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Linux and Multi-Boot

fevoldj2

By fevoldj2
in Multi-Boot CD/DVDs

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deadbug

deadbug

Posted
Posted
@Jet

The new version of UBCD is out in beta form and contains things like Docmem and most other apps I've been struggling with.

I haven't taken a look at the guts yet to see how Victor has worked around these issues but it's looking rather good. Suppose it takes the experts to work these things out.

You can pick up a copy of the beta here..

Later.

I've been thinking about switching over from CDshell to SYSLINUX, mostly because SYSLINUX looks like it has a powerful extensible menu system.

If you've already converted from CDshell to SYSLINUX, could you post a quick guide?

I cannot see too much in the way of documentation for SYSLINUX. I expect it's not too hard to figure out, but some pointers could save a lot of time. I have the usual Multiboot DVD that can install various XP variants, invoke the UBCD, boot floppy images, boot SLAX.

Thanks

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jetman

jetman

Posted
Posted
@Jet

The new version of UBCD is out in beta form and contains things like Docmem and most other apps I've been struggling with.

I haven't taken a look at the guts yet to see how Victor has worked around these issues but it's looking rather good. Suppose it takes the experts to work these things out.

You can pick up a copy of the beta here..

Later.

I've been thinking about switching over from CDshell to SYSLINUX, mostly because SYSLINUX looks like it has a powerful extensible menu system.

If you've already converted from CDshell to SYSLINUX, could you post a quick guide?

I cannot see too much in the way of documentation for SYSLINUX. I expect it's not too hard to figure out, but some pointers could save a lot of time. I have the usual Multiboot DVD that can install various XP variants, invoke the UBCD, boot floppy images, boot SLAX.

Thanks

It's ISOLINUX, not SYSLINUX. SYSLINUX is the name of the entire kit, a series of loaders for floppy/hdrives (SYSLINUX), CD/DVDs (ISOLINUX), Linux storage (EXTLINUX), and PXE/Network bootstrapping (PXELINUX). The documentation is pretty good, at least w/ latest (3.35+) kits. SYSLINUX.DOC is documentation for the entire config file structure (that was always okay), along w/ README.menu which explains the cooler menu capabilities, specifically VESAMENU, which does 640x480 PNG splash screens !

This is a sample, working ISOLINUX menu I used to use for my multi-boot DVD. Does Slax, BartPE, and Knoppix, among other things. Was created prior to discovering the ease w/ which one could use the VESAMENU option.

Where the SYSLINUX loaders differ from CDSHELL, is that CDSHELL revolves around a scripting language. Very flexible, but a longer learning curve, given the mission (setting up a menu w/ a handful of options.) SYSLINUX config files are a series of stanzas, each stanza describes a single boot config corresponding to a menu option, so you can get something usable going more quickly.

I think the only thing that's unclear about my ISOLINUX sample is the DISPLAY stmt. The file displayed w/ that stmt is a combination of a cmd to display a .LSS splash screen and the actual text of menu cmds to be used by the user. So it would look something like:

^Ysplash.lss

Commands:  bartpe, slax, server, knoppix
Press [F2] or [F3] for help w/ options

That's from memory, but pretty accurate. If you have either DSL, Knoppix, or Slax 5, the config files from any of these (particularly DSL or Knoppix, which are the examples I used) will fill-in any remaining blanks....Jet

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jetman

jetman

Posted
Posted
Hay Jet, I think I'm gonna start calling you Yoda :lol: .

This topic i.e. using Isolinux instead of CDShell is becoming quite popular. Another convertee here.

Call me, Yoda, you may. My real name, it is.... :)

Seriously, it ain't me. SYSLINUX is a product of the Linux world/culture and many of the inhabitants of MSFN are simply biased in favor of that which is more familiar, CDSHELL. As I understand it, BCDW development stopped a long time ago, yet others still use it successfully and continue to recommend it. No biggie. B) Finally, CDSHELL is still a fine program, it simply didn't suit me....Jet

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Godzilla

Godzilla

Posted
Posted

@jetman

As you can see here, I started (/tried to start) a MultiBoot with syslinus.

