I just saw something in the FAQ:
{ Can I Use SYSLINUX on a Hard Drive? }
SYSLINUX can boot from a FAT12 or FAT16 filesystem partition on a hard disk
(FAT32, introduced in Windows 95 OSR-2, is not supported, however.) The
installation procedure is identical to the procedure for installing it on a
floppy, and should work under either DOS or Linux. To boot from a partition,
SYSLINUX needs to be launched from a Master Boot Record or another boot
loader, just like DOS itself would.
Under DOS, you can install a standard simple MBR on the primary hard disk by
running the command:
FDISK /MBR
Then use the FDISK command to mark the appropriate partition active.
A simple MBR, roughly on par with the one installed by DOS (but
unencumbered), is included in the SYSLINUX distribution
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Taylor, ForrestX [mailto:forrestx.taylor@xxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: Monday, June 18, 2001 11:05 AM
> To: 'kickstart-list@xxxxxxxxxx'
> Subject: RE: >really< hands-off install
>
>
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: David T-G [mailto:davidtg@xxxxxxxxxxx]
> > Sent: Monday, June 18, 2001 10:28 AM
> > To: kickstart list
> > Cc: Taylor, ForrestX
> > Subject: Re: >really< hands-off install
> >
> >
> > Forrest --
> >
> > ...and then Taylor, ForrestX said...
> > % I think that the problem might be that you are trying to
> > run syslinux
> > % through lilo. Syslinux is made to be run by itself (sans
> > lilo). You would
> >
> > Well, I kinda thought about that, but didn't see enough
> > instructions to
> > get things going some other way.
> >
> >
> > % have to put syslinux in the MBR to get it to run properly.
> > Please remind me
> > % what you are trying to accomplish here, and why you don't
> > want to use
> >
> > I have an existing linux system and would like to boot from the hard
> > drive and then completely reinstall via kickstart. If I
> use a floppy,
> > I have to boot from that and then eject the floppy half way
> through so
> > that my automatic reboot (at least it does that much now; it used to
> > require a keyboard to hit return) doesn't simply keep trying
> > to install
> > over and over again, but I'd like to be able to just
> >
> > ssh client "lilo -R kick ; reboot"
> >
> > and have it set the boot target, reboot itself, and happily reload.
> >
> > As long as it can find a kickstart config, or even something
> > reasonably
> > like it, I'm happy. I can see the even cooler benefits of
> > booting from
> > the network but it's not at all worth it to me to look into
> > booting from
> > the NIC and pulling down the kernel (at least not this week ;-)
>
> Maybe you should reconsider. I think that it may be easier
> to get the PXE
> boot working than to dive into the syslinux realm. Although,
> I just thought
> of something. If you boot from network, when you reboot, it will just
> re-install. It appears as though you must have *some*
> interaction with the
> target machine. Perhaps you could talk to HPA (H. Peter
> Alvin--I believe he
> wrote syslinux), and pose the question.
>
> [Random thoughts here] Perhaps you could write syslinux to
> the MBR, and get
> it to boot, install, and then overwrite the MBR (which it
> already does). I
> just found HPAs sylinux page here:
> http://syslinux.zytor.com/
> I don't see anything there right off hand, but maybe you can
> find something.
>
> Forrest
>
>
> >
> >
> > % cd/floppy install (it must be Monday).
> >
> > *grin*
> >
> >
> > %
> > % Forrest
> >
> > Thanks again!
> >
> >
> >:-D
> > --
> > David T-G * It's easier to fight for
> > one's principles
> > (play) davidtg@xxxxxxxxxxx * than to live up to them. --
> > fortune cookie
> > (work) davidtgwork@xxxxxxxxxxx
> > http://www.bigfoot.com/~davidtg/ Shpx gur
> > Pbzzhavpngvbaf Qrprapl Npg!
