Syslinux + Sdi Images With Winpe, Booting different SDI/ISO images Options

[Macfox]

Has anyone tried the SYSLINUX patch from Rémi Lefèvre.

http://remile.free.fr/syslinux/

It allows you to boot SDI images via pxe or other media via a boot menu.

However I'm having trouble getting a WinPE image to run from an SDI.

It seems as is the boot.ini /MININT switch is being ignored as it keeps complaining that MININT\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM is missing or corrupt.

But WinPE / Minint doesn't use the SYSTEM hive from disk rather from RAM, so this file doesn't exist in the SDI.

Has anyone got any ideas?

Rob

<Boot.ini>
[boot loader]
default=ramdisk(0)\minint
timeout=300
[operating systems]
ramdisk(0)\minint="WinPE" /minint /fastdetect /SOS /rdpath=net(0)\pxeboot.sdi /rdimageoffset=4096

[MrFSL]

is there a website that explains about this patch?

[Sam]

Maybe try the Setupldr.EXE. Someone explained it on this thread http://www.911cd.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=11048

SAM

[Macfox]

Thanks... tried that... Comes up saying it cannot open drive ramdisk(0).

[pavel]

I am interesting on this way too (booting SDI via Syslinux). Are there any informations?

Pavel

[Macfox]

Basically the syslinux patch never got any further development.

It only works with XPe, as the RBM version of the ntldr doesn't support the MININT functionality(Dynamic H/W detection), needed if you want to support different sets of Hardware.

If the syslinux patch added the logic to tell the WinPE ntldr where the RAMDISK started in memory, then it would work. Sadly there's been no further development and unlikely to be in the future. Pitty as it would really be a nice addon.

The syslinux guys aren't interested in adding this functionality as MS don't document the correct way, so it would need to be reverse engineered. Even then they said it would be best if it was written as a com32 addon to syslinux.

Rob

[getwired]

Simply use the existing boot from RAMDisk functionality built into the latest version of WinPE. It uses the same mechanism as SDI, but boots from an ISO instead (since WinPE is read-only in most cases). That will work from any PXE server.

[pavel]

But: using SDI is better for me:
1) SDI coud be ntfs compressed
2) is writeable (not read-only)

Pavel

[FeReNGi]

and a SDI file can be mounted as a virtual disk too in a normal windows

[getwired]

But: using SDI is better for me:
1) SDI coud be ntfs compressed
2) is writeable (not read-only)

Pavel

True, but bear in mind that NTFS compression will have an affect on both performance and RAM usage (not good when you've just booted entirely to RAM) and not really save you a huge amount of space.

What are you running under PE that requires write access to the boot drive?

[pavel]

What are you running under PE that requires write access to the boot drive?

I use BartPE/Reatogo, not the true WinPE. I am looking for multiboot solution...

Pavel

[Dietmar]

Hi all,

one year ago I also tried the Syslinux boot from Remi for a Windows Embedded SDI image and also for real XP. But there is a terrible size limit of 500 MB for a SDI.
The limit is, I think, because of the used ramdisk driver and the ntldr.
But no one looks a little deeper into this.
So, as far as I know, nobody succeeded with
the patch from Remi to do a Syslinux SDI boot and also no one was able to break the 500 MB limit.
A person from Microsoft, whom I asked about this said to me: " It is as it is...

Nice to hear from you
Dietmar

[pavel]

Hi Dietmar,

so, is there any way booting SDI (<500 MB) via Syslinux? I search for solution without success. Can you give me the right direction?

Thanks,
Pavel

[FeReNGi]

Has anyone tried the SYSLINUX patch from Rémi Lefèvre.

http://remile.free.fr/syslinux/

It allows you to boot SDI images via pxe or other media via a boot menu.

However I'm having trouble getting a WinPE image to run from an SDI.

It seems as is the boot.ini /MININT switch is being ignored as it keeps complaining that MININT\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM is missing or corrupt.

But WinPE / Minint doesn't use the SYSTEM hive from disk rather from RAM, so this file doesn't exist in the SDI.

Has anyone got any ideas?

Rob

<Boot.ini>
[boot loader]
default=ramdisk(0)\minint
timeout=300
[operating systems]
ramdisk(0)\minint="WinPE" /minint /fastdetect /SOS /rdpath=net(0)\pxeboot.sdi /rdimageoffset=4096

You have used the wrong rdimageoffset for a sdi file

[dog]

@Pavel
Have you tried tftpd32 / syslinux? RCollewijn's how-to can be adapted from iso to sdi:
http://xpe.collewijn.info/page/tftpd_ris.php
(for BartPE at least)
I suspect you'd still need to do some hex editing to be able to offer more than one sdi though.
http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?s=&...indpost&p=79022

[pavel]

@dog

Thanks for your reply. This link http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?s=&...ost&p=79022 seems to be about PXE booting of another pc (using the second pc, am i right?), but i am looking for multiboot with one pc only.

And the second one seems to be about the same (second pc is needed).

Pavel

This post has been edited by jaclaz: Jan 17 2008, 04:14 AM

[dog]

So you just want multiple sdi on a cd?
try http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?s=&...ost&p=88361
This is bcdw not syslinux though

This post has been edited by jaclaz: Jan 17 2008, 04:12 AM

[pavel]

@dog

Wow, looks good! Many thanks to you!

@all,

i am looking now for a multiboot HDD (i think syslinux+something+SDI): i need multiboot SDI (maybe another way instead syslinux). Anybody knows?

Pavel

[pavel]

i am back...

I think i can use SDI multiboot using NTLDR and boot.ini (i need search this forum).

Pavel

[cdob]

@pavel

As long as you use one hard disk (including USB), you may use ntldr and boot.ini to SDI multibooting.

Recognice, you have to use a boot sector file.

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showto...533;entry409548

This post has been edited by jaclaz: Jan 17 2008, 04:10 AM