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anbc n00b
Joined: 26 Jul 2013 Posts: 47
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Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2013 1:59 pm Post subject: Syslinux - A Simple Alternative Bootloader |
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Default bootloader choices for no-multilib amd64 users include grub-static and lilo according to gentoo amd64 install guide.
http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-amd64.xml?full=1#book_part1_chap4
Quote: | ... If you are using a non-multilib profile, you should not emerge grub, but instead you should emerge grub-static.
If you plan to use a non-multilib profile and you have disabled IA-32 emulation in your kernel, then you should use lilo. |
In reality Syslinux seems a better choice though; it's simple to setup and the configuration is a breeze compared to the competition.
Here's a simple example setup...
Architecture =64bit no-multilib
kernel IA-32 emulation = none
partition table = MBR
root directory = ext4 (/dev/sda1)
no separate /boot partiton
kernel framebuffer = vesafb
video card = nvidia
INSTALL
# emerge syslinux
# mkdir /boot/syslinux
# extlinux --install /boot/syslinux
# dd bs=440 count=1 conv=notrunc if=/usr/share/syslinux/mbr.bin of=/dev/sda
SILENT BOOT CONFIGURATION
# nano /boot/syslinux/syslinux.cfg
Code: | PROMPT 0
TIMEOUT 0
DEFAULT gentoo
LABEL gentoo
LINUX ../bzImage-3.10.3-gentoo-r1
APPEND root=/dev/sda1 vga=865 ro quiet consoleblank=0 |
Configuration details:
1. Boot prompt is turned off (PROMPT 0)
2. Immediate boot ( TIMEOUT 0)
3. Non KMS Framebuffer = vesafb 1280x800x32 (vga=865) :: for a 1920x1080 lcd monitor
That's all there is to it!! The boot process is fast and good to look at, too
For GPT disks, other filesystems and KMS alternatives checkout the original Arch Linux Wiki on Syslinux
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Syslinux |
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defer- Tux's lil' helper
Joined: 11 Jun 2007 Posts: 140 Location: Finland
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Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 1:14 pm Post subject: |
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This didnt work for me. It didnt boot up at all so i chrooted and reinstalled grub2.
Now i have this file i cant remove.
# ls -lah /boot/syslinux/
total 68K
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4.0K 27.7. 21:01 .
drwxr-xr-x 4 root root 4.0K 27.7. 16:59 ..
-r--r--r-- 1 root root 57K 27.7. 17:00 ldlinux.sys
# rm -rf /boot/syslinux/
rm: cannot remove ‘/boot/syslinux/ldlinux.sys’: Operation not permitted
EDIT: I got it removed.
# chattr -i ldlinux.sys
# rm ldlinux.sys _________________ https://github.com/defer- |
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anbc n00b
Joined: 26 Jul 2013 Posts: 47
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Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 2:56 pm Post subject: |
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defer- wrote: | This didnt work for me... |
I'd have looked at the arch wiki again and tried to work out where I went wrong.
If you go further and combine syslinux with systemd the results are even better!
However, if you're able to use grub2 (you have IA32 emulation) then sticking with it seems reasonable... |
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GFCCAE6xF Apprentice
Joined: 06 Aug 2012 Posts: 295
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Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 3:46 pm Post subject: |
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Not sure if this is on the Arch Wiki page (All I could be bothered to do is a quick 'find' for "compression").
Anyway, sys/extlinux does not cope well reading a config file on compressed file systems, so for example if you edit your config again after installing (the install done without compression enabled) or you convert say your ext4 partitions to btrfs and enable compression then later edit the config your next boot will fail. Quickest escape if you fall in this hole is probably to boot up live disk like sysrescuecd, mount the partition and edit the config that way since it wont use the compression mount options by default.
Of course this assumed you have btrfs /boot or /boot on /.
Also, I'll post my config file and the files I needed to copy from /usr/share/syslinux to make it work.
Config:
Code: | UI vesamenu.c32
DEFAULT gentoo
PROMPT 0
MENU TITLE Welcome to Gentoo.Mastodon
MENU BACKGROUND bkgrnd.png
TIMEOUT 50
MENU WIDTH 78
MENU MARGIN 4
MENU ROWS 5
MENU VSHIFT 10
MENU TIMEOUTROW 13
MENU TABMSGROW 11
MENU CMDLINEROW 11
MENU HELPMSGROW 16
MENU HELPMSGENDROW 29
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
LABEL gentoo
MENU LABEL Gentoo Linux
LINUX /boot/vmlinuz
APPEND root=/dev/sda1 ro quiet init=/usr/lib/systemd/systemd
LABEL gentoo1
MENU LABEL Gentoo Linux Prev
LINUX /boot/vmlinuz-old
APPEND root=/dev/sda1 ro quiet init=/usr/lib/systemd/systemd |
/boot/extlinux/:
Code: | . extlinux.conf libcom32.c32 memdisk bkgrnd.png
.. ldlinux.c32 libutil.c32 menu.c32 vesamenu.c32 |
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