DOS boot image for syslinux

**RoadKill** · 12-09-2003, 09:00 AM

I was curious now that M$ is exercising its patent rights on fat what we can do about syslinux (isolinux). Each of our CDs contains a fat filesystem image for boot with syslinux (boot-en.img) etc. and the Redmond Vole is unlikely to freebe us on this one. Syslinux (isolinux) only supports fat and we need to find an alternative.

I am very concerned and beleive we need to proceed asap to replace it with another bootloader.

Ideas please... Thanx, Dan

**garyng** · 12-09-2003, 05:08 PM

GRUB. However, the problem is much deeper than the bootloader. Taking it to the extreme(if this patent thing goes through), any bootloader would not be allowed to 'read' FAT as able to read FAT means code must be written that would touch their patent(if there is such a thing).

The result(on a typical consumer machine) on boot up :

Prompt: your HD seems to contain FAT/NTFS which I am not allowed to read, do you want me to wipe them out in order to install linux ?

**monkeyman** · 12-09-2003, 05:56 PM

I kind of doubt that. The bootstrap is prior art and I believe the Master Boot Record is as well. What could change would be the ability to install LINUX on an already existing partition or unused space in an extended partition. M$ could exploit that to make the life of someone who wants to try out LINUX more difficult as they would have to resize existing partitions in order to make unallocated disk space on which to install and, depending on the geography of their hard disk and how their BIOS interprets it, it might not be possible at all on many hard disks, requiring the purchase of a second drive in some cases. While they couldn’t slam the door shut, it could get pretty nasty.

**RoadKill** · 12-09-2003, 06:19 PM

I also posted on the Knoppix mailing list and got my peepee wacked by Adreas (I need to get a clue, yelling fire etc.). The consensus is that the fat used for the boot.img is so old it rates as prior art but a qualified independent avaluation of risk would be nicer. I did a lilo boot cd 3 years ago but isolinux is way cool and supports much larger kernels etc..

Anywho its food for thought...

**Hunkah** · 12-11-2003, 01:47 PM

<rabbit trail>
RoadKill-
I have a bunch of friends and myself that say that! "bay-liff wayck hee's pee-pee!" Then I looked and saw that you were Canadian too! We must have mutual friends.
</rabbit trail>

**RoadKill** · 12-11-2003, 02:35 PM

Leslie B. Horwinkle:

"I plead insanity your Honor. I was just crazy about that girl"

Judge:

"bay-liff wayck hee's pee-pee!"

We must have mutual friends:

maybe? Hunkah buzz me at "info at maxos dot ca"