But PM8 doesn't work. :(

I just saw in your samlpe

####
LABEL pmagic
KERNEL memdisk
APPEND initrd=/FLPYS/PQPM8.IMA

Did you change anything in the Image? :huh:

Maybe you could reply in the other thread.

btw: If you are a syslinux-Yoda, you could creat a little Basic-HowTo. :angel

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kof94

kof94

Posted
Posted
btw: If you are a syslinux-Yoda, you could creat a little Basic-HowTo. angel.gif

The reason I called Jet Yoda is because way back when this topic started he convinced me to switch from CDShell to Isolinux and now it seams everyones doing the samething.

Just a bit of banter really!

However, you do have a point, a future isolinux guide would probably be quite useful. Saying that though, if you can use the CDShell system it's pretty easy to switch.

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  • 5 months later...
LeveL

LeveL

Posted
Posted (edited)

AAAAAAAAAGH!

OK now thats over with, heres the problem:

I want to multi-boot Slax (the live one from HERE along with DSL from HERE)

I am using cdshell.ini to chain these.

The problem is, whatever I do it is always booting into DSL!

The Slax CD comes with 2 folders "boot" and "slax".

I put the Slax folder on the root of my multi-boot CD.

(Knoppix is already there for DSL)

Now, to boot DSL, I did not have to modify anything, it just worked with the command in cdshell.ini saying this:

if $lastKey == key[1]; then bcdw Boot isolinux\isolinux.bin

So, I made a sub-directory INSIDE the multi-boot CD's BOOT folder called "slax" and inside that slax folder, I put all the slax boot files.

So, this slax comes with its own "isolinux.cfg" file in its own isolinux folder.

I have altered all the options in this "isolinux.cfg" file, where it used to say for example "KERNEL /boot/vmlinuz"

it now says "KERNEL /boot/slax/vmlinuz" because what used to be the "boot" folder for the Slax CD is now "BOOT/slax" on the multi-boot CD.

So my isolinux.cfg file (now inside "boot/slax") is like so:

PROMPT 0
TIMEOUT 200
DEFAULT /boot/slax/vesamenu.c32

LABEL xconf
MENU LABEL Slax Graphics mode (KDE)
KERNEL /boot/slax/vmlinuz
APPEND vga=769 initrd=/boot/slax/initrd.gz ramdisk_size=6666 root=/dev/ram0 rw autoexec=xconf;kdm

LABEL pchanges
MENU LABEL Slax Graphics mode with Persistent Changes
KERNEL /boot/slax/vmlinuz
APPEND vga=769 initrd=/boot/slax/initrd.gz ramdisk_size=6666 root=/dev/ram0 rw changes=/slax/slaxsave.dat autoexec=xconf;kdm

LABEL copy2ram
MENU LABEL Slax Graphics mode, Copy To RAM
KERNEL /boot/slax/vmlinuz
APPEND vga=769 initrd=/boot/slax/initrd.gz ramdisk_size=6666 root=/dev/ram0 rw copy2ram autoexec=xconf;kdm

LABEL startx
MENU LABEL Slax Graphics VESA mode (1024x768)
KERNEL /boot/slax/vmlinuz
APPEND vga=769 initrd=/boot/slax/initrd.gz ramdisk_size=6666 root=/dev/ram0 rw autoexec=kdm

LABEL slax
MENU LABEL Slax Text mode
KERNEL /boot/slax/vmlinuz
APPEND vga=normal initrd=/boot/slax/initrd.gz ramdisk_size=6666 root=/dev/ram0 rw

LABEL memtest86
MENU LABEL Run Memtest utility
KERNEL /boot/slax/mt86p

All I have changed is where it used to say /boot it now says /boot/slax

Problem is - even though I am linking cdshell.ini directly to the isolinux.bin file inside "boot/slax" like this:

if $lastKey == key[2]; then bcdw Boot slax\isolinux\isolinux.bin

It is STILL booting DSL!

