broken link /etc/extlinux.conf in syslinux-extlinux because /boot/extlinux/extlinux.conf is missing

[Walter H.]

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1016304  <-- still relevant 
for fc36(!)

Why?

Thanks,

Walter

[stan]

On Tue, 23 Aug 2022 19:45:24 +0200
"Walter H. via users" <users(a)lists.fedoraproject.org&gt; wrote:

>  https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1016304  <-- still
>  relevant for fc36(!)
>  
>  Why? 
I think the answer is that no one has done the work.  It has been a
long time since I had anything to do with syslinux.  From reading at
this link,
https://wiki.syslinux.org/wiki/index.php?title=Config
it was contemporary with lilo as the main bootloader, but for booting
install media (including floppies, where I recall it from). I thought it
might be obsolete because of its age, but it turns out that there are
several packages that are dependent on it (I used dnf to try to remove
it, and there they were).

After perusing the link above a little, I think that any default
extlinux.conf file in /boot/extlinux/ would be incorrect, as it needs
the location of the kernel and the kernel options added [1], and they
need to be relative to the file system on the media. Anyway, at the
link above there is a sample extlinux.conf that you could try, after
putting in the kernel you actually want to boot, and the kernel options
you want to use.  If it works, you could then update the ticket with
that information, and the extlinux.conf file that worked, so that it
could be added to the package if there is a kind soul willing to do the
work. Or, since they will likely be more knowledgeable than I am, they
might be able to explain why it wouldn't work.

1. This could be automated by changing grubby so that when a new kernel
is installed, the options are added to /boot/extlinux/extlinux.conf the
same way they are to the boot stanzas in /boot/loader/entries.  But that
again requires someone to do the work.

[Walter H.]

On 23.08.2022 20:59, stan via users wrote:
>  On Tue, 23 Aug 2022 19:45:24 +0200
>  "Walter H. via users" <users(a)lists.fedoraproject.org&gt; wrote:
>
> > https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1016304  <-- still
> > relevant for fc36(!)
> >
> > Why?
>  I think the answer is that no one has done the work.  It has been a
>  long time since I had anything to do with syslinux.  From reading at
>  this link,
>  https://wiki.syslinux.org/wiki/index.php?title=Config
>  it was contemporary with lilo as the main bootloader, but for booting
>  install media (including floppies, where I recall it from). I thought it
>  might be obsolete because of its age, but it turns out that there are
>  several packages that are dependent on it (I used dnf to try to remove
>  it, and there they were).
>
>  After perusing the link above a little, I think that any default
>  extlinux.conf file in /boot/extlinux/ would be incorrect, as it needs
>  the location of the kernel and the kernel options added [1], and they
>  need to be relative to the file system on the media. Anyway, at the
>  link above there is a sample extlinux.conf that you could try, after
>  putting in the kernel you actually want to boot, and the kernel options
>  you want to use.  If it works, you could then update the ticket with
>  that information, and the extlinux.conf file that worked, so that it
>  could be added to the package if there is a kind soul willing to do the
>  work. Or, since they will likely be more knowledgeable than I am, they
>  might be able to explain why it wouldn't work. 
Just the unorthodox question, may I simple remove the link (rm -f 
/etc/extlinux.conf)?

I noticed this, when I did the following in folder /etc

grep PATTERN /etc/* -r

Thanks,

Walter

[stan]

On Wed, 24 Aug 2022 09:05:21 +0200
"Walter H. via users" <users(a)lists.fedoraproject.org&gt; wrote:

>  Just the unorthodox question, may I simple remove the link (rm -f 
>  /etc/extlinux.conf)?
>  
>  I noticed this, when I did the following in folder /etc
>  
>  grep PATTERN /etc/* -r 
Yes.  But whenever syslinux-extlinux is updated, it will recreate the
broken link.  I think that only happens after mass rebuilds, so
probably only after upgrades to a new version of fedora.

[Walter H.]

On 24.08.2022 16:19, stan via users wrote:
>  On Wed, 24 Aug 2022 09:05:21 +0200
>  "Walter H. via users" <users(a)lists.fedoraproject.org&gt; wrote:
>
> > Just the unorthodox question, may I simple remove the link (rm -f
> > /etc/extlinux.conf)?
> >
> > I noticed this, when I did the following in folder /etc
> >
> > grep PATTERN /etc/* -r
>  Yes.  But whenever syslinux-extlinux is updated, it will recreate the
>  broken link.  I think that only happens after mass rebuilds, so
>  probably only after upgrades to a new version of fedora. 
ok, I did

dnf remove syslinux-extlinux

and after a reboot everything was fine, the link was removed - no need 
of this package ;-)

[stan]

On Wed, 24 Aug 2022 18:25:08 +0200
"Walter H. via users" <users(a)lists.fedoraproject.org&gt; wrote:

>  ok, I did
>  
>  dnf remove syslinux-extlinux
>  
>  and after a reboot everything was fine, the link was removed - no
>  need of this package ;-) 
That's certainly the way to take care of the issue and be sure it
never comes back!