SOLVED:syslinux boot iso porteus.cfg file

[francois]

I would like to boot "porteus".iso to use syslinux as my bootloader instead of grub.

Here is my 40_custom entry for grub:

Code: Select all

menuentry "Porteus5.0 XFCE x86-64 ISO" {
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root=(hd1,3)
set isofile="/isos/Porteus-XFCE-v5.0-x86_64.iso"
search --no-floppy --file --set=root $isofile
loopback loop $isofile
linux (loop)/boot/syslinux/vmlinuz from=$isofile changes=/50_porteus login=root extramod=/50_porteus/xfce
initrd (loop)/boot/syslinux/initrd.xz
}

The custom porteus.cfg file of porteus is:

Code: Select all

LABEL GRAPHICAL
MENU LABEL Graphics mode
KERNEL /boot/syslinux/vmlinuz
INITRD /boot/syslinux/initrd.xz
APPEND changes=/porteus
TEXT HELP
    Run Porteus the best way we can.
    Try to autoconfigure graphics
    card and use the maximum allowed
    resolution. If booting from a
    non-posix (FAT/NTFS) drive,
    see the Saving Changes Help
    below for how to save changes.
ENDTEXT

What would you propose?

Thanks.

[francois]

All I found for now is memdisk software
https://ecsoft2.org/memdisk

Syntax:
https://wiki.syslinux.org/wiki/index.ph ... ISO_images

In which folder should I put memdisk, and what could be the adequate syntax?
https://github.com/TritonDataCenter/sys ... emdisk.txt

[Ed_P]

What would you propose?

F12 key and change your porteus.cfg file's APPEND to be:

APPEND changes=/50_porteus login=root extramod=/50_porteus/xfce

Added in 8 minutes 24 seconds:
BTW

Code: Select all

set root=(hd1,3)                                    <<<< Not needed
set isofile="/isos/Porteus-XFCE-v5.0-x86_64.iso"
search --no-floppy --file --set=root $isofile       <<<< Root set here

[Rapha_]

An example to boot an ISO with Syslinux and porteus.cfg file :

LABEL ISO-17
MENU LABEL Iso (LXQT-v5.01 / May-2024 / rootcopy)
KERNEL /boot/syslinux/boot_v5.01_2024/vmlinuz
INITRD /boot/syslinux/boot_v5.01_2024/initrd.xz
APPEND from=/dev/sda1/Iso_linux/Porteus/Porteus-XFCE-v5.01-x86_64_May-2024.iso rootcopy=/mnt/sda1/porteus/rootcopy/ extramod=/mnt/sda1/porteus/modules kmap=fr timezone=Europe/Paris
TEXT HELP
from=/dev/sda1/Iso_linux/Porteus/Porteus-XFCE-v5.01-x86_64_May-2024.iso
rootcopy=/mnt/sda1/porteus/rootcopy/
extramod=/mnt/sda1/porteus/modules
kmap=fr
timezone=Europe/Paris
ENDTEXT

[Ed_P]

An impressive menu Ralpha_. I did not know that ISO booting was possible that way.

[francois]

@rapha:
Here is what worked for me:

Code: Select all

LABEL ISO-TOSHIBA
MENU LABEL Iso (XFCE-v5.01)
KERNEL /boot/syslinux/vmlinuz
INITRD /boot/syslinux/initrd.xz
APPEND from=/dev/sda5/isos/Porteus-XFCE-v5.x.iso changes=/mnt/sda5/5.x extramod=/mnt/sda5/5.x/modules kmap=ca timezone=America/Montreal
TEXT HELP
    Run Porteus avec methode de rapha.
ENDTEXT

1) Presently porteus /boot/porteus config is on /mnt/sda7. I imagine that setting it on /mnt/sda1 would be better, isn't?

2) About the rootcopy option that I did not included in my syslinux invocation, what is the advantages of resorting to that option?

Merci grandement!

[Rapha_]

1) Presently porteus /boot/porteus config is on /mnt/sda7. I imagine that setting it on /mnt/sda1 would be better, isn't?

/boot/syslinux/porteus.cfg file must be in the boot disk...

2) About the rootcopy option that I did not included in my syslinux invocation, what is the advantages of resorting to that option?

With a rootcopy dir allows me to use a basic, clean, uncompromised, read-only configuration. Therefore, it's secure.
(This isn't very easy to complete, as you have to find the essential files required for a configuration)

You can also experiment with the usefulness of a particular file.

[Ed_P]

With a rootcopy dir allows me to use a basic, clean, uncompromised, read-only configuration.

I use changes=EXIT for that purpose.

[francois]

@rapha:

/boot/syslinux/porteus.cfg file must be in the boot disk...

For sure it is on the Porteus-x.iso, but read-only, thus not accessible for modification.

This is why I suspect that installation of syslinux on /dev/sda1 is a prerequisite for the Porteus-x.iso to be invoked and be booted.

Syslinux is like grub, it has to be installed first and then invoked to permit booting of the iso.

Don't you have a /mnt/sda1/boot/syslinux/porteus.cfg or the like on your linux box?

Thanks.

[Ed_P]

Are you saying your ISO doesn't boot?

[Rapha_]

This is why I suspect that installation of syslinux on /dev/sda1 is a prerequisite for the Porteus-x.iso to be invoked and be booted.

Syslinux is like grub, it has to be installed first and then invoked to permit booting of the iso.

Absolutely ! You need a bootable disk (USB or HDD) with a copy of /boot/linux/

You also need to copy the exact same two files from the ISO (vmlinuz + initrd.xz*) to a subfolder of /boot/syslinux to boot it.

* initrd.zst for Porteux


Note: vmlinuz + initrd.xz are specific to each ISO

[francois]

@rapha:
Here is what worked for me:

Code: Select all

LABEL ISO-TOSHIBA
MENU LABEL Iso (XFCE-v5.01)
KERNEL /boot/syslinux/vmlinuz
INITRD /boot/syslinux/initrd.xz
APPEND from=/dev/sda5/isos/Porteus-XFCE-v5.x.iso changes=/mnt/sda5/5.x extramod=/mnt/sda5/5.x/modules kmap=ca timezone=America/Montreal
TEXT HELP
    Run Porteus avec methode de rapha.
ENDTEXT

1) Presently porteus /boot/porteus config is on /mnt/sda7. I imagine that setting it on /mnt/sda1 would be better, isn't?

2) About the rootcopy option that I did not included in my syslinux invocation, what is the advantages of resorting to that option?

Merci grandement!

Indeed it has booteed, as I wrote: Here is what worked for me: