wok-current annotate syslinux/stuff/iso2exe/README @ rev 17160

syslinux/iso2exe: full zImage support
author Pascal Bellard <pascal.bellard@slitaz.org>
date Wed Sep 17 11:38:34 2014 +0200 (2014-09-17)
parents 592369f78d12
children 799c2ec31b04
rev   line source
pascal@13697 1 (c) GPLv2, Pascal Bellard <pascal.bellard@slitaz.org>
pascal@13697 2
pascal@14247 3 The iso2exe tool inserts a DOS/WIN32 .EXE header in an ISO image.
pascal@14247 4 The ISO image can be launched by DOS or Windows :
pascal@13691 5
pascal@13691 6 C:\> ren slitaz-5.0.iso slitaz.exe
pascal@13691 7 C:\> slitaz
pascal@13691 8
pascal@13691 9
pascal@13691 10 Why ?
pascal@13691 11
paul@13692 12 According to the SliTaz forum, some new users have problems burning CD-ROMs,
pascal@13697 13 creating USB Keys and booting these devices with the BIOS. Others are lost
paul@13692 14 during the installation process or partitioning.
pascal@13691 15
pascal@13691 16 The slitaz.exe program boots the SliTaz ISO image with a text menu:
pascal@13691 17
paul@13692 18 - to start SliTaz in RAM (live) in graphics mode or text mode.
pascal@13691 19
pascal@13697 20 - to install SliTaz "a la UMSDOS" in the \slitaz\ subdirectory. The easiest
pascal@14261 21 way to install SliTaz. No partitioning. No questions. But (very) slow.
pascal@13691 22
pascal@13756 23 - to create a SliTaz USB Key.
pascal@13756 24
pascal@14247 25 When the slitaz.exe program can't boot SliTaz directly it will prompt to create
pascal@14247 26 a bootable image on a removeable media (Memory card, USB stick or ... floppy).
pascal@13691 27
pascal@13691 28 Usage:
pascal@13691 29
pascal@13691 30 C:\> progname [mode]
pascal@13691 31
paul@13692 32 Default mode is menu. Mode can be:
pascal@13691 33
pascal@13697 34 - menu start with an interactive menu
pascal@13697 35 - live launch SliTaz in RAM with graphics
pascal@13697 36 - text launch SliTaz in RAM with text mode
pascal@13697 37 - install SliTaz UMSDOS like installation
pascal@13691 38
pascal@17160 39 If the program name includes one of the supported modes, the according mode is
pascal@13691 40 assumed. Example 'C:\> slitazlive.exe' starts SliTaz in RAM with graphics.
pascal@13691 41
pascal@13691 42
pascal@13691 43 Implementation:
pascal@13691 44
pascal@13691 45 ISO9660 format begins with 32Kb unused (16 sectors). Some programs may use it:
pascal@13691 46
pascal@13691 47 - isolinux uses the first 512 bytes for hybrid iso boot (ISO image in a
pascal@13691 48 partition).
paul@13692 49 - tazlito stores extra flavor info at the 2nd Kb for 'tazlito iso2flavor'.
pascal@13691 50
pascal@13691 51 The iso2exe tool moves the isolinux boot sector, installs its own boot sector
pascal@13972 52 with a DOS .EXE header, and adds a WIN32 .EXE installer, a DOS .COM Linux
pascal@13972 53 loader and an initramfs in the end of the first 32Kb.
pascal@13691 54
pascal@13691 55 +-----------------+
pascal@13691 56 | untouched | ISO9660 files including /boot/bzImage and /boot/rootfs*
pascal@13691 57 32K +-----------------+
pascal@14261 58 | DOS .EXE stub | Start DOS .COM loader
pascal@14261 59 +-----------------+
pascal@13691 60 | ISO initramfs | Live loader and UMSDOS like install script
pascal@13691 61 +-----------------+
pascal@13691 62 | DOS .COM loader | Load bzImage, the last rootfs*.gz and the ISO initramfs
pascal@13691 63 +-----------------+
pascal@14257 64 | floppy bootstrap| CD-ROM emulation boot driver for hard disk ISO image
pascal@13972 65 +-----------------+
pascal@13691 66 unused
pascal@13691 67 +-----------------+
paul@13692 68 | tazlito info | Flavor missing data for 'tazlito iso2flavor'
pascal@14261 69 +-----------------+
pascal@13691 70 | isohybrid boot | Starts isolinux.bin
pascal@14261 71 +-----------------+
pascal@14261 72 | iso2exe boot + | Boot starts isohybrid (*), .EXE starts DOS .COM loader
pascal@14261 73 | WIN32 PE .exe | NT+ boot device creator / Win9x DOS .COM launcher.
pascal@14261 74 0 +-----------------+
pascal@13691 75
pascal@13691 76 * Eltorito boot (i.e. bootable CD-ROM by BIOS) is not concerned by iso2exe.
pascal@13691 77
pascal@13691 78
pascal@13691 79 Limitations:
pascal@13691 80
pascal@16022 81 - Only DOS 3 to 7 boot supported. Checked with http://www.allbootdisks.com/
pascal@16002 82 NT/XP support via boot device creation.
pascal@13699 83
pascal@14247 84 - Real mode support only. VM86 is not supported. Will not boot directly, but
pascal@14247 85 a removable boot media is created.
pascal@13691 86
pascal@13691 87 - The DOS Linux loader and the ISO initramfs must fit in ~30Kb.
pascal@13691 88
pascal@14247 89 - Linux kernels before version 2.6.30 don't support multiple initramfs load.
pascal@14247 90 They will not find the /init.exe file. The "text" mode will be forced:
pascal@13691 91 C:\> slitaz.exe text
pascal@13691 92
paul@13692 93 - The ISO image must include the files /boot/bzImage and /boot/rootfs*.
pascal@13691 94
pascal@14247 95 TODO:
pascal@14247 96
pascal@14247 97 - Add XMM and VCPI (VM86) support.
pascal@14247 98
pascal@14247 99 - floppy bootstrap
pascal@14247 100