wok annotate syslinux/stuff/iso2exe/README @ rev 14247

syslinux/iso2exe: use posixovl -F
author Pascal Bellard <pascal.bellard@slitaz.org>
date Sun Mar 24 23:14:15 2013 +0100 (2013-03-24)
parents b5ea41033c21
children 65b3fd0022ed
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@13699 21 way to install SliTaz. No partitioning. No questions.
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@13756 39 If the prognam 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@13691 58 | ISO initramfs | Live loader and UMSDOS like install script
pascal@13691 59 +-----------------+
pascal@13691 60 | DOS .COM loader | Load bzImage, the last rootfs*.gz and the ISO initramfs
pascal@13691 61 +-----------------+
pascal@14247 62 | WIN32 PE .exe | USB boot Key creator / floppy bootstrap creator.
pascal@13972 63 +-----------------+
pascal@13691 64 unused
pascal@13691 65 +-----------------+
paul@13692 66 | tazlito info | Flavor missing data for 'tazlito iso2flavor'
pascal@13691 67 1K +-----------------+
pascal@13691 68 | isohybrid boot | Starts isolinux.bin
pascal@13691 69 512 +-----------------+
pascal@13697 70 | iso2exe boot | Boot starts isohybrid (*), .EXE starts DOS .COM loader
pascal@14247 71 0 +-----------------+ or 32 bits Windows boot device creator
pascal@13691 72
pascal@13691 73 * Eltorito boot (i.e. bootable CD-ROM by BIOS) is not concerned by iso2exe.
pascal@13691 74
pascal@13691 75
pascal@13691 76 Limitations:
pascal@13691 77
pascal@13699 78 - Only DOS 3, 4 and 6 supported. Checked with http://www.allbootdisks.com/
pascal@13699 79
pascal@14247 80 - Real mode support only. VM86 is not supported. Will not boot directly, but
pascal@14247 81 a removable boot media is created.
pascal@13691 82
paul@13692 83 - Image/zImage format not supported, bzImage only. Can't boot memtest or gpxe.
pascal@13691 84
pascal@13691 85 - The tiny Linux loader can't load more than 15Mb of files. (not really a
pascal@13691 86 problem since many-in-1 ISO format).
pascal@13691 87
pascal@13691 88 - The DOS Linux loader and the ISO initramfs must fit in ~30Kb.
pascal@13691 89
pascal@14247 90 - Linux kernels before version 2.6.30 don't support multiple initramfs load.
pascal@14247 91 They will not find the /init.exe file. The "text" mode will be forced:
pascal@13691 92 C:\> slitaz.exe text
pascal@13691 93
paul@13692 94 - The ISO image must include the files /boot/bzImage and /boot/rootfs*.
pascal@13691 95
pascal@14247 96 TODO:
pascal@14247 97
pascal@14247 98 - Add Windows boot device creator
pascal@14247 99
pascal@14247 100 - Add XMM and VCPI (VM86) support.
pascal@14247 101
pascal@14247 102 - floppy bootstrap
pascal@14247 103
pascal@14247 104 - zImage support ?
pascal@14247 105