How the hell can it possibly?! The isolinux.cfg file I have put above there in code tags IS next to the isolinux.bin file I am linking to in cdshell.ini - how can it still boot DSL?

Help, please, I have tried this so many ways now and nothing works!

Edited by LeveL
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  • 2 months later...
caccauk

caccauk

Posted
Posted
if yes, where must i put the ubuntu folder? AOIDVD\Ubuntu ?

This is something no-one has figured out yet.

You can use this...

if $lastKey == key[f8]; then isolinux /casper/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper initrd=/casper/initrd.gz ramdisk_size=1048576 root=/dev/ram rw quiet splash --

...only if you copy the ubuntu .iso contents to the root of you disc.

You only need these folders (for Edgy Eft anyway).

[casper]
[dists]
[pool]
[preseed]

-kof94

It works with 7.04 but when i try this method with 7.10 my linux start in console mode not live....please help me

:wacko:

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kof94

kof94

Posted
Posted

I don't use Ubuntu any more but I forgot to mention you also need the '.disk' (hidden in linux) directory on your disk as well.

This might be a silly question but you do have the livecd version and not the console based alternative cd don't you?

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caccauk

caccauk

Posted
Posted
I don't use Ubuntu any more but I forgot to mention you also need the '.disk' (hidden in linux) directory on your disk as well.

This might be a silly question but you do have the livecd version and not the console based alternative cd don't you?

Yes, i have the livecd version.....i try to copy the .disk folder!

thanks a lot for your answer!! :thumbup

:hello:

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caccauk

caccauk

Posted
Posted
I don't use Ubuntu any more but I forgot to mention you also need the '.disk' (hidden in linux) directory on your disk as well.

This might be a silly question but you do have the livecd version and not the console based alternative cd don't you?

Yes, i have the livecd version.....i try to copy the .disk folder!

thanks a lot for your answer!! :thumbup

:hello:

Thanks kof94, i copy the .disk folder and now i have a MultiBoot DVD with Kubuntu 7.10!

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  • 1 month later...
caccauk

caccauk

Posted
Posted

Another question, i need to integrate the recovery cd of my licensed Paragon Drive Backup

The directory 'par' contains those files

dos (directory)

bm.bin

bm_hide

bm_mbr

bm_stat

boot.catalog

cd.cfg

cd_plg.bmp

cd_plg.cfg

cd_plg.exe

dos.eng

dos.frn

dos.ger

dos.img

dos.itl

dos.jpn

dos.pls

dos.rus

dos.spn

initrd.gz

lilo.eng

lilo.frn

lilo.ger

lilo.itl

lilo.jap

lilo.rus

lilo.spn

memdisk

vmlinuzp

i try with

if $lastKey == key[f8]; then isolinux /par/vmlinuzp boot=par initrd=/par/initrd.gz

but it doesn't work

Any suggestion, please?

Thanks

CCUK

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  • 2 weeks later...
caccauk

caccauk

Posted
Posted
Another question, i need to integrate the recovery cd of my licensed Paragon Drive Backup

The directory 'par' contains those files

dos (directory)

bm.bin

bm_hide

bm_mbr

bm_stat

boot.catalog

cd.cfg

cd_plg.bmp

cd_plg.cfg

cd_plg.exe

dos.eng

dos.frn

dos.ger

dos.img

dos.itl

dos.jpn

dos.pls

dos.rus

dos.spn

initrd.gz

lilo.eng

lilo.frn

lilo.ger

lilo.itl

lilo.jap

lilo.rus

lilo.spn

memdisk

vmlinuzp

i try with

if $lastKey == key[f8]; then isolinux /par/vmlinuzp boot=par initrd=/par/initrd.gz

but it doesn't work

Any suggestion, please?

Thanks

CCUK

Problem solved :hello:

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