USB booting :: usb boot



So what is the other way...and why is a cd out?...
I use a boot floppy to boot dsl2.4 and puppy4, I use a boot cd to boot slax...
I realize that floppy is obsolete in modern computers  but my box boots cd as do many so a boot cd could be n available download maby?...I am enjoying the live cd but would like on thumb..
Is the installer supposed to disappear when complete...
if the install is good I just need a computer that boot usb?
a work in progress...as are they all

Quote
So what is the other way...and why is a cd out?...
I use a boot floppy to boot dsl2.4 and puppy4, I use a boot cd to boot slax...
I realize that floppy is obsolete in modern computers  but my box boots cd as do many so a boot cd could be n available download maby?...I am enjoying the live cd but would like on thumb..


the easiest way to boot dsl from usb is actually to use the cd as a bootloader. since you are using a floppy, i assumed that you couldn't or didn't want to use the cd for booting. options that work with the floppy are limited, puppy seems to be the only distro with a floppy for this purpose anymore. note the floppy uses a non-free usb driver from panasonic, iirc. most distros opt not to distribute such a driver. i don't have anything against people booting from floppy, i'd be happy if someone put the floppy image online again.

to boot dsl from cd and usb all you need is a cd, and a usb key, then copy a couple of files (probably the two biggest files) from the cd to the key. when the cd boots, you use the bootcodes fromhd=/dev/sda1 mydsl=sda1 waitusb=5 ...where sda1 is your usual partition on the key. you can use a less than up to date dsl cd to boot the newest version of dsl, if the newest version is on your usb key, because it's actually booting from the dsl image on the key.

the other way i boot from usb is to use extlinux, but i use another distro to put the bootloader on the key, and then it should be easy to boot dsl from it. a friendly extlinux package for dsl could make using another distro for this task unnecessary.

using the boot cd and a usb key with bootcodes will let you boot the latest dsl without burning a cd again, and let you keep mydsl packages on the key. you can also backup and restore your home folder on boot with restore=sda1 ... i don't recommend extlinux if you can't boot from usb anyway. besides, everything else i've told you allows you to use a regular fat32 windows-compatible key, extlinux requires you to make it ext2.

I am in a similar situation with external floppy (bootable from bios) coming over mail, no internal CD, and working usb DSL made from XP machine but unfortunately my thinkpad 560Z can not boot directly from bios setting.

I will need a bootable floppy that will direct the USB DSL to load the program, now anyone know how to do this so this newbie can attempt it?

gychang

Thanks tobiaus
I get it now..I installed to usb then boot the live cd and type in the ccodes..dsl dma dsl vga=normal dsl fromhd=sda2 dsl restore=sda1
this boots the thumb and restores my system...I can then remove the cd and free the cdrom..great

it is the same as useing the usb boot floppy on the older version. perhaps the available boot floppy can do this also...I will have to play later

I am curious i f I boot from usb via bios on another machine will I then just type dsl restore=sda1 as grub will boot sda2...another play session
thanks


original here.