| = syslinux(1) = |
| :doctype: manpage |
| :revdate: 2013-06-12 |
| :author: H. Peter Anvin |
| :author-email: hpa@zytor.com |
| :editor1: Gene Cumm |
| :editor1-email: gene.cumm@gmail.com |
| :editor1-revlast: 2013-06-12 |
| |
| |
| == NAME == |
| syslinux - Install SYSLINUX to a file system |
| |
| |
| == SYNOPSIS == |
| [verse] |
| *syslinux* ['OPTIONS'] 'DEVICE' |
| *extlinux* ['OPTIONS'] 'PATH' |
| *syslinux* [-h | --help | -v | --version] |
| *extlinux* [-h | --help | -v | --version] |
| |
| |
| == DESCRIPTION == |
| Install *SYSLINUX* to the 'DEVICE'/'PATH', altering the boot sector and |
| installing the 'ldlinux.sys' boot loader file. For the Linux installer |
| extlinux, 'PATH' is the desired path for the control files on a mounted, |
| supported file system and sets the install-time working directory. For |
| all others, 'DEVICE' must specify a FAT12/FAT16/FAT32 file system. For |
| the Linux installers syslinux and syslinux-mtools, 'DEVICE' should be an |
| unmounted file system. For the DOS/Win32/Win64 installers, 'DEVICE' |
| should be a drive like 'a:' (case insensitive). |
| |
| For versions ~4.00 and later, either *-i*/*--install* or *-U*/*--update* |
| must be specified unless modifying the ADV of an existing install |
| (options tagged with 'ADV') or requesting the help/usage or version |
| info. |
| |
| If, during boot, the Shift or Alt keys are held down, or the Caps or |
| Scroll locks are set, *Syslinux* will display a *lilo*(8) -style "boot:" |
| prompt. The user can then type a kernel file name followed by any kernel |
| parameters. The *Syslinux* bootloader does not need to know about the |
| kernel or config files in advance. |
| |
| *Syslinux* supports the loading of initial ramdisks (initrd) and the |
| bzImage kernel format. |
| |
| Please note, the ldlinux.sys boot loader file is flagged as immutable |
| (where applicable) and is modified after copying in to help ensure |
| boot-time integrity. File systems with a sufficiently large boot loader |
| reserved area, like btrfs, will have ldlinux.sys installed there rather |
| than as a normal file. Prior to version 4.00, extlinux would install a |
| file extlinux.sys which versions 4.00 and later installers will replace |
| with ldlinux.sys. |
| |
| |
| == OPTIONS == |
| // "See"/"See also" notes should reference long options. |
| === Standalone options === |
| *-i*, *--install*:: |
| (~4.00+) Install SYSLINUX, regardless of an existing install. |
| |
| *-U*, *--update*:: |
| (~4.00+) Update an existing SYSLINUX/EXTLINUX install. If no Syslinux |
| boot loader is present, return an error. |
| |
| *-h*, *--help*:: |
| Display help/usage information. |
| |
| *-v*, *--version*:: |
| Display version information and exit immediately. |
| |
| === Regular Options === |
| // Sorted generally by short argument |
| *-a*, *--active*:: |
| (DOS/Win32/Win64 ONLY) Mark the install target file system's partition |
| active. |
| |
| *-d*, *--directory* 'subdirectory':: |
| (Not necessary for extlinux as it is implied by 'PATH') Install the |
| *SYSLINUX* control files in a subdirectory with the specified name |
| (relative to the root directory on the device). |
| |
| *--device* 'DEVICE':: |
| (extlinux ONLY; 4.06+) Force use of a specific block device (experts |
| only). |
| |
| *-f*, *--force*:: |
| Force install even if it appears unsafe. |
| |
| *-H*, *--heads* 'head-count':: |
| Override the detected number of heads for the geometry. See also |
| *--sector*. |
| |
| *-m*, *--mbr*: |
| (DOS/Win32/Win64 ONLY) Install the regular Syslinux MBR code to the MBR. |
| |
| *-M*, *--menu-save*:: |
| (4.00+; ADV) Set the label to select as default on the next boot. |
| |
| *--once* 'command':: |
| (ADV) Declare a boot command to be tried on the first boot only. The |
| use of *-o* for the Linux installers syslinux or syslinux-mtools has |
| been deprecated as of \~4.00 and is no longer valid as of ~4.02. |
