SYSLINUX			      Version 1.31			   January 31, 1998              A bootloader for Linux using MS-DOS floppies		Copyright (C) 1994-1998 H. Peter AnvinThis program is provided under the terms of the GNU General PublicLicense, version 2 or, at your option, any later version.  There is nowarranty, neither expressed nor implied, to the function of thisprogram.  Please see the included file COPYING for details.SYSLINUX is a boot loader for the Linux operating system whichoperates off MS-DOS floppies.  It is intended to simplify first-timeinstallation of Linux, and for creation of rescue- and otherspecial-purpose boot floppies.  It is *not* intended to be used as ageneral purpose boot loader; once the operating system is installed Irecommend LILO as the boot loader, except for people whose rootfilesystem is a UMSDOS filesystem (where a DOS defragmenter couldwreck havoc with LILO's carefully set up block tables) -- for them Irecommend Loadlin (which loads Linux from the DOS command line).SYSLINUX could, however, in conjunction with the UMSDOS filesystem,completely eliminate the need for distribution of raw diskette imagesfor boot floppies.  A SYSLINUX floppy can be manipulated using standardMS-DOS (or any other OS that can access an MS-DOS filesystem) tools onceit has been created.   ++++ CREATING A BOOTABLE LINUX FLOPPY +++In order to create a bootable Linux floppy using SYSLINUX, prepare anormal MS-DOS formatted floppy.  Copy one or more Linux kernel files toit, then execute the DOS command:        SYSLINUX a:(or whichever drive letter is appropriate) or the Linux command:	syslinux /dev/fd0(or, again, whichever device is the correct one.)This will alter the boot sector on the disk and copy a file namedLDLINUX.SYS into its root directory.WARNING: There seems to be a bug in some recent experimental Linux	 kernels that causes floppy disk corruption when using the	 Linux syslinux installer.  This bug was introduced in 2.1.79	 or 2.1.80; as of 2.1.85 the bug is still there.On boot time, by default, the kernel will be loaded from the image namedLINUX on the boot floppy.  This default can be changed, see the sectionon the SYSLINUX config file.If the Shift or Alt keys are held down during boot, or the Caps or Scrolllocks are set, SYSLINUX will display a LILO-style "boot:" prompt.  Theuser can then type a kernel file name followed by any kernel parameters.The SYSLINUX loader does not need to know about the kernel file inadvance; all that is required is that it is a file located in the rootdirectory on the disk.   ++++ CONFIGURATION FILE ++++All the configurable defaults in SYSLINUX can be changed by putting afile called SYSLINUX.CFG in the root directory of the boot floppy.  Thisis a text file in either UNIX or DOS format, containing one or more ofthe following items (case is insensitive for keywords; upper case is usedhere to indicate that a word should be typed verbatim):DEFAULT kernel options...        Sets the default command line.  If SYSLINUX boots automatically,        it will act just as if the entries after DEFAULT had been typed        in at the "boot:" prompt, except that the option "auto" is        automatically added, indicating an automatic boot.        If no configuration file is present, or no DEFAULT entry is        present in the config file, the default is kernel name "linux",        with no options.APPEND options...        Add one or more options to the kernel command line.  These are        added both for automatic and manual boots.  The options are        added at the very beginning of the kernel command line,        usually permitting explicitly entered kernel options to override        them.  This is the equivalent of the LILO "append" option.LABEL label  KERNEL kernel  APPEND options...        Indicates that if "label" is entered as the kernel to boot,        SYSLINUX should instead boot "kernel", and the specified APPEND        options should be used instead of the ones specified in the        global section of the file (before the first LABEL command.)        The default for "kernel" is the same as "label", and if no        APPEND is given the default is to use the global entry (if any).        Up to 16 LABEL entries are permitted.        Note that LILO uses the syntax:        image = mykernel          label = mylabel          append = "myoptions"        corresponding to the SYSLINUX:        label mylabel          kernel mykernel          append myoptions	Note:	Labels are mangled as if they were DOS filenames, and must be		unique after mangling.  For example, two labels		"v2.1.30" and "v2.1.31" will not be distinguishable.  APPEND -        Append nothing.  APPEND with a single hyphen as argument in a        LABEL section can be used to override a global APPEND.IMPLICIT flag_val        If flag_val is 0, do not load a kernel image unless it has been        explicitly named in a LABEL statement.  The default is 1.TIMEOUT timeout        Indicates how long to wait at the boot: prompt until booting        automatically, in units of 1/10 s.  The timeout is cancelled as        soon as the user types anything on the keyboard, the assumption        being that the user will complete the command line already        begun.  A timeout of zero will disable the timeout completely,        this is also the default.        NOTE: The maximum possible timeout value is 35996; corresponding to        just below one hour.DISPLAY filename        Displays the indicated file on the screen at boot time (before        the boot: prompt, if displayed).  