the iso stays into a folder.
besides:

Direct ISO booting: Remove _i486, _i686, or _x86_64 from the name of the ISO image. Parted Magic won't be able to find the squashfs image if you don't

http://partedmagic.com/doku.php

[Wonko the Sane]

How do I boot xxxx using grub4dos ???

Naaah, that has a simple answer :

title xxxx

find --set-root /yyyy

chainloader /zzzz

And, talking of x's and y's and z's :

Latest PartedMagic didn't want to boot via G4D, so I wanted to try Syslinux or Memdisk.

http://homepages.tes...red-banana.html


Wonko