The Extlinux/Syslinux Discussion Thread

Ledti · 2010-08-08 07:57:54

Less than a month ago I read a post on the arch-dev-public mailing list about Extlinux/Syslinux which can be found here. I found it interesting as I'm not a fan of GRUB. Recently, I installed Arch on another computer using tpowa's wonderful archboot disk which has the option to install Extlinux/Syslinux as the main bootloader.

Since then I've become a huge fan of Extlinux/Syslinux for its simplicity. It's very KISS and I'm surprised that there isn't a discussion thread about it on these forums. We also lack a wiki page on this topic.

So to start off this thread, here are some links:

Syslinux homepage.
Extlinux how-to.
Syslinux/Extlinux menu configuration.

Any other Archers using Extlinux/Syslinux? Pros and cons?

mikesd · 2010-08-08 08:21:42

Yeah, I read the same message. I use pxelinux for managing network booting at work but hadn't done anything with extlinux.

Converted my main workstation shortly after seeing the post and have not had any trouble. It handles my software RAID1 boot partition fine.

I posted a photo of my boot menu and a couple of links in the screenshot thread.

I also installed the Hardware Detection Tool (HDT) COM32 module which has come in handy for quickly checking the specs of machines.

Giselher · 2010-08-08 11:11:57

I am very interested in extlinux. Can someone show me your configuration file and files i have to copy to /boot/extlinux? I don't want to boot and test to see that it doesn't work.

Giselher · 2010-08-08 13:16:18

My current config file looks like this, I could simply reboot to test this, but I have some non-stopable taks running for the next hours.

Will this work?

DEFAULT vesamenu.c32
PROMT 0
TIMEOUT 30
KBDMAP neo.kbd

MENU MASTER PASSWD $4$************

MENU TITLE HP Pavilion Bootloader

LABEL main
        MENU LABEL Arch Linux
        KERNEL /vmlinuz26
        APPEND initrd=/kernel26.img root=/dev/disk/by-uuid/5ef56731-53cc-43a0-89a9-30e8cff88c36 vga=792 ro

LABEL fallback
        MENU LABEL Arch Linux Fallback
        KERNEL /vmlinuz26
        APPEND initrd=/kernel26-fallback.img root=/dev/disk/by-uuid/5ef56731-53cc-43a0-89a9-30e8cff88c36 ro 3

Last edited by Giselher (2010-08-08 21:35:24)

Giselher · 2010-08-08 21:24:49

Got it booting, but which *nice man* named the kernel vmlinuz26 with a Z?

some-guy94 · 2010-08-08 21:26:58

The Z is supposed to indicate that it's compressed, and it has been that way for quite some time.

lilsirecho · 2010-08-08 21:38:09

Would be pleased if the extlinux is compatible with cp2ram since syslinux is needed for booting and install cp2ram in most "live" CD's.

faelar · 2010-08-08 21:57:33

MENU HIDDEN
Do not display the actual menu unless the user presses a key. All that is displayed is a timeout message.

I'm looking for a bootloader which allow me to hide the texte and only display a background image (until I hit ESC or another key to display it). Is there a trick to hide that count down in Extlinux ?

Configuration looks much clear than GRUB2 with all those modules and stuff to load.

Another question, does it work with BTRFS ?

some-guy94 · 2010-08-08 22:04:05

http://syslinux.zytor.com/wiki/index.php/Syslinux_4_Changelog#Changes_in_4.00 wrote:

Changes in 4.00
Major code base changes; all filesystem rewritten in C. This work was done primarily by Liu Aleaxander (Yuanhan Liu).
EXTLINUX: btrfs and ext4 support. btrfs support was done by Alek Du of Intel.

faelar · 2010-08-08 22:07:28

Thank you, missed it

Giselher · 2010-08-08 22:20:55

some-guy94 wrote:

The Z is supposed to indicate that it's compressed, and it has been that way for quite some time.

Never noticed .

Well, now I have to find a nice background Image and I have to play with the menu layout

relgueta · 2010-08-08 22:31:55

faelar wrote:

MENU HIDDEN
Do not display the actual menu unless the user presses a key. All that is displayed is a timeout message.
I'm looking for a bootloader which allow me to hide the texte and only display a background image (until I hit ESC or another key to display it). Is there a trick to hide that count down in Extlinux ?
Configuration looks much clear than GRUB2 with all those modules and stuff to load.
Another question, does it work with BTRFS ?

does this mean that boot doesnt need a separate partition /boot like grub?.

