[SOLVED] Syslinux start-up text weirdness.

Modeler · 2012-08-20 12:15:48

Hi guys,

Trying out Syslinux as I really hate GRUB2 (maybe it reminds me too much of Ubuntu). All good apart from the initial boot process crawl, which momentarily turns into Klingon:

Weird how it's only that portion of the text. This is on VMware Server; haven't tried it on a real machine yet. Any thoughts?

Last edited by Modeler (2012-08-20 15:16:35)

tr!x0r · 2012-08-20 12:32:38

Do you add any kernel parameters? Else, I wouldn't have a clue about this.
I Just because I want to know more about it. /subscribe

Modeler · 2012-08-20 12:45:59

tr!x0r wrote:

Do you add any kernel parameters?

Not really. I am using LVM so added "lvm2" to /etc/mkinitcpio.conf but that's about it. This is my config file:

[root@arch ~]# cat /boot/syslinux/syslinux.cfg
# Config file for Syslinux -
# /boot/syslinux/syslinux.cfg
#
# Comboot modules:
#   * menu.c32 - provides a text menu
#   * vesamenu.c32 - provides a graphical menu
#   * chain.c32 - chainload MBRs, partition boot sectors, Windows bootloaders
#   * hdt.c32 - hardware detection tool
#   * reboot.c32 - reboots the system
#   * poweroff.com - shutdown the system
#
# To Use: Copy the respective files from /usr/lib/syslinux to /boot/syslinux.
# If /usr and /boot are on the same file system, symlink the files instead
# of copying them.
#
# If you do not use a menu, a 'boot:' prompt will be shown and the system
# will boot automatically after 5 seconds.
#
# Please review the wiki: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Syslinux
# The wiki provides further configuration examples

DEFAULT arch
PROMPT 0        # Set to 1 if you always want to display the boot: prompt
TIMEOUT 50
# You can create syslinux keymaps with the keytab-lilo tool
#KBDMAP de.ktl

# Menu Configuration
# Either menu.c32 or vesamenu32.c32 must be copied to /boot/syslinux
#UI menu.c32
UI vesamenu.c32

# Refer to http://syslinux.zytor.com/wiki/index.php/Doc/menu
MENU TITLE Arch Linux
#MENU BACKGROUND splash.png
MENU COLOR border       30;44   #40ffffff #a0000000 std
MENU COLOR title        1;36;44 #9033ccff #a0000000 std
MENU COLOR sel          7;37;40 #e0ffffff #20ffffff all
MENU COLOR unsel        37;44   #50ffffff #a0000000 std
MENU COLOR help         37;40   #c0ffffff #a0000000 std
MENU COLOR timeout_msg  37;40   #80ffffff #00000000 std
MENU COLOR timeout      1;37;40 #c0ffffff #00000000 std
MENU COLOR msg07        37;40   #90ffffff #a0000000 std
MENU COLOR tabmsg       31;40   #30ffffff #00000000 std

# boot sections follow
#
# TIP: If you want a 1024x768 framebuffer, add "vga=773" to your kernel line.
#
#-*

LABEL arch
        MENU LABEL Arch Linux
        LINUX ../vmlinuz-linux
        APPEND root=/dev/arch_vg/root_lv ro
        INITRD ../initramfs-linux.img

LABEL archfallback
        MENU LABEL Arch Linux Fallback
        LINUX ../vmlinuz-linux
        APPEND root=/dev/arch_vg/root_lv ro
        INITRD ../initramfs-linux-fallback.img

#LABEL windows
#        MENU LABEL Windows
#        COM32 chain.c32
#        APPEND hd0 1

LABEL hdt
        MENU LABEL HDT (Hardware Detection Tool)
        COM32 hdt.c32

LABEL reboot
        MENU LABEL Reboot
        COM32 reboot.c32

LABEL off
        MENU LABEL Power Off
        COMBOOT poweroff.com

I'll do the same on my spare laptop. I'm thinking it's a console font thing, but there have been so many changes to the core install CD I really don't know. I had GRUB2 running before I installed Syslinux and didn't remove it – maybe that has something to do with it but who knows?

Last edited by Modeler (2012-08-20 12:47:11)

tr!x0r · 2012-08-20 12:56:31

Could be, could be.
Did you try booting with grub? If yes, did you had the same problem?

DSpider · 2012-08-20 13:19:36

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=147289
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=146529
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=144437

It happens on a "real machine" too. But it goes away if you use open source video drivers and enable KMS early start. For proprietary drivers (or virtualization, apparently), you need to - and I quote - "set a font in /etc/vconsole.conf". Even a blank file will work (or so I read).

Modeler · 2012-08-20 15:16:16

Thanks for the responses. It didn't happen on my ThinkPad, and as DSpider says VMware doesn't do it if I have this in /etc/vconsole.conf:

FONT=ter-v14b

I don't know why the default font has changed; it looks terrible now (note the aliasing on the forward slash).

Arch Linux

#1 2012-08-20 12:15:48

[SOLVED] Syslinux start-up text weirdness.

#2 2012-08-20 12:32:38

Re: [SOLVED] Syslinux start-up text weirdness.

#3 2012-08-20 12:45:59

Re: [SOLVED] Syslinux start-up text weirdness.

#4 2012-08-20 12:56:31

Re: [SOLVED] Syslinux start-up text weirdness.

#5 2012-08-20 13:19:36

Re: [SOLVED] Syslinux start-up text weirdness.

#6 2012-08-20 15:16:16

Re: [SOLVED] Syslinux start-up text weirdness.

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