(solved) Start ISOs via Grub -> extlinux -> Grub4DOS

[floppy]

hello,
on a quite new box, I wanted to try few distros with memdisk (I have no CD reader).
So, in the extlinux I included..

...
#
label archlinux 2011 08 19 core i686 iso
   menu label archlinux 2011 08 19 core i686 iso
   kernel /boot/diverse/memdisk
   append iso
   initrd /boot/diverse/archlinux-2011.08.19-core-i686.iso
#
#
label Crunchbang-10 openbox 686 iso
   menu label Crunchbang-10 openbox 686 iso
   kernel /boot/diverse/memdisk
   append iso
   initrd /boot/diverse/crunchbang-10-20110207-openbox-i686.iso
#
#
label Debian 6 iso
   menu label Debian 6 iso
   kernel /boot/diverse/memdisk
   append iso
   initrd /boot/diverse/debian-live-6.0.2-i386-lxde-desktop.iso
#
#
label finnix 102 iso
   menu label finnix 102 iso
   kernel /boot/diverse/memdisk
   append iso
   initrd /boot/diverse/finnix-102.iso
#
#
label Legacy OS 2 iso
   menu label Legacy OS 2 iso
   kernel /boot/diverse/memdisk
   append iso
   initrd /boot/diverse/Legacy-OS-2.iso
#
#
label LinuxMint 11 lxde iso
   menu label LinuxMint 11 lxde iso
   kernel /boot/diverse/memdisk
   append iso
   initrd /boot/diverse/linuxmint-11-lxde-cd-32bit.iso
#
#
label papug linux iso
   menu label papug linux iso
   kernel /boot/diverse/memdisk
   append iso
   initrd /boot/diverse/papuglinux-11.1a.iso
#
#
label slax 6.1.2 iso
   menu label slax 6.1.2 iso
   kernel /boot/diverse/memdisk
   append iso
   initrd /boot/diverse/slax-6.1.2.iso
#
#
label Vectorlinux iso
   menu label Vectorlinux iso
   kernel /boot/diverse/memdisk
   append iso
   initrd /boot/diverse/VL6.0-Light-LIVE-Final.iso
#

.. but NOTHING boots. Is is normal? or perhaps memdisk should have other parameters?
A bit disppointing: I was expecting memdisk would launch all those distros..
(TCL 3.8.4 is running on the box).

[gerald_clark]

Read some syslinux docs so you get the config file right.
http://pie.ucs.ed.ac.uk/pie-1.0/doc/SysLinux.html

[SvOlli]

As far as I know, what you're trying can't be done. The "memdisk"-ISO only works when accessed via the BIOS. After the kernel starts, the memory will be released, and the initrds supplied with the kernels scan all available devices to see which one contains the "live"-part of the distro. It is very well seen when starting Knoppix. This live part has been dropped when starting the kernel. Tiny Core works, because it's just the kernel and initrd and no "live"-part. When you run a remaster with additional packages on the ISO, Tiny Core wouldn't find these either.

The distro you want to start needs to be made aware to look into ISOs by itself.

Greetings,
SvOlli

[beerstein]

hi floppy: could you please explain (in short) what memdisk is?
For what do you need that? Thank you for that

[netnomad]

i met memdisk in relation to little boot-programs, mostly packaged as *.gz,
to load a boot-manager, a harddisk-checker or a memory-tester.
i guess it's something like a boot-floppy-emulation, am i right?
please correct me, if i'm wrong.

f.e. in my syslinux.cfg, based on boot-manager-entries that you can find in pmagic:

LABEL hdt
MENU LABEL ^A. hardware detection tool
TEXT HELP
An interactive hardware analyzer by Erwan Velu.
ENDTEXT
  LINUX /boot/syslinux/memdisk
  APPEND initrd=/iso/hdt.gz

LABEL memtest_86
MENU LABEL ^B. memtest86+
TEXT HELP
Check system RAM for errors.
ENDTEXT
  LINUX /iso/memtest

LABEL supergrubdisk
MENU LABEL ^C. super grub  disk
TEXT HELP
Easily restore grub-legacy. Boot into many systems. Fix Windows MBR.
ENDTEXT
  LINUX /boot/syslinux/memdisk
  APPEND initrd=/iso/sgd.gz

LABEL supergrubdisk2
MENU LABEL ^D. super grub2 disk
TEXT HELP
Boot into many systems (including Grub2 ones).
To restore Grub2 use the CLI suite included in PartedMagic.
ENDTEXT
  LINUX /boot/syslinux/memdisk
  APPEND iso raw initrd=/iso/sgd2.gz

