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So, why Syslinux?
Syslinux eliminates the fragments or entries produced by GRUB2 + os-prober (autoscan), that's all what it does,
I just want my entries to be neat and tidy really.. 
Requirements:
1. EasyBCD (Download) (Download From Attachment)
2. Hiren's Boot CD [Link] and burn it into a disk, bootable USB will also work
3. A Linux Distro of your choice (If you already have one installed, that's fine) - This is just a back up repair disk in case you break both loaders at the same time which is very unlikely to happen.
4. Gparted - Allows us to change/assign bootflags on different boot partitions. | Download or go to
and download the latest stable release.
5. Time
6. Computer
7. Patience
8. Common Sense
9. A bit of Researching and Reading
WARNING: This tutorial may require you to reboot your PC multiple times.
Before we start, install EasyBCD, we will use this later on to fix the MBR, (Yes we're going to break the mbr for a short period of time
)
without further do let's start..
Step 1: Install Linux Distro (You can skip this if you've already installed your Linux box)
Install Linux distro of your choice, it can be anything Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, Debian, Slackware etc. It's all up to you. (Take note of your partitioning order, this is very important)
i.e.
Sufix numbers (sda1, sda2, sda3) can vary depending on how many operating system currently installed on your computer.
You probably have or prefer different partitioning scheme, but this is the standard and the way you should lay out your partitions. I recommend doing it this way for neatness as well as consistency purposes and so that both root and home partitions can share spaces if ever you run out of space on either one and want to grab some from root or the other - expandable. - Advanced stuff and not necessary, but if you got my point that's great! If not, don't worry as long as you followed what I have said.
Useful Tip: Always place boot partitions on top of the other partitions you have for that specific distro as possible.
Avoid:
I will not get into this thoroughly, this will be on a separate tutorial. :sorry: When you get into the stage where the installer asks as to where you want to install Grub2 loader, just select the very first 100mb partiton (/dev/sda) (Usually the default selected), then restart your computer after installation. You'll notice that Windows MBR has been replaced by GRUB2 loader, if that's the case then don't worry, we will fix this later on.
You can still boot Windows from Grub2 anyways.
Step 2:
Boot into your Windows OS then open EasyBCD, we're now going to fix the MBR.
Just click Write MBR and that will hopefully
restore your MBR loader.
That will restore back MBR like a brand spanking new as if we didn't do anything with it at all, I can guarantee you that next time you reboot you'll be back to the old black screen MBR, but don't close it yet, we still need add a new temporary GRUB2 entry, you can name it whatever you want (Autodetect will be fine),.
Then Click Add Entry. Double Check if the entry has been added > View Entries, then Reboot.
You may have to do that twice.. I don't really know why that happens (Probably a bug from EasyBCD).
Step 3:
Boot into your Linux distro at this time, now there are tons articles that covers Uninstalling and Replacing Grub2 with Syslinux and it varies from what distro you're using:
For Ubuntu and other debian based distro [Click Here, and Here], or Here
For Arch based distro: [Click Here]
You can apply these methods on to other distros as well, as long as you know the commands for installing, purging (that's the only difference I guess...) specifically for that distro you want to customize, or better ask Google I'm sure there will always be something in there you could take. This is lengthy topic so I will not go step by step, but hopefully you've already got the idea.
Step 4:
Reboot, then boot back to Windows
Open EasyBCD, Remove the Grub Entry
then Add another Entry, Choose Syslinux this time and select your /boot partition, (This is why you need to know your partitioning order) the partition you select must contain the syslinux that we've installed previously, if you don't have /boot partition or chose not to have one, you can just select the root partition, I know that this is my /boot partition because I know that I've allocated 600MB for it.
Check if the entry is added
Double check if it really exist
Windows MBR:
Ubuntu:
And that's it!!
Happy Holidays!
Of course you can theme this or customize the splash/background, font, font size etc... which I did not do.
