The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    Tryin to boot linux off flash drive

    Discussion in 'Linux Compatibility and Software' started by soundsystem00, Nov 21, 2008.

  1. soundsystem00

    soundsystem00 Newbie

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    4
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Hi all! This is my first post here. The moment I stumbled across this forum I had to join.

    I have an acer aspire one, the laptop that is 120gb with windows xp. I have been trying to boot linux from my flash drive with the mini me technique but it doesn't work. The reason I started the threat is because the flash drive is san disk and has that funky software that comes with it. Could that be the problem?
     
    soundsystem00, Nov 21, 2008
    #1
  2. Pitabred

    Pitabred Linux geek con rat flail!

    Reputations:
    3,300
    Messages:
    7,115
    Likes Received:
    3
    Trophy Points:
    206
    It's a bit of a trick to get it working ;) I haven't had luck with a sandisk, but I have my 8GB el cheapo USB stick Linux bootable.

    I assume this is the guide you're following? What is the error you're getting?
     
    Pitabred, Nov 21, 2008
    #2
  3. soundsystem00

    soundsystem00 Newbie

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    4
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    5
    I used the mini me method and everything. It just wont boot it, goes on to boot windows. I think its the sandisk, what kind do you use?
     
    soundsystem00, Nov 21, 2008
    #3
  4. Pitabred

    Pitabred Linux geek con rat flail!

    Reputations:
    3,300
    Messages:
    7,115
    Likes Received:
    3
    Trophy Points:
    206
    Mine is an Emprex, but the brand shouldn't matter much. If you reformat the Sandisk, your funky software will disappear ;)

    Are there any errors when you're running any of the tools they tell you to? Are you plugging in the USB drive, copying "makeboot.bat" to the USB drive, then opening a terminal, going to the USB drive (type in E: or whatever the drive letter is after going to Start->Run and typing in "cmd"), and typing "makeboot"? That's almost certainly one of your issues.
     
    Pitabred, Nov 21, 2008
    #4
  5. soundsystem00

    soundsystem00 Newbie

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    4
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Its says it cannot find linux kernal
     
    soundsystem00, Nov 21, 2008
    #5
  6. WiseDuck

    WiseDuck Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    14
    Messages:
    102
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Hmm. Ive never had any trouble installing Linux on a flash disk. Whenever I put Ubuntu on a flash disk or external drive I just disconnect all HDs found inside my Acer laptop, insert the flash disk and CD, then install on the flash disk.

    You have to physically disconnect all harddrives or else the MBR will be written to the HD, and that is no good. Whenever I want to use Ubuntu I just plug in the flash disk before I start. Shouldnt be any harder than this.
     
    WiseDuck, Nov 22, 2008
    #6
  7. Pitabred

    Pitabred Linux geek con rat flail!

    Reputations:
    3,300
    Messages:
    7,115
    Likes Received:
    3
    Trophy Points:
    206
    You shouldn't need to unplug all your disks. I just installed it on my flash drive, which is bootable, without all that crap. Just copy the proper files over, use syslinux, and make sure you use dd to copy over the boot block:
    Code: 
    dd if=/usr/lib/syslinux/mbr.bin of=/dev/sdb
    That's assuming that your USB drive is sdb (it probably is). If the ldlinux.sys and other files are where they belong, you're good to go.
     
    Pitabred, Nov 24, 2008
    #7