[SOLVED] cannot boot from usb drive

clay.reynolds · 2011-11-16 22:42:52

EDIT: Missing the forest for the trees, I guess. Solution wasn't in software, was a hardware issue. The 1545 has a "fn" key that needs to be depressed to use the "F-" keys, but in the boot menu using it had the opposite effect for some reason. Problem was eventually solved by stupid caveman key pressing tests. Sorry about that.

I'm on a Dell Inspiron 1545, and when I turn my laptop on, there is no option to boot from a usb drive at the boot menu, only "Arch Linux" and "Arch Linux Fallback".

Grub configuration file:

# Config file for GRUB - The GNU GRand Unified Bootloader
# /boot/grub/menu.lst

# DEVICE NAME CONVERSIONS
#
# Linux Grub
# -------------------------
# /dev/fd0 (fd0)
# /dev/sda (hd0)
# /dev/sdb2 (hd1,1)
# /dev/sda3 (hd0,2)
#

# FRAMEBUFFER RESOLUTION SETTINGS
# +-------------------------------------------------+
# | 640x480 800x600 1024x768 1280x1024
# ----+--------------------------------------------
# 256 | 0x301=769 0x303=771 0x305=773 0x307=775
# 32K | 0x310=784 0x313=787 0x316=790 0x319=793
# 64K | 0x311=785 0x314=788 0x317=791 0x31A=794
# 16M | 0x312=786 0x315=789 0x318=792 0x31B=795
# +-------------------------------------------------+
# for more details and different resolutions see
# https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/GR … resolution

# general configuration:
timeout 5
default 0
color light-blue/black light-cyan/blue

# boot sections follow
# each is implicitly numbered from 0 in the order of appearance below
#
# TIP: If you want a 1024x768 framebuffer, add "vga=773" to your kernel line.

#
#-*

# (0) Arch Linux
title Arch Linux
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-linux root=/dev/disk/by-uuid/337c837e-8bce-417a-973d-819b4f8b671e ro
initrd /initramfs-linux.img

# (1) Arch Linux
title Arch Linux Fallback
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-linux root=/dev/disk/by-uuid/337c837e-8bce-417a-973d-819b4f8b671e ro
initrd /initramfs-linux-fallback.img

# (2) Windows
#title Windows
#rootnoverify (hd0,0)
#makeactive
#chainloader +1

It would seem logical that I need to add another boot section like the ones for Arch, Fallback, and Windows; but the GRUB wiki does not address this need, and all of the documentation on booting from usb flash drives I have found while googling implies that I would just need to select the usb option from the boot menu.

Did I miss anything in the guides?

Thanks in advance.

Last edited by clay.reynolds (2011-11-16 22:53:14)

lifeafter2am · 2011-11-16 22:46:07

First of all, please use appropriate tags as it helps with reading topics with code in them. https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Fo … s_and_Code

Second, are you trying to specifically boot USB via GRUB? Usually this is done via a BIOS option and not in GRUB itself. I am confused as to what you are trying to do.

Does the USB drive have it's own bootloader on it? Or are you trying to boot an OS from a USB drive that does not have it's own bootloader?

Last edited by lifeafter2am (2011-11-16 22:47:35)

Arch Linux

#1 2011-11-16 22:42:52

[SOLVED] cannot boot from usb drive

#2 2011-11-16 22:46:07

Re: [SOLVED] cannot boot from usb drive

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