| |
| *-O*, *--clear-once*:: |
| Clear the boot-once command. See also *--once*. |
| |
| *-r*, *--raid*:: |
| (ADV) RAID mode. If boot fails, tell the BIOS to boot the next device |
| in the boot sequence (usually the next hard disk) instead of stopping |
| with an error message. This is useful for RAID-1 booting. |
| |
| *--reset-adv*:: |
| (ADV) Reset auxiliary data vector. |
| |
| *-S*, *--sectors* 'sector-count':: |
| Override the detected number of sectors for the geometry. See also |
| *--head*. |
| |
| *-s*, *--stupid*:: |
| Install a "safe, slow and stupid" version of *SYSLINUX*. This version |
| may work on some very buggy BIOSes on which *SYSLINUX* would otherwise |
| fail. If you find a machine on which the *-s* option is required to make |
| it boot reliably, please send as much info about your machine as you |
| can, and include the failure mode. |
| |
| *-t*, *--offset* 'offset':: |
| (Linux syslinux/syslinux-mtools ONLY) Indicates that the filesystem is |
| at an offset from the base of the device or file. Some older versions |
| did not accept the short format, *-t*. |
| |
| *-z*, *--zipdrive* |
| Assume zipdrive geometry ('--heads 64 --sectors 32'). See also *--head* |
| and *--sector*. |
| |
| |
| == EXAMPLES == |
| === Booting DOS === |
| For booting DOS and other similar operating systems, there is an easy |
| and generally reliable solution to substitute in SYSLINUX as the primary |
| boot loader. |
| |
| - Make a DOS-bootable disk; The following are possible commands: |
| |
| format a: /s |
| sys a: |
| |
| - Copy the DOS boot sector off using Linux or copybs.com: |
| |
| dd if=/dev/fd0 of=dos.bss bs=512 count=1 |
| copybs a: a:dos.bss |
| |
| - Install SYSLINUX using one of: |
| |
| syslinux a: |
| syslinux /dev/fd0 (before 4.00) |
| syslinux -i /dev/fd0 (4.00+) |
| |
| - For Linux, mount the disk and copy the dos.bss to the disk: |
| |
| mount -t msdos /dev/fd0 /mnt |
| cp dos.bss /mnt |
| |
| - Copy a Linux kernel image and initrd payload files: |
| *Linux:*:: |
| cp vmlinux /mnt |
| cp initrd.gz /mnt |
| *DOS/Windows:*:: |
| copy vmlinux a: |
| copy initrd.gz a: |
| |
| - For Linux, umount the disk (if applicable): |
| |
| umount /mnt |
| |
| === MBR === |
| In order to boot from a hard disk (or hard disk-like device) in BIOS |
| mode, an appropriate MBR boot block must also be installed in the MBR |
| (first sector or 512 bytes of the disk), occupying at most 440 bytes. |
| |
| *DOS/Windows:*:: |
| If using FDISK, FDISK or a similar application must also be used to mark |
| the partition as active. |
| + |
| fdisk /mbr |
| OR |
| syslinux -ma c: |
| |
| *Linux:*:: |
| + |
| dd bs=440 count=1 conv=notrunc if=mbr/mbr.bin of=/dev/sda |
| + |
| For altmbr.bin, an easy way to overwrite the MBR boot block and specify |
| the partion number is: |
| + |
| printf '\1' | cat altmbr.bin - | dd bs=440 count=1 \ |
| iflag=fullblock conv=notrunc of=/dev/sda |
| + |
| Note: using 'cat' for writing the MBR can under some circumstances cause |
| data loss or overwriting. For this reason, using 'dd' is recommended |
| for all situations. |
| |
| //[FIXME]: any clean way to handle the above long command for manpage? |
| |
| |
| == SEE ALSO == |
| *syslinux.cfg*(5), *syslinux-cli*(1), *lilo*(8), *keytab-lilo.pl*(8), |
| *fdisk*(8), *mkfs*(8), *superformat*(1). |
| |
| |
| == AUTHOR == |
| This AsciiDoc derived document is a modified version of the original |
| *SYSLINUX* documentation by {author} <{author-email}>. The conversion to |
| a manpage was made by Arthur Korn <arthur@korn.ch>. The conversion to |
| an AsciiDoc was made by {editor1} <{editor1-email}> |
| |
| |
| == COPYRIGHT == |
| Copyright \(C) 1994-2012 {author}. Free use of this software is granted |
| under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL), version 2 |
| (GPLv2) (or, at your option, any later version). |
