Success on second try, using Win2000 and USB

Forum: USB booting
Topic: Success on second try, using Win2000 and USB
started by: eakeller

Posted by eakeller on Nov. 23 2004,23:59

Hey all,

I just wanted to share my experience with DSL and this forum. Thanks to posts in this forum (I haven't found the poster's name I used the most), I was able to get a 256 MB Kingston keyfob up and running in about 30 minutes. I used the method posted in response to Kipper, by the above poster, with great success. Here were my steps:

1. Using the Write function in WinImage, I put the bootusb-***.img file onto the USB key
2. Using IsoBuster, I then dragged the KNOPPIX directory in dsl-x.x.x.iso to the root directory of the USB key

I rebooted, and bam! Linux on a Win2k work machine. It was pretty cool. A few things I ran into:

A. It took me a while to figure out the Write function in WinImage. Be careful, this is not the same as just copying the image file to the key.
B. Trial and error led me to putting the correct directory in the .iso file onto the key. IsoBuster shows three directories labeled KNOPPIX and one other file in the image. The one that worked for me was the directory with a tiny ISO label to the left of it.....also the lowest one on the screen. I know very little about ISO images, etc, however this worked to create a KNOPPIX directory on the USB key. This directory appears to be where DSL goes looking for everything; when I didn't have it right it would start to boot with the boot image, then crash telling me it couldn't find things in /knoppix/*

Good luck, folks! Thanks again to the posters in these forums.

-E

Posted by Wolkenläufer on Nov. 30 2004,11:30

hello @all,
i tried to boot dsl from my tiny little usb-stick (64m), but when dsl wants to create folders at startup, it can't create them. i think i've got no rights to write on it, but how can i change this setting. the file protection switch on my usb-stick is disabled, and i have only win2k (no other os) running on this computer. can you tell me, how you solved this problem?

bye,
Wolkenläufer

add: maybe this can help you (i got it, when dsl wanted to start):

Setting path...rm:not found
awk: not found
awk: not found
Total memory found: kB
expr: not found
expr: not found
mkdir: not found

Creating directories and symlinks on ramdisk: mkdir: not found
/linuxrc: cannot create /var/run/utmp: directory nonexistent
FAT: bogus logical sector size 0
Kernel Panic: VFS Unable to mount root fs on 01:01

then the pc hang up

bye

Posted by ispmike on Dec. 02 2004,09:45

Wolkenläufer,

This used to happen to me when my device couldn't be found at startup, sometimes unplugging and replugging it in would fix it. (at the dsl boot prompt) You can always tell when it happens because the light on the drive will not blink at all. I have tweaked so many thing by now that I don't know what could have fixed it but I no longer have that problem. Some of the bios settings that I remember are >>

legacy usb keyboard = disabled
legacy usb mouse = enabled
first boot device = usb-zip (usb-hdd did not work for me)

The way my drive is formatted is by using winimage to copy the usb boot disk and then using isobuster to extract the /knoppix folder to the device, formatted as FAT. Hmm... that's all I can think of at the moment, I know that problem can be very frustrating but stick with it and good luck.

Posted by Wolkenläufer on Dec. 10 2004,14:26

hm..damn..same problem with the kingston datatraveler elite on 2 different pcs.

maybe i will test it on my own computer (these 2 pcs were @ work, both about 1 year old) with an asus a7n8x-x.

still testing,
wolkenläufer

Posted by ispmike on Dec. 11 2004,04:38

I must have spoke too soon or something because shortly after making that post I started having the same problem again. Seems like it's getting worse too, it'll only boot 1 out of 5 times.

Posted by range on Dec. 14 2004,12:01

Quote (Wolkenläufer @ Nov. 30 2004,06:30)

I got the same problem as wolkenlaeufer.

After several hours I figured out that you have to drag THE CONTENT of the knoppix folder to the root directory of the usb key.

Quote

2. Using IsoBuster, I then dragged the KNOPPIX directory in dsl-x.x.x.iso to the root directory of the USB key

This post is actually written in firefox in my first successfull boot of usb-dsl. :cool:

Posted by ispmike on Dec. 15 2004,01:26

That's not the problem, for me atleast. Even when I install DSL to USB from within DSL booting from the cd I get this error. So the drive is set up properly.

Posted by Wolkenläufer on Dec. 16 2004,07:11

< Try looking here, this was help for me >..i read this thread an made this tutorial and it worked

Posted by batman on Dec. 19 2004,00:41

I have updated it and this has worked for me TOO when before nothing but the online auto install would: < http://damnsmalllinux.org/cgi-bin....1;st=30 >

Posted by ncsuapex on Dec. 23 2004,04:28

I tried to follow the steps in the first post of this thread. I can import the bot.img file, I click on DISK and select my USB device and when I click on READ or WRITE it gives an error saying the FLOPPY DRIVE is in use. But it clearly has the USB device checked. Do you have to have a registed version of this program (WinImage 7.07) to read/write to a USB device?

Posted by CNE4and5 on Dec. 28 2004,19:08

Quote (eakeller @ Nov. 23 2004,18:59)

...

1. Using the Write function in WinImage, I put the bootusb-***.img file onto the USB key
2. Using IsoBuster, I then dragged the KNOPPIX directory in dsl-x.x.x.iso to the root directory of the USB key

I rebooted, and bam! Linux on a Win2k work machine. It was pretty cool. A few things I ran into:

A. It took me a while to figure out the Write function in WinImage. Be careful, this is not the same as just copying the image file to the key...

-E

eakeller,

Could you explain the use of the "write" function in WinImage?
I have had a hard time getting that software to "do anything". Thanks for your time.