Most of the following taken from : http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/151992-install-xp-from-usb-without-extra-tools/, just modified to include syslinux support.
Let me know if there are any omissions; it an XP installer bluescreens on boot for me so I can’t actually test.
- Obtain an XP iso file
- Format drive with one FAT parition, marked bootable.
syslinux -i /dev/sdXX
$ cp /usr/lib/syslinux/bios/mbr.bin >/dev/sdX
$ mount /dev/sdXX /mnt
mkdir /tmp/xp_iso mount xp.iso /tmp/xp_iso cp -ar /tmp/xp_iso/* /mnt umount /tmp/xp_iso rmdir xp_iso
cp /usr/lib/syslinux/bios/{chain.c32,libutil.c32,menu.c32,libcom.c32} /mnt
cp /mnt/I386/{NTDETECT.COM,SETUPLDR.BIN,TXTSETUP.SIF} /mnt
Edit /mnt/syslinux.cfg:
UI menu.c32# Windows XP LABEL windows_xp MENU LABEL Run Windows ^XP Setup COM32 chain.c32 APPEND fs ntldr=SETUPLDR.BIN
umount /mnt
Boot from the USB stick