[RndTbl] boot and install from USB key

[Dan Martin]

On 2012-09-23, at 1:06 PM, Adam Thompson wrote:

>> I have a new machine containing an unformatted SATA drive.  I want
>> to boot the IPCOP linux distro from a USB key, and install it onto
>> the hard drive.  Available files / images:
>> 
>> ipcop-2.0.3-update.i486.tgz.gpg
>> ipcop-2.0.3-install-avmdrv.i486.tgz
>> ipcop-2.0.3-install-cd.i486.iso
>> ipcop-2.0.3-install-netboot.i486.tgz
>> ipcop-2.0.3-install-usb-fdd.i486.img.gz
>> ipcop-2.0.3-install-usb-hdd.i486.img.gz
>> ipcop-2.0.3-install-usb-zip.i486.img.gz
>> 
>> I have unpacked and copied (alternately) ipcop-2.0.3-install-usb-
>> fdd.i486.img and ipcop-2.0.3-install-usb-zip.i486.img to a USB key
>> using dd (on a Mac).
>> 
>> After several tries - I presume because of boot order - the IPCOP
>> splash screen appears and allows me to choose some setup options.
>> When I get to the "Select Source" screen I am presented with 2
>> options:
>> CDROM/USB-KEY or
>> HTTP/FTP
>> 
>> When I choose the first option, it gives the error "No CD-ROM
>> found".  No, there isn't a CD-ROM, but there is the USB key that it
>> booted from in the first place.
>> 
>> The initial setup will also allow me to go to "Rescue mode", though
>> I'm not sure what tools are available or what I might do from there.
>> 
>> Any ideas?
>> 
> 
> 
> Well, one obvious thought - try the usb-hdd variant, since that's what 
> most modern BIOSes want.  (They're all _supposed_ to work with all three 
> variants, but it seems most manufacturers don't bother testing that.)
> 
> Also, how are you dd'ing it on a Mac?  Are you using of=/Volumes/Whatever 
> or of=/dev/dsk_something ?
> 
> -Adam Thompson
> athompso at athompso.net
> 

danmartin$ diskutil list
/dev/disk0
   #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
.
.
.
/dev/disk6
   #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
   0:                            IPCop-2.0.3 (i48       *2.0 GB     disk6
danmartin$ diskutil unmountDisk /dev/disk6
Unmount of all volumes on disk6 was successful
danmartin$ sudo dd if=/path2unzippedimage/ipcop/ipcop-2.0.3-install-usb-hdd.i486.img of=/dev/disk6 bs=1m
Password:
61+1 records in
61+1 records out
64528384 bytes transferred in 31.168072 secs (2070336 bytes/sec)
danmartin$ diskutil eject /dev/disk6
Disk /dev/disk6 ejected


This does produce a bootable image on USB.  The machine boots, but fails during the subsequent installation of IPCOP.

The setup screen prior to the one that fails, "Disk Instillation" says to select a disk to install to - but doesn't display my SATA drive, only the OK and CANCEL buttons.  Could the error be here?  Since there is only one HDD, perhaps no selection is needed.

When I select "OK" it then goes through the same setup screens as before (keyboard, timezone, date and time) then enters a source selection screen, which leads to the "No CD_ROM found error".

Dan Martin
GP Hospital Practitioner
Computer Scientist
ummar143 at shaw.ca
(204) 831-1746
answering machine always on