USB Pendrive Boot and Embed on same stick
Forum: DSL Tips and Tricks
Topic: USB Pendrive Boot and Embed on same stick
started by: webherper
Posted by webherper on April 12 2006,06:15
Here is how I got Both the Embedded version and the boot version installed on the same USB Pendrive. First you should try the other methods people have mentioned, unless you have had the following problems (maybe others)Problem 1 - USBHDD install worked UNTIL I unzipped the embedded version over top of it. Then the usb mouse would be detected but locked up rendering DSL unusable.
Problem 2 - You get a memory error when running the embedded version under Windows 2000/XP or it won't run at all. (quick fix is to mark the dsl-windows.bat file to run in Win98/ME compatability mode in the properties screen)
If you have had ANY of these problems, the following procedures should get you up and running:
Step 1 - Download the ISO image and create the DSL CD
Step 2 - Download the dsl-embedded.zip file of the SAME VERSION of the ISO image and save it to your hard drive
Step 3 - In Windows, Format your USB Pendrive as FAT, not FAT32
Step 4 - Boot the DSL CD and use the USBHDD option to install DSL to the USB pendrive
Step 5 - Try to boot the Pendrive to make sure you have a good installation
Step 6 - Boot back into Windows, and open the contents of your USB Pendrive.
Step 7 - Look for a file called syslinux.cfg and rename it syslinux.boot
Step 8 - Unzip the dsl-embedded.zip file to your pendrive. Make sure you select "yes to all" when it asks if you wish to overwrite the files.
Step 9 - Browse to the pendrive and locate the new syslinux.cfg file that was just unzipped to the drive, rename it syslinux.embed
Step 10 - (this step only if you cannot get the embedded version to boot, or it errors out) Browse to the pendrive and look for a file names dsl-windows.bat - right click on the file and choose properties in the menu. Click on the tab that says compatability, then check the box that says "Run this program in compatability mode for:" and make sure in the dropdown it says "Windows 98 / Windows ME" then click ok.
Step 11 - edit the dsl-windows.bat file and add the following lines AFTER the "@echo off" line, but before the "START qemu..." line :
del syslinux.cfg
copy syslinux.embed syslinux.cfg
Step 12 - add the following lines after the "START qemu..." and before the "CLS" line:
del syslinux.cfg
copy syslinux.boot syslinux.cfg
Step 13 -Try starting the embedded version. If it works, then try booting from the USB Pendrive. If that works, then you are done!!!!!
Basically what this setup does is make sure that the proper syslinux.cfg file is always available, and the embedded syslinux file is only used when running under windows, at all other times the syslinux.cfg file is setup to allow booting to the USB drive through the bios.
I hope this helps some people!
Posted by cbagger01 on April 12 2006,17:33
FYI,Try booting your USBHDD install with:
dsl xsetup
and then tell it that you are using a USB mouse.
You can also correct the situation by pressing CTRL-ALT-BACKSPACE to get out of graphical mode and then type:
xsetup.sh
(Choose USB mouse)
startx
and you should be back in business.
The "embedded" DSL uses a simulated PS2 mouse inside the virtual computer program called QEMU.
So by default it is set to use a PS2 mouse instead of a USB mouse.
Posted by atiltman on April 19 2006,13:40
Sweet, works great except for one last thing... Does anyone know an easy way to share backups between the two? 
It would make things easier instead of effectively having two seperate instances of it? 
Posted by roberts on April 19 2006,15:17
I setup the ability to share the backup virtual harddisk device for Qemu with natively booted DSL in v2.3You need to use the boot options
boot: dsl qemu restore=harddisk