UNSOLVED - Remaster on usb stick gives "boot error"

[wedgetail]

Maurice

I understand fully what you are trying to do.  The use of the minime.iso is for trouble shooting. We know you have not customised it in any way, at least that is the idea. So we need an undisturbed smallish iso for this job and the minime is good.

The trouble shooting is hopefully pinpointing where the problem is. The liveUSB with a FAT partition and the minime.iso installed and known to work on the DELL820 is our base start point.  We want it to work on the DELL820 110% and when that is the case we use it on the DG33FB.

To start with it will fail we know that but then you will be asked to try to make some change, if needed test that this change did not make the DELL keel over, then back to the DG33FB.

We need an install that works for sure as the next testing involves the partitioning and the quirk that for some reason Intel has changed something in the program that lets the motherboard boot from USB sources.

Now this is very involved and has something to do with how a USB Key is perceived, used as a storage element the differences has very little impact, you get the odd key that does not seem to work properly as a storage element and you throw it in the bin. However when it comes to use it as a "boot drive" the difference is coming to light and we poor users will have to figure out what it is about.

I have some experience with USB sticks, they work fine out of the box as data storage but when trying to partition them with certain programs they fall over all together, you end up really scratching your head.

Just18 has another experience, and I think more relevant here. By following a certain procedure, as outlined, he got a USB key that was "playing up" to work as a "boot"drive.  You are helping us trying to get closer to figuring out what your particular key is up to.  

Can we talk you into installing the minime. again?  And since you reported some odd failures I would suggest that you get some new instructions on how to make the install. We want a record of the install process.  So don't jump into this before we get back to you?

The idea is to find out why on earth you have only partial success with your liveUSB installs, they ought never to fail when the pc can communicate with the USB Key.  

[Maurice]

Yes I understand all that but we've already done it and found that it worked with Dell but not with DG33FB.

I have just updated my os as there was an update in it to LUC. I reinstalled to the usb but it made not the slightest difference.

But the update skewered my Firefox - Crash Reporter The application had a problem blah blah but unable to help any. So I'm now using an unconfigured Seamonkey (I don't like Chromium)

OK I'll start over again with the Minime.

[wedgetail]

Maurice

So you are going to follow post 102 first this time

[Maurice]

OK Reinstalled Minime with LUC with the same results as before

DG33FB ---- Not a bootable disk
DELL      ---- Booted successfully

[Maurice]

Maurice

So you are going to follow post 102 first this time

What?

Sorry the posts crossed. I didn't read your previous post carefully enough and didn't wait before I jumped in. But I think I know by now just how to do an install - after all it's not exactly rocket science is it?

[wedgetail]

Maurice

Errrhhh, ummm the preparations in that step was rather important, but keep going we will take stock when you have it going.

Well it is getting closer to science but what is LUC.      Let Us Continue? 

[Maurice]

Maurice

Errrhhh, ummm the preparations in that step was rather important, but keep going we will take stock when you have it going.

Well it is getting closer to science but what is LUC.      Let Us Continue? 

Have what going? I've done it and reported the results two or three posts back

[wedgetail]

Maurice

3-nil to you.   I got the post wrong, it was Just18 in post 110  where a need to change partitioning software etc.

Well the report is a relief this means we are at least back to the system will run on your DELL820  And you had no problems with the install at all?

1.. Let us have the fdisk -l I want to lay my eyes on the starting of the sectors etc copy paste?

2.. Aslo for the record your menu.lst from the USB key 

[Maurice]

Maurice

3-nil to you.   I got the post wrong, it was Just18 in post 110  where a need to change partitioning software etc.

Well the report is a relief this means we are at least back to the system will run on your DELL820  And you had no problems with the install at all?

1.. Let us have the fdisk -l I want to lay my eyes on the starting of the sectors etc copy paste?

2.. Aslo for the record your menu.lst from the USB key 

LUC = Live Usb Creator

fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders, total 976773168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0007671a

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *          63   286712054   143355996    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2       286712055   493066239   103177092+  83  Linux
/dev/sda3       493066240   771682303   139308032    5  Extended
/dev/sda4       771682304   976773119   102545408   83  Linux
/dev/sda5       493068288   753252351   130092032   83  Linux
/dev/sda6       753254400   763494399     5120000   83  Linux
/dev/sda7       763496448   771682303     4092928   83  Linux

Disk /dev/sdb: 16.0 GB, 16039018496 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 1949 cylinders, total 31326208 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0009869e

