USB booting :: Can't find DSL -- 4.0 & syslinux

DSL 4.0 is running fine from CD on the test box.

Tried USB pendrive install. First, I zeroed the partition table with "cfdisk -z /dev/sda". Checked good. I then ran the install script from the menu. It never asked the source of the image (disk, file, etc.) but that may be a change in this version. After the script finished, it closed the window. (Please DON'T do that; can't check results.) Mounted /sda1 and /sda2 and checked. Looked good.

Created new syslinux boot diskette from ibiblio...curent/bootfloppy-usb.img. Verified md5 and wrote to disk.

When I boot via floppy, I get a quick syslinux mention on screen, then it goes dark, followed by DSL welcome. I hit enter (don't see my floppy syslinux DSL boot options on boot line), and then I get a herd of messages about "Looking for DSL image in: /dev/sxx" where we cycle from /dev/sdb1 through /dev/sdgx.

I then get the message "Accessing DSL Linux at /dev/sda1...cat No File /Knoppix/etc.ld.so.cache" some not found messages about basic utilities like rm, followed by a kernel panic.

The problem seems to be that the USB install script puts the following in /sda1

-rwx------ 1 dougz dougz 0 2007-10-24 18:10 backup.tar.gz
drwx------ 2 dougz dougz 8192 2007-10-24 18:10 mydsl

and the following in /sda2

drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 1024 2007-10-24 14:08 boot
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 1024 2007-10-24 14:08 KNOPPIX
-r--r--r-- 1 root root 1005209 2007-10-24 14:10 linux24
drwx------ 2 root root 12288 2007-10-24 14:08 lost+found
-r--r--r-- 1 root root 856748 2007-10-24 14:10 minirt24.gz

and either the syslinux process was expecting DSL to be in /sda1 or can't find it for some other reason.

Suggestions on how to troubleshoot?

That layout is normal. Be sure to use the boot floppy for 4.0.
It is currently still under the release candidate area. I need to do some housekeeping to try to have both 3,x and 4.x in current, at least for a while. And be sure to use the boot option of fromusb

There is also an improved waitusb option

On my system I use:

boot: fromusb waitusb

Thanks, roberts. USB booting works for me now.

roberts said --

Quote

On my system I use:

boot: fromusb waitusb

Didn't work for me. I had to use --

Quote

boot: dsl fromusb waitusb

A point of clarification for the easily confused (like me). The release_candidate directory does not have a bootfloppy-usb.img. One simply uses the bootfloppy.img (from the release_candidate directory) to write the boot floppy.

Boot that floppy with the "fromusb waitusb" options. The floppy's syslinux loads linux24 from floppy (with USB drivers) and that mini-Linux loads the goodies from your USB stick, along with your backup, mydsl, etc. Lots of informative status info during the boot.

Edit the syslinux.cfg on the floppy to set the boot options & defaults.

It's really nice to be able to use this antique computer with a pen drive Linux!

Glad to hear it is working.
My bad. Shouldn't post before I fully wake up!

Indeed it is:

boot: dsl fromusb waitusb

The waitusb may not be needed. But does no harm.

I have since made a subdirectory for DSL v3.x and moved all 3.x related files there.

I have moved the 4.0 boot floppy images to the current directory along side the 4.0 release.

original here.