feedback + request for help on USB-pen-drive
Forum: User Feedback
Topic: feedback + request for help on USB-pen-drive
started by: Key
Posted by Key on Mar. 15 2006,20:27
After 3 days of trying by myself without success, I finally decided to register to this forum. I have some experience with Knoppix, but I don't want to use a CD all the time (also my CD-drive don't work anymore on my internet PC). Some minutes ago, I had a look to the Puppy Linux, as this has also been recommended by some users. I didn't play long time with it, because DSL looks more beautiful with its Knoppix-style in the beginning and its blue background colors.Some words to my installation:
I have made an "USB-ZIP" installation on a 512 MB USB-pen.
As my old notebook can't boot from USB, I have made an "USB-Bootfloppy" as well, where I start with on my 128 MB Ram Notebook. After the first booting steps from this floppy, the USB-pen will make the rest of the loading-process automatically. Everything works fine. USB-pen has 2 partitions: sda1 and sda2 (with a backup-file).
Problems with installation of Opera850.uci:
There were no problems with installing this application automatically into the dsl-home (ramdisc) by the MyDSL tool, but I can't get it permanently to sda1.
I have read a lot of posts here in this forum. I tried boot options like "expert frugal" as well as "dsl write (which has not been known by DSL). I made an "/options" directory in the root. I made an "/options" directory in "/mnt/sda1" where I copied this file. I always get the message that there is not enough space on device. I assume that there is only an access to the ramdisc? I had some success when I have copied the Opera850.uci file to sda2 partition and booted this with the myDSL option, but this is not really satisfying. Also with this solution, my changed settings in Opera haven't been stored anywhere. Everytime I have to adjust the Opera-settings (home-page etc) again.
Another strange thing that I have discovered:
I read, that the mouse speed can be changed, by adding "xset m 5" to the "/home/dsl/.xinitrc" file. Although I have saved this file after editing, it has been the same (unchanged) file as before with next booting. I assume that this was also only in the ramdisc?
I wonder if somebody can help me on these problems?
How can I make my 512 MB DSL - installed USB - pendrive writeable, when I have booted with a floppy disc before.
I would be very happy, if there is an easy solution.
Thank you very much.
Posted by Key on Mar. 15 2006,22:08
Now I also have tried the "dsl toram" boot option.Unfortunately it doesn't help.
With this option, I have got some note regarding "cdrom2" during booting. "This could not be installed" or something like that.
sda1 is mounted and I couldn't unmount it. When I want to unmount it, I get the message "busy".
My USB-bootfloppy is (hardware) write protected.
Maybe it is not the ramdisk, but the bootfloppy where the system tries to save the files to?
I still get the message: "no or not enough (?) space on device".
One more thing I have to add:
When I want to power-down the system with shutdown or also with reboot, the system seems like to hang. After some seconds, the mouse arrow can't be moved anymore. After some further seconds, there is a double-beep out of the speaker. To proceed, I have to switch of the computer.
Somebody can help?
Posted by doobit on Mar. 15 2006,23:14
Yes, toram unmounts the USB pendrive. Possibly a few of your problems have the same cause. Make sure you click the backup/restore button in the dsl panel and enter sda1.
Posted by roberts on Mar. 16 2006,01:06
If you are running usb-zip then your first partition is only 50MB.It is too small for backup or extensions. You should use sda2 which in your case is the remainder of the pendrive. Plenty of space there.
So, nothing strange going on. The challenge of DSL, is that it can be installed in so many ways as well as booted in many ways. Therefore the actual number of ways to use DSL grows quite large!
If you pendrive was usb-hdd install then it is one large partition. in which case sda1 would be the correct answer.
Again, in your case, usb-zip the extensions that you want to save should be copied into sda2 and use the mydsl=hda2 option.
These partitions declarations/warning are displayed when the install is started, i.e., one small partition and the remaining or one single large partition up to the supported limit.
It would be true, in any Linux distro, if your partition is too small, you will soon be out of space.
If you boot with toram, then you would have to mount the pendrive.
So, easy solution for usb-zip type install.
use sda2 as backup device
add restore=sda2 which I believe is already setup for this type install
add mydsl=sda2 and your extensions will autoload if copied as root there.
Posted by Key on Mar. 16 2006,06:43
Ah, now I understand. Thank you!I did not use install from the boot-options command-line, but from the "pen drive install" when you click right mouse-button on desktop. I think this is the same. Strange was that I wasn't able to do an USB-HDD installation, as I always got the message that this is not supported, although this bios is able to handle USB-ZIP, USB-HDD and USB-FDD. Finally I decided for USB-ZIP, where the installation is fine for newer and older computer.
Boot: dsl restore=sda2 mydsl=sda2 .. works perfect now.
Maybe I had to install the application with these boot-options, maybe it is because I have mounted sda2 somewhen between. Im lucky that it works now and when I boot from USB-pen, my sda2 is mounted now automatically during boot which wasn't before. Also "xset m 5" is now saved in "/home/dsl/.xinitrc". Perfect!
Two more questions I have:
1 ) Unfortunately, I still have a problem with shutdown/reboot on my Thinkpad notebook. Like written in the prior post, there is nothing (no change) in the first seconds. Next is that the mouse arrow can't be moved anymore. Then some more seconds later, there comes a double-beep out of the speaker. That's all. Screen is same as before, but the whole system hangs / is frozen. This happens all the time on reboot / shutdown on my Thinkpad notebook. I have tried exactly the same (floppy & usb-pen) on my ordinary computer, where this works fine. What could be the problem on a Thinkpad 3xx notebook? I am using DSL 2.3 RC1.
2) I didn't fully understand this thing with destroying the USB-pens due to too my write-accesses. What do I have to care about on pen-drive installation? Is a swap partition been done automatically during installation which I have to remove now manually? Do I have to use the toram option in order to extend the lifetime of the USB-pen? When does DSL write to the USB-pen? I don't remember, but I think my sda1 and sda2 are mounted both after booting. Unfortunately I can't check them for any write-accesses.
Posted by Key on Mar. 16 2006,08:12
Found a similar post to my question 1 now, at:< http://damnsmalllinux.org/cgi-bin....97;st=0 >
Unfortunately, there is also no solution yet
Posted by roberts on Mar. 16 2006,19:09
| Quote |
| I didn't fully understand this thing with destroying the USB-pens due to too my write-accesses. What do I have to care about on pen-drive installation? Is a swap partition been done automatically during installation which I have to remove now manually? Do I have to use the toram option in order to extend the lifetime of the USB-pen? When does DSL write to the USB-pen? I don't remember, but I think my sda1 and sda2 are mounted both after booting. Unfortunately I can't check them for any write-accesses. |
If you have used one the frugal installs to pendrive and you did not select the persistent home or opt then you should be fine.
toram has no effect on writes to the pendrive. toram only allows for quicker reading once loaded into ram, as the reads are from ramdisk and not from flash device. If you have a usb1.1 it is very noticeable. But the initial load into ram takes a while. Think like cdrom. toram makes for faster performance, but obviously does not wite to cdrom. Running pendrive is the same concept.
Using toram or not, all the writeable areas are on the ramdisk and only when one performs a backup either manually or automatically, once established, via a shutdown. This is like using the flash device as a super large floppy and thus should not be a problem.
No swap partition is created via the standard install script.
On the otherhand, some users will try to do a traditional hard drive install to pendrive. This will cause excessive writes and thus shorten the life of the pendrive. Also, deploying the home= and opt=, persistentcy, i.e., a hybrid of frugal/traditional will also cause exessive write to the pendrive and thus not recommended.