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1            2048     2136644     1067298+   6  FAT16
/dev/sdb2         2136645    31310684    14587020   83  Linux

men.lst

timeout 10
color black/cyan yellow/cyan
gfxmenu (hd0,1)/boot/gfxmenu
default 0


title   KDE
kernel (hd0,1)/KDE1/vmlinuz livecd=/KDE1 fromusb root=UUID=cfcf903b-0707-4dc6-be89-09698186f669 acpi=on vga=791 quiet splash=silent vmalloc=256M
initrd (hd0,1)/KDE1/initrd.gz
 
title  KDE with Persistence
kernel (hd0,1)/KDE1/vmlinuz livecd=/KDE1 fromusb root=UUID=cfcf903b-0707-4dc6-be89-09698186f669 changes_dev=UUID=cfcf903b-0707-4dc6-be89-09698186f669 acpi=on fstab=rw,noauto vga=791 quiet splash=silent vmalloc=256M
initrd (hd0,1)/KDE1/initrd.gz
 
title   KDE with Copy to RAM
kernel (hd0,1)/KDE1/vmlinuz livecd=/KDE1 fromusb copy2ram root=UUID=cfcf903b-0707-4dc6-be89-09698186f669 acpi=on vga=791 quiet splash=silent vmalloc=256M
initrd (hd0,1)/KDE1/initrd.gz
 
title   Memory Test
kernel (hd0,1)/boot/memtest-4.20

[wedgetail]

Maurice

I can almost read this with my normal glasses.  I am going to do some calculations here. In the mean time can you try and install from Synaptic partitionmanager  When installed you can find it in the menu > configuration > "KDE partition manager"

I have just tried and on this system it crashes but my KDE-mini is also mini  .

Try and run it and report result but don't use it on any partition yet.

[wedgetail]

I can start the program from konsole, but I have to use su -

[root@localhost ~]# su -
[root@localhost ~]# partitionmanager

[Maurice]

Maurice

I can almost read this with my normal glasses.  I am going to do some calculations here. In the mean time can you try and install from Synaptic partitionmanager  When installed you can find it in the menu > configuration > "KDE partition manager"

I have just tried and on this system it crashes but my KDE-mini is also mini  .

Try and run it and report result but don't use it on any partition yet.

My eyesight is not the best and I assume others are maybe the same so I bolden the coloured stuff.

I already have Kde partition manager in /usr/bin but it won't open. Is it better than gparted and kde partition manager which I already have and use?

I'll be 'off air' for an hour or so while - dinner and Tv news etc.

[wedgetail]

Maurice

Just to try to avoid some perhaps unnecessary work, we will do little side step which is very easy and take little time.
Have your USB key plugged in, and we know it is the first partition on the drive, that is 1, and here is what was in your latest fdisk-l

/dev/sdb1            2048     2136644     1067298+   6  FAT16

We are going to use fdisk a little different, notice no 1 after the b in /dev/sdb, and you pres ENTER after each/character line

fdisk /dev/sdb  <ENTER>
a   <ENTER>
1   <ENTER>
w   <ENTER>
q   <ENTER>

Here is what happens:
1.. fdisk program opens up for some magic
2.. a action will set the FAT boot flag, preparing to be stored on the drive
3.. 1 set boot flag on partition 1
3.. w action writes/stores the boot flag on drive
4.. q action quits fdisk

Now do fdisk -l and copy/paste as you did before what the USB drive shows, we do not need the internal hard drive figures this time.

Disk /dev/sdb: 16.0 GB, 16039018496 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 1949 cylinders, total 31326208 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0009869e

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1   *         2048     2136644     1067298+   6  FAT16
/dev/sdb2         2136645    31310684    14587020   83  Linux

Now leave the USB key inserted and try to boot.

I am hoping there will be some change in the message, if not it is the long way through Just18 process.  

My thinking is:  For some reason your BIOS insists on a FAT partition to be seen, when the FAT  partition is there you get a reasonable error message, Not a bootable disk, now the boot flag may be what is needed. ( sector arrangement should be ok )
It is a guess.

[Maurice]

Maurice


We are going to use fdisk a little different, notice no 1 after the b in /dev/sdb, and you pres ENTER after each/character line

fdisk /dev/sdb  <ENTER>
a   <ENTER>
1   <ENTER>
w   <ENTER>
q   <ENTER>
 

Afraid I'm not following. If I type fdisk /dev/sdb as you suggest I get

[root@localhost ~]# fdisk /dev/sdb

Command (m for help): m

 

[wedgetail]

Maurice

You can go ahead with the m but then you will see the a you need to use next, I was saving steps.