SLAX - USB Troubles

[V.T. Eric Layton]

OK, here's what happened. I was trying to update my SLAX installation on my thumb drive toolbox. I used my own tutorial instructions. It didn't work.--> I d-loaded and md5sum chk'd the file in Slack--> I formated using parted from the command line in Slack--> I installed as user in Slack--> I installed as root in Slack--> I ran bootinst.sh from the command line in Slack--> I formated using Win XP--> I installed from within Win XP--> I ran bootinst.bat in WIn XP--> I did this on three different thumb drives (one that was brand new out-of-the-package)--> The drives all work for other thingsNO JOY! The USB will not boot on my desktop or my laptop. It acts as though there is nothing to boot. What am I doing wrong here? Any suggestions, folks?Thanks in advance...~Eric

[Urmas]

Not an answer to your question, but have you tried a "dedicated tool" (such a UNetBootin)?

[V.T. Eric Layton]

Nope.

[sunrat]

I had a similar problem a while ago with Puppy on a USB stick. Turned out I had to format the entire device rather than create a partition and format that. There's a special utility in Puppy to do that, GParted won't do it. Not sure if that's your problem but maybe?

[Frank Golden]

What Urmas said.http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/Unetbootin has a entry for SLAX.There is a Windows version of Unetbootin.It will run in Win 7 or XP and it is standalone, no install.Try using the dropdown entry for SLAX (latest_live) first.Then use the diskimage field to browse to your SLAX .iso.If the distribution dropdown doesn't work then skip that field and go straight to the diskimage field.Make sure your flash drive is connected before starting Unetbootin.If you have an Ubuntu install available try Multisysystem.http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2010/07/easily-...boot-usb-stick/Follow the directions to install in Ubuntu and then try to install SLAX that way.Make sure the drive is formatted FAT 16 before trying the install.With MultiSystem you can install a slew of other distros\linux based tools to your thumb drive.Of course you need an appropriately sized drive.Multisystem will create a GRUB menu on the drive.

Edited November 22, 2010 by Frank Golden

[zlim]

I use this http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb...-easy-as-1-2-3/and then point it to the .ISO I want. If the distro isn't in the list (version must match), the last item says other.I've made 4 different USB bootable sticks with different distros that I can use to boot up my ASUS eeepc netbook.The tool, I use on a windows computer because I've heard windows versions work better than linux versions. The ISOs were also downloaded to a windows computer.

Edited November 23, 2010 by zlim

[V.T. Eric Layton]

OK, guys. Thanks for the replies. I'll get back to this tomorrow sometime.

[ChipDoc]

I hate to ask this, but did you set the USB above the HD and DVD in the BIOS?Yeah, I figured that'd have been something you checked early. Sorry...

[V.T. Eric Layton]

I don't change my BIOS boot settings to boot different devices. My BIOS has a function key option at POST that allows me to choose whatever I want to boot... CD, DVD, Zip drive, etc.

[Frank Golden]

I don't change my BIOS boot settings to boot different devices. My BIOS has a function key option at POST that allows me to choose whatever I want to boot... CD, DVD, Zip drive, etc.

Real handy feature. My Acer uses F12 to access the feature.I use it a lot.

[abarbarian]

F8 get me the boot menu on my Asus M2N32 mobo.

[zlim]

Today's mini-rant: I wish there would be standardization on the keys to enter BIOS and for a boot menu. On the front or sides of almost every computer in the house I have part of a mailing label pasted giving me the key to enter the BIOS and the key to enter the boot menu. It appears onscreen on a few computers but I'm not always quick enough when I turn a computer on to hit the proper key and I don't like to keep rebooting. So I have my tiny cheat sheet pasted on a computer.

[V.T. Eric Layton]

@ Frank... Yes. I love that feature. I hate it when I work on someone else's system and find myself having to modify BIOS settings just to boot my thumb drive.@ Liz... AYE! +1 for some sort of standardization there.

[securitybreach]

In my experiences, most every new computer has this feature, it is the old one who lack the options.

[vonbiber]

Eric,You didn't mention which file you downloaded. I think there were some issueswith the tar archive (some users couldn't boot from it).I never had a problem with the iso files.If you have a brand new thumbdrive you shouldn't need to partition or format.Anyways, here are the steps I' go thru if I wanted to install slax on avfat-formatted stick (with a single partition)1. First find out the device nameOn my laptop I just have one internal hard drive so I know that the devicename would be sdb. But let's suppose I'm doing this from someone else's computer.Before I plug in the device I run this command

grep 'sd[a-z]$' /proc/partitions

Then I plug it in, wait for a few seconds, and run the command again

grep 'sd[a-z]$' /proc/partitions

The new name that appears is the usb drive. From now on I'll assume it's sdbAlso from now on I should be logged in as root.PARTITIONI run fdisk on the device

fdisk /dev/sdb

The useful commands to know for fdisk arep for displaying the current state of the partitionsn for creating a new partitiond for deleting a partitiont for changing the type of the partitionq to quit without changing anythingw to commit the changes and exit

n

I'm asked if I want a primary (p) or an extended (e) partitionI answer

p

I select 1 for the partition number (1st partition)By default the new partition has type 83 (linux). To change thetype to an 32-bit ms-dos I type in t (change the type) then cIf you don't know the code for the type you want type in

l

to list all the different types recognized by fdisk and their corresponding codes.I set the boot flag for the first partition

a

...I save and exit

w

THE ISO FILEMount it

mkdir -p /mnt/isomount -o loop slax_some_version.iso /mnt/iso

mount the usb device

mkdir -p /mnt/sdb1mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt/sdb1

copy all the files from the iso to the thumbdrive

cd /mnt/isocp -R * /mnt/sdb1sync

MAKE THE STICK BOOTABLE

cd /mnt/sdb1/boot./bootinst.sh

REBOOT

cdumount /mnt/sdb1shutdown -r now

Hope this helps

[V.T. Eric Layton]

I was using the .tar archive, Von. Maybe that was the issue. I'll try your method using the .iso. Thanks for the info! I'll keep ya' posted on what happens.