LABEL mhdd
MENU LABEL ^E. mhdd
TEXT HELP
This software can make precise diagnostic of the mechanical part of a drive,
view SMART attributes, perform Low-level format, bad sector repair, different
tests and tens of other functions.
ENDTEXT
  LINUX /boot/syslinux/memdisk
  APPEND initrd=/iso/mhdd.gz

LABEL plp
MENU LABEL ^F. plop boot manager
TEXT HELP
The Plop Boot Manager is a small program to boot different operating systems.
The boot manager has a builtin ide cdrom and usb driver to access those hardware without the help/need of a bios.
ENDTEXT
  LINUX /iso/plpbt.bin

[vinnie]

I don't say if it correlated, I have yet to try http://reboot.pro/8258/

P.S. If I understand what SvOlli mean, he's right, it don't work
I was able to start iso ([remaster]) using syslinux, but it start only tinycore without the additional extensions.
It is very bad luck 

P.P.S. is comical to have replaced the name of a modified version of tinycore with a [remaster] 

[floppy]

hi floppy: could you please explain (in short) what memdisk is?
For what do you need that? Thank you for that

I found memdisk by googling because I understood (wrongly) this would launch an iso like a CDROM: I wanted to start an ISO directly, because by installing for example the files of the partedmagic iso (not the iso) on my CF8GB, a file partedmagicxxx.sfs was not found. So, I was hopping "booting" the iso directly would solve the issue.
I cannot say more about memdisk than reading what is written in the net.

[floppy]

The distro you want to start needs to be made aware to look into ISOs by itself.

Dont understand... with a boot code?
like    APPEND ISO LOOKATISO

[SvOlli]

The distro you want to start needs to be made aware to look into ISOs by itself.

Dont understand... with a boot code?
like    APPEND ISO LOOKATISO

More like in iso=/path/to/file.iso, or tce=/path/to/file.iso, but handling this still needs to be implemented. Since you need to modify parts of the core it would be wise to discuss this with Robert first.

[floppy]

Im back.. ;-)....
so, how can I start my ISOs (distros slitaz etc.) from extlinux ?
The ISOs are in the directory /boot/diverse of a CF card

? Should I perhaps put the grldr file (Grub4DOS) and a menu.lst (with all ISOs listed) in this directory.

? And in my extlinux command of this CF card would be
...
label ISO linux menu
   menu label ISO linux menu
   linux /boot/diverse/grldr
...
The menu.lst structure has an example if I remember in this forum from SvOlli .. but cannot find it (I have to search).

Before I start this, can I have your professional evaluation of this Idea?

Idea summary = starting grub4dos from extlinux for booting ISOs (so far I understood, grub4dos has more functionality than extlinux and can start ISOs, simulating a CDROM)

[SvOlli]

The menu.lst structure has an example if I remember in this forum from SvOlli .. but cannot find it (I have to search).

Did you mean this thread: http://forum.tinycorelinux.net/index.php/topic,10430.0.html ?

[SamK]

The replies towards the end of this topic might also be helpful:
http://forum.tinycorelinux.net/index.php/topic,11424.0.html

[floppy]

The menu.lst structure has an example if I remember in this forum from SvOlli .. but cannot find it (I have to search).

Did you mean this thread: http://forum.tinycorelinux.net/index.php/topic,10430.0.html ?

Yes. Thanks. I will have a look.

[floppy]

Last status:

in my extlinux.conf file of the CF 8GB card (on IDE adapter, recognized in the PC as sdb, 1 is the partition with the extlinux.conf), I included
   ...
   label start grub
      kernel /boot/diverse/grub.exe   (from grub4dos zip file)
   ...

it starts grub.
Grub then seems to find the menu.lst I have on my sda (1 partition).

It dont find on the screen the menu.lst I included in the sdb1, directory /boot/diverse (where grub.exe is)
==============  menu.lst ================
#
color blue/green yellow/red white/magenta white/magenta
timeout 30
default /default
#
title papug linux iso
find --set-root /papuglinux-11.1a.iso
map --mem /papuglinux-11.1a.iso (hd32)
map --hook
root (hd32)
chainloader (hd32)
...
========================================
So, this is probably a question of default setup of grub where it has to find the menu.lst.
I will further search how to say to grub.exe to use the menu.lst of the "sdb1/boot/diverse".
Any idea is welcome.

[vitex]

So, this is probably a question of default setup of grub where it has to find the menu.lst.
I will further search how to say to grub.exe to use the menu.lst of the "sdb1/boot/diverse".
Any idea is welcome.

See Grub4dos Guide - Embedded Menu for a description of where grub4dos (grub.exe or grldr) looks for the file menu.lst.  You can place an abbreviated version of menu.lst in one of those standard places and use the configfile command to transfer control to a full version of menu.lst that resides in a non-standard location.