USB booting :: boot from cd to usb

Is it possibleto boot from cd then flip over to usb I tried the command :
fromhd=/dev/sda

Im not sure if I tried this right as it didnt work. My laptop (HP pavilion zt1260) has aboot from usb floppy option but it doesnt seem to work. the usb key is a kingston 1gb data traveller and it works fine on my toshiba. Anyway I can boot into DSL from a live cd on the HP but I would like the flexibility of a saved dsl that I can change to my likings ie:sources.list

thanks,
h0ju

Afaik, theres a usb-zip and usb-hdd modes.. and the boot option from usb floppy would probably be usb-zip (it depends on what your computer supports).

Are you sure its connected in /dev/sda ?
I don't understand why you would just want to load the KNOPPIX/dsl image from usb.

You could always use a grub boot floppy/cd/hdd to boot the usb I suppose, or edit the {sys|iso}linux boot cfg on the dsl cd.

You could also just boot from cd, manually mount the usb, and load your backups from there (if that's what you meant by your last sentence...)

there must be a partition number;
e.g fromhd=/dev/sda1

if you just want to save stuff, use : restore=/dev/sda1

well not that speed is a problem but it is quicker than reading from the cd. Also I would like to use the usb so I can move from laptop to laptop and maintain settings for each...I suppose restore would work but on that note I havent been able to backup to the usb drive yet. Freezes up.

original here.