[V.T. Eric Layton]

Well, urinate on it. That didn't work either. I just get this when I boot the USB:Operating system not foundOperating system not foundOperating system not foundOperating system not foundOperating system not foundOperating system not foundOperating system not foundOperating system not foundOperating system not foundOperating system not foundOperating system not foundOperating system not foundOperating system not foundad nauseum.The funny thing is that I can't even get the older version of Slax that was previously installed to install again... on any thumb drive. I give up. I'm going to go to Puppy or DSL, I guess. :(Thanks for trying, Von!

[V.T. Eric Layton]

I'm obviously doing something wrong here. I get the exact same results with DSL. :(I'm going to have to walk away from this for a while...

[abarbarian]

Don't know if it helps but I used the 688 MB version of Knoppix burnt it to a cd and then used that with Knoppix's own tool to load it to a USB stick. Worked fine. http://torrent.unix-ag.uni-kl.de/

[vonbiber]

obviously it's not a slax issueI suppose you downloaded one of these iso versionsthe PAE versionftp://ftp.slax.org/SLAX-6.x/slax-6.2.0.isoor the previous version (no PAE)ftp://ftp.slax.org/SLAX-6.x/slax-6.1.2.isothe PAE in case you have 4GB or more of RAM.Try this to test your thumbdrive If you have the slackware dvd iso there's a usb image located at

usb-and-pxe-installers/usbboot.img

You can transfer that image to your thumbdrive bya) inserting the stick (don't mount it) running the command

dd if=usbboot.img of=/dev/sdx bs=512

that should get you a bootable drive with a mini OS on it.If that's the case you can then try again slax, but this time starting all over from fdiskyou might even (although it shouldn't be necessary) erase the MBR

dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdx bs=512 count=1

then proceed with fdisk, mkdosfs, ...Of course you should replace /dev/sdx by the actual name of your device(/dev/sdb, ...)Good luck

[V.T. Eric Layton]

I'm sure it's something very stupid on my part. I just can't see the forest for the trees at the moment. I'll get back to this in a while. I've bookmarked this thread. I'll come back and play around with it in a few days.Thanks!

[V.T. Eric Layton]

I use this http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb...-easy-as-1-2-3/and then point it to the .ISO I want. If the distro isn't in the list (version must match), the last item says other.I've made 4 different USB bootable sticks with different distros that I can use to boot up my ASUS eeepc netbook.The tool, I use on a windows computer because I've heard windows versions work better than linux versions. The ISOs were also downloaded to a windows computer.

Liz, just tried this little app from my XP installation. It acted like all went well, but still no boot. I'm getting pretty flustered over this. I may have to wait till I can scrounge up a few pennies to get another flash drive. I want to try this on a brand new one. Only one of the three I have is still in the package, but it's a large volume one. I don't want to waste it on something that only needs a couple Gig to run.I'll get back to this and let y'all know what happens. Thanks for the help.Later...

[zlim]

Sure sounds suspect if nothing seems to work.I've donated my small USB sticks to senior citizens who only knew floppies. Otherwise, I'd have one to send. I'm trying to teach them before they get a new computer with no floppy drive, how the latest hardware works.

[ChipDoc]

I'm getting pretty flustered over this. I may have to wait till I can scrounge up a few pennies to get another flash drive. I want to try this on a brand new one.

I doubt that it's a hardware issue. If that were the case, the machine most likely wouldn't be able to see it at all. You might try formatting the stick and trying again. At least that should give you a tabula rasa.

[zlim]

This tool http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb...-easy-as-1-2-3/ does format the drive and tells you it is going to do so before it runs so you can back out if you wish.

[V.T. Eric Layton]

I've done numerous formats and reinstalls on two different flash drives, on two different computers, on three different operating systems. The flash drives won't boot on either my desktop or laptop. The same flash drive with an older version of SLAX always worked fine. I think it's an issue with the MBR on these flash drives. I think I've boogered them up somehow; hence, waiting on the new flash drive to try.

[abarbarian]

Have you tried Boot and Nuke'ing the drives before doing a format ? Apparently the new beta version will do USB's.http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=675425http://www.dban.org/beta/index.htmlhttp://sourceforge.net/projects/dban/files...eta.2007042900/

[securitybreach]

Oh I love Boot and Nuke. I keep an updated cdrom all the time. You never know when you might need it.

[V.T. Eric Layton]

Nope. Haven't tried that. I just don't understand how Fdisk, parted, nor Windows XP's formating tool cannot be clearing this flash drive.NOTE: Just a reminder... the flash drives work fine for all other purposes. They just won't boot Slax (or DSL).

[V.T. Eric Layton]

Well, brand new flash drive right out of the package... Install SLAX as per SLAX instructions.Make bootable as per SLAX instructions.SLAX will STILL NOT boot from either of my machines. Same BS... No Operating System Found.I give up. Life is way too short to be piddling around with this. It's too bad, too. I never should have upgrade that original SLAX. It was working fine. Hmm... I'll have to carry a Hirens CD around with me now when I go to help my family/friends with their MS Windows woes. :(Later...