[SOLVED]using Arch on flash drive

vegan · 2011-06-19 05:16:44

Okay, I installed a fresh Ubuntu on my laptop. The folders are empty and there is no data on that computer for me to cry over. The archlinux iso is on the desktop.

I tried the dd command, again, but this time I didn't get any error messages. I tried several times changing different things to try to tweak the command and each time, no message. Then, I opened up the window showing files on the flash drive and it is empty, so nothing got copied over.

ewaller,

Jason said that I was wildly optimistic in my prediction that I was almost done, so I wanted to hear his estimate, so I wouldn't put the group to a lot of unnecessary trouble.

Inxsible · 2011-06-19 05:49:21

vegan, I like your perseverence. I really do. So I am going to ask you to show us two things, so that we can see if you performed the commands correctly.
Connect your usb drive and then please post the output of :

sudo fdisk -l

and indicate to us which one is your flash/usb drive.

Then also tell us where exactly is the downloaded Archlinux iso stored on your computer.

vegan · 2011-06-19 06:14:29

Disk /dev/sda: 320.1 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00015ad5

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           1       38424   308639744   83  Linux
/dev/sda2           38425       38914     3929089    5  Extended
/dev/sda5           38425       38914     3929088   82  Linux swap / Solaris

Disk /dev/sdb: 4002 MB, 4002910208 bytes
124 heads, 62 sectors/track, 1016 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 7688 * 512 = 3936256 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x000850bb

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1   *           1        1016     3905473    c  W95 FAT32 (LBA)

flash drive is at: /dev/sdb1

the archlinux iso is on the desktop

Last edited by vegan (2011-06-19 06:18:41)

Inxsible · 2011-06-19 06:18:29

in that case your dd command will be :

sudo dd if=/home/vegan/Desktop/archlinux-2010.05-''{core|netinstall}''-''{i686|x86_64|dual}''.iso of=/dev/sdb

You will have to adjust the command a slight bit depending on whether you downloaded the core or the netinstall version and also depending on whether its 32 bit 64 bit or dual.
Good Luck !!

vegan · 2011-06-19 06:51:06

Inxisible,

I must have specified at least part of the filepath correctly, this time, because the output changed. I'm not getting nothing or error messages. The machine thinks it is copying, but no files are coming onto the flash drive. Here is the output.

833536+0 records in
833536+0 records out
426770432 bytes (427 MB) copied, 112.604 s, 3.8 MB/s

before it was messages like 'no such file exists' or 'access denied, you don't have the file permissions.'

okay, here is my code:

sudo dd if=/home/louis/Desktop/archlinux-2011.06.10-core-i686.iso of=/dev/sdb1

I also used the dd programs to do a couple file checks to see if code was really copied, so I was able to see that the dd program really worked.

edit: that the dd program worked not to copy the file for me, but that it works in general or for checking files.

Last edited by vegan (2011-06-19 06:52:31)

vegan · 2011-06-19 07:06:00

Okay, now I did a similar line of code, but changed the flash drive path and the flash drive label on the desktop magically changed from 'new volume' to 'Arch Linux_201106'

Last edited by vegan (2011-06-19 07:07:51)

x5x_tim · 2011-06-19 08:49:47

Well, then it worked! However, the fact that dd did something and it wasn't to the flash drive is quite scary...

Awebb · 2011-06-19 11:03:09

It might be not bootable now.

You did: ... of=/dev/sdb1

This writes the data to the first partition. It might or might not work now, because I'm not sure where it wants the bootloader to be.

I always do: ...of=/dev/sdb

This will write the image directly to the block device, no matter what partitions there are on the stick. Do this if you have trouble booting it.

tomk · 2011-06-19 12:07:19

Remember how the wili page said '/dev/sdx' and not '/dev/sdxy'?

Inxsible wrote:

vegan, I like your perseverence. I really do.