This option takes the place of        the LINUXMSG.TXT and BOOTMSG.TXT files in SYSLINUX 1.0.  Please        see the section below on DISPLAY files.        NOTE: If the file is missing, this option is simply ignored.PROMPT flag_val        If flag_val is 0, display the boot: prompt only if the Shift or Alt        key is pressed, or Caps Lock or Scroll lock is set (this is the        default).  If flag_val is 1, always display the boot: prompt.  This        option takes the place of testing for the LINUXMSG.TXT file in        SYSLINUX 1.0.F1 filenameF2 filename   ...etc...F9 filenameF0 filename        Displays the indicated file on the screen when a function key is        pressed at the boot: prompt.  This can be used to implement        pre-boot online help (presumably for the kernel command line        options.)  Note that F10 MUST be entered in the config file as        "F0", not "F10", and that there is currently no way to bind        file names to F11 and F12.  Please see the section below on        DISPLAY files.Blank lines, and comment lines beginning with a hash mark (#) are ignored.Note that the configuration file is not completely decoded.  Syntaxdifferent from the one described above may still work correctly in thisversion of SYSLINUX, but may break in a future one.The following combinations of options can be used to mimic the behaviourof SYSLINUX 1.0 with LINUXMSG.TXT or BOOTMSG.TXT present, respectively:# Mimic SYSLINUX 1.0 with LINUXMSG.TXT file present:display linuxmsg.txtprompt 1# Mimic SYSLINUX 1.0 with BOOTMSG.TXT file present:display bootmsg.txt   ++++ LARGE KERNELS AND INITIAL RAMDISK SUPPORT ++++This version of SYSLINUX supports large kernels (bzImage format),eliminating the 500K size limit of the zImage kernel format.  bzImageformat kernels are detected automatically and handled transparently tothe user.This version of SYSLINUX also supports a boottime-loaded ramdisk(initrd).  An initrd is loaded from a DOS file if the option"initrd=filename" (where filename is the filename of the initrd image;the file must be located in the root directory on the boot floppy) ispresent on the processed command line (after APPEND's have been added,etc.).  If several initrd options are present, the last one hasprecedence; this permits user-entered options to override a configfile APPEND.  Specifying "initrd=" without a filename inhibits initrdloading.  The file specified by the initrd= option will typically be agzipped filesystem image.NOTE: One of the main advantages with SYSLINUX is that it makes itvery easy to support users with new or unexpected configurations,especially in a distribution setting.  If initrd is used toextensively modularize the distribution kernel, it is stronglyrecommended that a simple way of adding drivers to the boot floppy beprovided.  The suggested manner is to let the initrd system mount theboot floppy and look for additional drivers in a predeterminedlocation.To bzImage and recent zImage kernels, SYSLINUX 1.30-1.31 will identifyusing the ID byte 0x31.  The ID range 0x32-0x3f is reserved for futureversions of SYSLINUX.   ++++ DISPLAY FILE FORMAT ++++DISPLAY and function-key help files are text files in either DOS or UNIXformat (with or without <CR>).  In addition, the following special codesare interpreted:<FF>                                    <FF> = <Ctrl-L> = ASCII 12        Clear the screen, home the cursor.  Note that the screen is        filled with the current display color.<SI><bg><fg>                            <SI> = <Ctrl-O> = ASCII 15        Set the display colors to the specified background and        foreground colors, where <bg> and <fg> are hex digits,        corresponding to the standard PC display attributes:        0 = black               8 = dark grey        1 = dark blue           9 = bright blue        2 = dark green          a = bright green        3 = dark cyan           b = bright cyan        4 = dark red            c = bright red        5 = dark purple         d = bright purple        6 = brown               e = yellow        7 = light grey          f = white        Picking a bright color (8-f) for the background results in the        corresponding dark color (0-7), with the foreground flashing.<SUB>                                   <SUB> = <Ctrl-Z> = ASCII 26        End of file (DOS convention).   ++++ NOVICE PROTECTION ++++SYSLINUX will attempt to detect if the user is trying to boot on a 286or lower class machine, or a machine with less than 608K of low ("DOS")RAM (which means the Linux boot sequence cannot complete).  If so, amessage is displayed and the boot sequence aborted.  Holding down theCtrl key while booting disables this feature.The compile time and date of a specific SYSLINUX version can be obtainedby the DOS command "type ldlinux.sys".  This is also used as thesignature for the LDLINUX.SYS file, which must match the boot sector.Any file that SYSLINUX uses can be marked hidden, system or readonly ifso is convenient; SYSLINUX ignores all file attributes.  The SYSLINUXinstalled automatically sets the readonly attribute on LDLINUX.SYS.   ++++ BUG REPORTS ++++I would appreciate hearing of any problems you have with SYSLINUX.  Iwould also like to hear from you if you have successfully used SYSLINUX,*especially* if you are using it for a distribution.There is a mailing list for discussion among SYSLINUX users and forannouncements of new and test versions.  To join, send a message tomajordomo@linux.kernel.org with the line:subscribe syslinuxin the body of the message.  The submission address issyslinux@linux.kernel.org.