Syslinux eliminates the fragments or entries produced by GRUB2 + os-prober (autoscan), that's all what it does,
I just want my entries to be neat and tidy really.. Requirements:
1. EasyBCD (Download) (Download From Attachment)
2. Hiren's Boot CD [Link] and burn it into a disk, bootable USB will also work
3. A Linux Distro of your choice (If you already have one installed, that's fine) - This is just a back up repair disk in case you break both loaders at the same time which is very unlikely to happen.
4. Gparted - Allows us to change/assign bootflags on different boot partitions. | Download or go to
Code:
http://gparted.org/download.php5. Time
6. Computer
7. Patience
8. Common Sense
9. A bit of Researching and Reading
WARNING: This tutorial may require you to reboot your PC multiple times.
Before we start, install EasyBCD, we will use this later on to fix the MBR, (Yes we're going to break the mbr for a short period of time
)without further do let's start..
Step 1: Install Linux Distro (You can skip this if you've already installed your Linux box)
Install Linux distro of your choice, it can be anything Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, Debian, Slackware etc. It's all up to you. (Take note of your partitioning order, this is very important)
i.e.
Sufix numbers (sda1, sda2, sda3) can vary depending on how many operating system currently installed on your computer.
You probably have or prefer different partitioning scheme, but this is the standard and the way you should lay out your partitions. I recommend doing it this way for neatness as well as consistency purposes and so that both root and home partitions can share spaces if ever you run out of space on either one and want to grab some from root or the other - expandable. - Advanced stuff and not necessary, but if you got my point that's great! If not, don't worry as long as you followed what I have said.
Useful Tip: Always place boot partitions on top of the other partitions you have for that specific distro as possible.
Avoid:
I will not get into this thoroughly, this will be on a separate tutorial. :sorry: When you get into the stage where the installer asks as to where you want to install Grub2 loader, just select the very first 100mb partiton (/dev/sda) (Usually the default selected), then restart your computer after installation. You'll notice that Windows MBR has been replaced by GRUB2 loader, if that's the case then don't worry, we will fix this later on.
You can still boot Windows from Grub2 anyways.Step 2:
Boot into your Windows OS then open EasyBCD, we're now going to fix the MBR.
Just click Write MBR and that will hopefully
restore your MBR loader.
That will restore back MBR like a brand spanking new as if we didn't do anything with it at all, I can guarantee you that next time you reboot you'll be back to the old black screen MBR, but don't close it yet, we still need add a new temporary GRUB2 entry, you can name it whatever you want (Autodetect will be fine),.
Then Click Add Entry. Double Check if the entry has been added > View Entries, then Reboot.
You may have to do that twice.. I don't really know why that happens (Probably a bug from EasyBCD).
Step 3:
Boot into your Linux distro at this time, now there are tons articles that covers Uninstalling and Replacing Grub2 with Syslinux and it varies from what distro you're using:
For Ubuntu and other debian based distro [Click Here, and Here], or Here
For Arch based distro: [Click Here]
You can apply these methods on to other distros as well, as long as you know the commands for installing, purging (that's the only difference I guess...) specifically for that distro you want to customize, or better ask Google
I'm sure there will always be something in there you could take. This is lengthy topic so I will not go step by step, but hopefully you've already got the idea.Step 4:
Reboot, then boot back to Windows
Open EasyBCD, Remove the Grub Entry
then Add another Entry, Choose Syslinux this time and select your /boot partition, (This is why you need to know your partitioning order) the partition you select must contain the syslinux that we've installed previously, if you don't have /boot partition or chose not to have one, you can just select the root partition, I know that this is my /boot partition because I know that I've allocated 600MB for it.
Check if the entry is added
Double check if it really exist
Windows MBR:
Ubuntu:
And that's it!!
Happy Holidays!Of course you can theme this or customize the splash/background, font, font size etc... which I did not do.
Last edited:
ty
ts bm muna