Inxsible, I hope you still like his perseverance when he comes back with similarly informed questions during actual installation, DE selection and configuration, etc.

vegan · 2011-06-19 13:51:27

Tom,

I appreciate your honesty. It's a rare quality these days. But, that is a glass-half-empty mentality. I offer something for everybody. Those that want to offer advice can, those that want to offer encouragement can, and those that want to offer discouragement can. You've been one of the fun ones, because you've offered all three.

We can try to say a prayer together for those folks who will gain no pleasure from any of these, and will need to hit the delete key and ignore my posts. I'm assuming, correctly or incorrectly, that the people who offer one of these three things gain something they need from posting. Or are they doing it because they feel some sense of responsibility only?

Your comments seem odd to me. You mean I'm the first guy with such limited experience who has wanted to create an arch install and a usable system to try to post his questions on the list? That uniqueness could hold value, right there. Entertainment value! As far as Inxsible is concerned, I think I'm behaving myself during this thread.

It does seem odd that the flash drive magically changed if I got the filepath to the flash drive wrong.

Awebb,

Yes, you are right. The flash installer didn't work, but I thought that was beyond the purview of the post. It was just to put the installation media on the flash drive, not to actually get it on the netbook. Since, the flash drive changed to archlinux, I thought I should declare the post a success and give it a rest. Either that or wait a bit and start a new thread to actually put the base system on the netbook.

edit: the filepath is to sdb1, and that seems to be the only one that goes thru. I tried sdb1x and sdbx and sdx

Last edited by vegan (2011-06-19 14:02:37)

litemotiv · 2011-06-19 14:21:10

vegan wrote:

You mean I'm the first guy with such limited experience who has wanted to create an arch install and a usable system to try to post his questions on the list?

So far you are certainly the most persevering one!

edit: the filepath is to sdb1, and that seems to be the only one that goes thru. I tried sdb1x and sdbx and sdx

That should be just 'sdb'.

vegan · 2011-06-19 17:29:03

thanks litemotiv.

sdb didn't change the name on the disk and the files didn't get transferred. sdb1 is the only one I've tried that has worked. Then, when I plugged it into the netbook the screen comes up and I get the message that the file is corrupted. I tried more than one flash drive and both iso images.

oupsemma · 2011-06-19 17:31:19

Remember also that your USB stick must not be mounted!
Unmount it before running dd.
As you're running Ubuntu:
$ sudo df -h (will give you the list of all mounted devices)
$ sudo umount /dev/sdb1 (will unmount sdb1)
$ sudo dd if=/the path/you used/successfully of=/dev/sdb

Edit: It's the opposite with Unetbootin, your USB stick has to be mounted; but Unetbootin reminds it to you, which dd doesn't.

Last edited by oupsemma (2011-06-19 17:33:34)

vegan · 2011-06-19 19:35:18

Thanks oupsemma!

I don't understand that at all. I just did it and it worked. That was amazing!

Arch Linux

#26 2011-06-19 05:16:44

Re: [SOLVED]using Arch on flash drive

#27 2011-06-19 05:49:21

Re: [SOLVED]using Arch on flash drive

#28 2011-06-19 06:14:29

Re: [SOLVED]using Arch on flash drive

#29 2011-06-19 06:18:29

Re: [SOLVED]using Arch on flash drive

#30 2011-06-19 06:51:06

Re: [SOLVED]using Arch on flash drive

#31 2011-06-19 07:06:00

Re: [SOLVED]using Arch on flash drive

#32 2011-06-19 08:49:47

Re: [SOLVED]using Arch on flash drive

#33 2011-06-19 11:03:09

Re: [SOLVED]using Arch on flash drive

#34 2011-06-19 12:07:19

Re: [SOLVED]using Arch on flash drive

#35 2011-06-19 13:51:27

Re: [SOLVED]using Arch on flash drive

#36 2011-06-19 14:21:10

Re: [SOLVED]using Arch on flash drive

#37 2011-06-19 17:29:03

Re: [SOLVED]using Arch on flash drive

#38 2011-06-19 17:31:19

Re: [SOLVED]using Arch on flash drive

#39 2011-06-19 19:35:18

Re: [SOLVED]using Arch on flash drive

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