Syslinux is now automatically downloaded and ISO image generation process uses precompiled Syslinux binaries. The initramfs logging has been improved and more details are displayed during boot.

src/.config

@@ -16,3 +16,11 @@ GLIBC_SOURCE_URL=http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/glibc/glibc-2.23.tar.bz2
 #
 BUSYBOX_SOURCE_URL=http://busybox.net/downloads/busybox-1.24.2.tar.bz2
 
+# You can find the latest Syslinux source bundles here:
+#
+# http://syslinux.org (official website)
+#
+# http://kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/boot/syslinux
+#
+SYSLINUX_SOURCE_URL=https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/boot/syslinux/syslinux-6.03.tar.xz
+

src/08_generate_rootfs.sh

@@ -46,12 +46,15 @@ cd etc
 cat > bootscript.sh << EOF
 #!/bin/sh
 
+echo "Welcome to \"Minimal Linbux Live\" (/sbin/init)"
+
 dmesg -n 1
 mount -t devtmpfs none /dev
 mount -t proc none /proc
 mount -t sysfs none /sys
 
 for DEVICE in /sys/class/net/* ; do
+  echo "Found network device \${DEVICE##*/}" 
   ip link set \${DEVICE##*/} up
   [ \${DEVICE##*/} != lo ] && udhcpc -b -i \${DEVICE##*/} -s /etc/rc.dhcp
 done
@@ -70,6 +73,13 @@ if [ "\$router" ]; then
   ip route add default via \$router dev \$interface
 fi
 
+if [ "\$ip" ]; then
+  echo "DHCP configuration for device \$interface"
+  echo "ip:     \$ip"
+  echo "mask:   \$mask"
+  echo "router: \$router"
+fi
+
 EOF
 
 chmod +x rc.dhcp
@@ -118,6 +128,8 @@ cd ..
 cat > init << EOF
 #!/bin/sh
 
+echo "Welcome to \"Minimal Linbux Live\" (/init)"
+
 exec /sbin/init
 
 EOF

src/10_get_syslinux.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+# Grab everything after the '=' character.
+DOWNLOAD_URL=$(grep -i SYSLINUX_SOURCE_URL .config | cut -f2 -d'=')
+
+# Grab everything after the last '/' character.
+ARCHIVE_FILE=${DOWNLOAD_URL##*/}
+
+cd source
+
+# Downloading Syslinux file.
+# -c option allows the download to resume.
+wget -c $DOWNLOAD_URL
+
+# Delete folder with previously extracted Syslinux.
+rm -rf ../work/syslinux
+mkdir ../work/syslinux
+
+# Extract Syslinux to folder 'work/syslinux'.
+# Full path will be something like 'work/syslinux/syslinux-6.03'.
+tar -xvf $ARCHIVE_FILE -C ../work/syslinux
+
+cd ..
+

src/11_generate_iso.sh

@@ -6,6 +6,12 @@ cd $(ls -d *)
 WORK_KERNEL_DIR=$(pwd)
 cd ../../..
 
+# Find the Syslinux build directory.
+cd work/syslinux
+cd $(ls -d *)
+WORK_SYSLINUX_DIR=$(pwd)
+cd ../../..
+
 # Remove the old ISO file if it exists.
 rm -f minimal_linux_live.iso
 
@@ -16,17 +22,9 @@ rm -rf work/isoimage
 mkdir work/isoimage
 cd work/isoimage
 
-# Search and copy the files 'isolinux.bin' and 'ldlinux.c32'
-for i in lib lib64 share end ; do
-    if [ -f /usr/$i/syslinux/isolinux.bin ]; then
-        cp /usr/$i/syslinux/isolinux.bin .
-        if [ -f /usr/$i/syslinux/ldlinux.c32 ]; then
-            cp /usr/$i/syslinux/ldlinux.c32 .
-        fi;
-        break;
-    fi;
-    if [ $i = end ]; then exit 1; fi;
-done
+# Copy the precompiled files 'isolinux.bin' and 'ldlinux.c32' in the ISO image root folder.
+cp $WORK_SYSLINUX_DIR/bios/core/isolinux.bin .
+cp $WORK_SYSLINUX_DIR/bios/com32/elflink/ldlinux/ldlinux.c32 .
 
 # Now we copy the kernel.
 cp $WORK_KERNEL_DIR/arch/x86/boot/bzImage ./kernel.bz

src/build_minimal_linux_live.sh

@@ -10,5 +10,6 @@ sh 06_get_busybox.sh
 sh 07_build_busybox.sh
 sh 08_generate_rootfs.sh
 sh 09_pack_rootfs.sh
-sh 10_generate_iso.sh
+sh 10_get_syslinux.sh
+sh 11_generate_iso.sh