USB thumb HDD install

Forum: USB booting
Topic: USB thumb HDD install
started by: spotslayer

Posted by spotslayer on July 25 2006,22:02

Is it possible to install dsl to a 2g usb stick?(with HDD install not ZIP) I have been trying for a day or two now and can't get it. I know it must be a geometry issue and have read much on the subject. I guess I just don't understand what I am reading. I have roberts paper in the wiki, I have tried cbaggers method using the latest syslinux downloaded yesterday. I have done theinstall on 1 256m, 1 512m and several 1g sticks. I have used the install
from the dsl gui menu as well as dslinstall from the command prompt. This is what shows near the end of the install.

Appling syslinux to pendrive partition
/dev/sda1: Cluster sizes larger than 16K not supported

When I try to boot I get this.

Could not find kernek image: linux
boot:

I am sure some one else must have solved this. Please give me a hand.

David

Posted by kerry on July 25 2006,23:13

if you install as a hdd you'll kill your usb stick faster because it reads and writes. have you tried partioning it into smaller partions so you can use some for regular storage accessable from any pc. i recoomend getting the gparted live cd for working with partions-> < http://gparted.sourceforge.net/livecd.php >

Posted by spotslayer on July 26 2006,00:39

Hi kerry,

Well the actual install I am trying to do and have done on the other thumb drives is from the apps>tools>install to usb pendrive>for usb-hdd pendrive. This does a frugal install. I have not cut the pendrive up into smaller partitions as I need to access from windows. XP will only see the first partition, so I need one large partition for XP access. I saw on these forums a way to swap a the large and small partition when using a usb-zip install, but that failed as well.

Thanks for the suggestion on gparted. I have used that for other things and it is great. I have a cd in my bag always.

I feel pretty sure there must be a way to partiton this 2g and have it work the way I need. I sure hope someone will enlighten me with a solution.

David

Posted by humpty on July 26 2006,14:02

if all else fails, i say go for a freedos boot.+loadlin.
if you use fat16 i recommend freedos 8.3.
if you use fat32, use the new freedos 9.0.

Posted by spotslayer on July 28 2006,01:39

Well I have come to the conclusion that syslinux just won't support a filesystem larger that 1g. Maybe that will be resolved someday. 80% of what I want to do I can do with embedded. I can do the 5way with a 1g but the windows part just takes so much room. Thank's for the response guys. I play with it embedded for a few days and see what else I can find.

David

Posted by roberts on July 28 2006,02:54

Since you have the hardware, 2 GB drive, you might want to try an updated syslinux. If you do, please report back. I just can't afford to keep buying new hardware to test things on. Just download the latest syslinux and try it.

Posted by spotslayer on July 29 2006,01:29

roberts I did that. I got the latest release candidate 3.20 pre 10.(dated July 2006) I read almost all of the documentation that came with the download and tried everything I could to try and trick it. I hacked away for over two solid hours. I couldn't do it. I could not get past the 16k limitation on the 2g with one partition. 1g was fine but syslinux would not be tricked. I'll just have to use a 1g to boot and cut back on the windows apps.(or do away with them) Maybe someday this won't be an issue.

David