Giselher · 2010-08-09 10:42:10

relgueta wrote:

faelar wrote:
MENU HIDDEN
Do not display the actual menu unless the user presses a key. All that is displayed is a timeout message.
I'm looking for a bootloader which allow me to hide the texte and only display a background image (until I hit ESC or another key to display it). Is there a trick to hide that count down in Extlinux ?
Configuration looks much clear than GRUB2 with all those modules and stuff to load.
Another question, does it work with BTRFS ?
does this mean that boot doesnt need a separate partition /boot like grub?.

Yes, but I would still use a seperate boot partition. A seperate boot partition has a lot advantages and only a few disadvantages.

relgueta · 2010-08-12 21:56:17

Giselher wrote:

relgueta wrote:
faelar wrote:
I'm looking for a bootloader which allow me to hide the texte and only display a background image (until I hit ESC or another key to display it). Is there a trick to hide that count down in Extlinux ?
Configuration looks much clear than GRUB2 with all those modules and stuff to load.
Another question, does it work with BTRFS ?
does this mean that boot doesnt need a separate partition /boot like grub?.
Yes, but I would still use a seperate boot partition. A seperate boot partition has a lot advantages and only a few disadvantages.

ok.

but what happend when update the kernel?, no problems with the current install, but if use a old snapshot?. That's if why i need boot inside the subvoume/snapshot and not outside.

extofme · 2010-08-16 22:02:36

relgueta wrote:

Giselher wrote:
relgueta wrote:
does this mean that boot doesnt need a separate partition /boot like grub?.
Yes, but I would still use a seperate boot partition. A seperate boot partition has a lot advantages and only a few disadvantages.
ok.
but what happend when update the kernel?, no problems with the current install, but if use a old snapshot?. That's if why i need boot inside the subvoume/snapshot and not outside.

per tpowa [https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php … 18#p810218] it only supports booting from the "real" btrfs root (the default subvol), thus your not going to be able to rollback easily, since you can't tell extlinux to look at a /boot _within_ a subvol (some snapshot you want to boot).

however... if "btrfs set-default" works with extlinux (changing the default subvol to another existing subvol), then full system rollbacks, including kernel, will be a piece of cake.

if someone wants to test this, that would be great, else i'll do it when i have time, and add the capability to mkinitcpio-btrfs in AUR. also, system+kernel rollbacks are a planned feature for all users, regardless of bootloader, but this might make me work faster :-)

C Anthony

Arch Linux

#1 2010-08-08 07:57:54

The Extlinux/Syslinux Discussion Thread

#2 2010-08-08 08:21:42

Re: The Extlinux/Syslinux Discussion Thread

#3 2010-08-08 11:11:57

Re: The Extlinux/Syslinux Discussion Thread

#4 2010-08-08 13:16:18

Re: The Extlinux/Syslinux Discussion Thread

#5 2010-08-08 21:24:49

Re: The Extlinux/Syslinux Discussion Thread

#6 2010-08-08 21:26:58

Re: The Extlinux/Syslinux Discussion Thread

#7 2010-08-08 21:38:09

Re: The Extlinux/Syslinux Discussion Thread

#8 2010-08-08 21:57:33

Re: The Extlinux/Syslinux Discussion Thread

#9 2010-08-08 22:04:05

Re: The Extlinux/Syslinux Discussion Thread

#10 2010-08-08 22:07:28

Re: The Extlinux/Syslinux Discussion Thread

#11 2010-08-08 22:20:55

Re: The Extlinux/Syslinux Discussion Thread

#12 2010-08-08 22:31:55

Re: The Extlinux/Syslinux Discussion Thread

#13 2010-08-09 10:42:10

Re: The Extlinux/Syslinux Discussion Thread

#14 2010-08-12 21:56:17

Re: The Extlinux/Syslinux Discussion Thread

#15 2010-08-16 22:02:36

Re: The Extlinux/Syslinux Discussion Thread

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