USB stick boot: Lexar problems

Forum: Other Help Topics
Topic: USB stick boot: Lexar problems
started by: 87C751

Posted by 87C751 on Aug. 20 2004,03:34

I'm not sure what's going on here. I've got 4 different USB sticks booting, but they're all USB 1.1. Tonight, I picked up a 128MB LexarJumpDrive Sport. I just love the form factor! It would actually live on my keyring without getting pulverized. But I cannot get it to boot!

In fact, my other USB 2.0 Lexar will not boot, either. I get symptoms ranging from booting the initrd and then failing to mount the Knoppix filesystem to "Boot failure" to hanging at the BIOS memory self-test. I have tried replacing the MBR with the SysLinux version. I tried a Gentoo install-mbr. I have blown away and recreated partitions til I'm ready to audition for the Blue Man Group. I've tried 3 versions of SysLinux from 2.04 to 2.11-pre3. Hell, I even booted the laptop into 98 and reformatted it natively! No joy. But I tossed a fast install onto an otherwise virgin 128 MB USB 1.1 JumpDrive and she booted right up. :angry:

I'll haul the sticks to work tomorrow and see if they will boot my workbox (brand-new Intel mobo, boots great from my generic 1.1 stick, but then, so does my XPC). That will at least narrow it down to whether it's my Shuttle/Athlon/nVidia mini-ITX or a generic Lexar problem. But I thought I'd bounce it off you folks to see if this is a known Lexar and/or USB 2.0 issue. I'd really like a portable bootable environment hanging off my keyring.

Posted by ke4nt1 on Aug. 20 2004,03:49

It was my understanding that DSL only supported usb 1.1

73
ke4nt

Posted by SaidinUnleashed on Aug. 20 2004,04:00

i have no problems booting from my generic usb2 stick, but lately, the Lexar stick (1.1) has been giving me fits.

sounds like a Lexar problem...

-J.P.
SaidinUnleashed

Posted by 87C751 on Aug. 20 2004,04:34

I don't think it's a 2.0 support thang. If I boot from a CD, I can mount the USB stick just fine and manipulate files. I'd expect worst-case 1.1 speeds. Anyway, most of the time, I don't get even as far as the kernel.

I'll see what the workbox has to say tomorrow (oops... this) morning.

Posted by 87C751 on Aug. 20 2004,12:30

Well, it's definitely not a USB 2.0 or a Lexar problem. The workbox booted right up off my Sport drive, so the problem lies with the Shuttle XPC at home. It's one of those where you need to select which of 4 types of USB devices you wanna boot from. USB-ZIP has been working for me, but apparently not on the new stick.

Someone in another thread mentioned using grub on a USB stick. I might give that a try this weekend.

Slightly related: is there a good version of dd for Windows? Putting a bootfloppy image on the stick, along with the tool to create the disk, seems like a good idea.

Posted by ronin712 on Aug. 26 2004,16:52

USB-Zip does not work in all cases; it depends on how the USB drive exposes itself. I have a PQI i-stick that will only boot when I set the BIOS to boot to USB-hard drive.

Basically, you have to try every option your BIOS gives you for USB boot devices and hope one works.

Posted by 87C751 on Aug. 26 2004,19:23

Yep, I tried 'em all. The Shuttle box does not want to boot either of my 2.0 sticks.

Of course, the whole exercise ir really being able to boot from the USB stick on J. Random 'Puter out in the field (which may or may not work). I can always boot the home box from a 1.1 stick, if need be. And at home, it's more for show.