How to make the Arch Install Flashdisk...[SOLVED]

philacorns · 2009-05-30 09:10:40

I don't wanna take one flashdisk as arch installation media and another for eyeryday use, but if I make the second partition on the flashdisk, it is not recognizable under windows. Does anybody konws how to make arch usb install image and a recognizable windows partition in one flashdisk?
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expand the img file into a vfat flashdisk, install GRUB on it, it works well.

Last edited by philacorns (2009-05-30 13:30:25)

karol · 2009-05-30 10:01:51

Maybe you can create a new folder (not a partition) and put everything everyday-use-related in there? Test if it doesn't interfere w/ Arch installation but you should be ok.

Windows may not recognize partition types like ext3 so you should format you drive w/ vfat format. Use 'mkfs' command from dosfstools package. Does Windows recognize it OK when you have just one partition?

Does anybody konws how to make arch usb install image and a recognizable windows partition in one flashdisk?

Nope, I use CDs.

philacorns · 2009-05-30 10:38:07

it seems that the vfat fs will be replaced by what the .img file provides...

karol · 2009-05-30 10:45:50

In several places in the wiki there's a note "Make sure to use /dev/sdX and not /dev/sdX1", but maybe this assumes you have just one partition. Can you first partition your pendrive and then copy the img file to sdX1? I have no pendrive at hand to check this. If the image will still boot, than the second partition can be vfat or whatever you like.

philacorns · 2009-05-30 11:32:22

It doesn't work. Put the files into a vfat partition and grub-install doesn't work, too. Now I am trying to use GRUB4dos...

karol · 2009-05-30 11:47:11

It doesn't work.

What are you referring to?
-> Can you first partition your pendrive and then copy the img file to sdX1?

philacorns · 2009-05-30 13:33:26

I used a broken laptop which cannot support boot from USB though it should do. Now the problem has been solved using the method at the first floor.

karol · 2009-05-30 13:35:11

I used a broken laptop which cannot support boot from USB though it should do.

I *hate* when such things happen <gnashing teeth>

Glad you've got it working.

tomk · 2009-05-30 13:38:59

If you dd the install img file to your usb stick, you end up with an ext2 partition, and some extra space - the amount of extra space obviously depends on the size of your stick. You can create a new partition in the unused space with a FAT or NTFS filesystem in it, and that will be accessible in Windows.

karol · 2009-05-30 13:40:28

@tomk
Can you first partition your pendrive and then copy the img file to sdX1?

philacorns · 2009-05-30 14:09:53

@tomk
At my machine, it's not accessible under windows. (I'm sure it's not a broken windows!)

karol · 2009-05-30 14:11:41

@philacorns
Can you write how did you try to do it? What programs / commands did you use for repartitioning?

tomk · 2009-05-30 15:01:20

karol - no you'd have to dd the img first, and then create the extra partition, because the img provides the mbr as well.

philacorns - I didn't test it, as I don't have Windows. It just seemed like it should work.

karol · 2009-05-30 15:10:34

@tomk
Oh well, I'd rather use two pendrives than complicate my life :-)

philacorns · 2009-05-31 13:12:09

@karol
I use gparted

karol · 2009-05-31 13:19:33

I use gparted

Did you set the type of the new partition to vfat or sth else?

ak-89 · 2009-06-01 14:15:20

Make two partitions, first is vfat, second ext2/ext3. Make /grub directory to second partition and put there grub's config etc.(copy your /boot/grub/ there?). Then install grub to mbr of that usb-stick, check if it boots. If it boots, extract Arch install image to second partition and add it into the grub conf of that usb stick. And then it should boot. Windows accessible partition must be first, atleast on XP, I'm not sure, but I think XP detects only first partition of usb stick. I'm not sure if this works, but I think I did it like that or maybe I forgot something. I don't remember clearly anymore everything I did, but I installed Arch on my NC10 with that usb stick. Extracted Arch installation image to the partition where /grub(or was it /boot/grub?) was and added it to grub conf.

Alth · 2010-11-13 01:41:59

GParted can create second partition on flash drive and format him at ext2. Then copy files from .iso on second partition. Load arch with grub4dos from first partition.

title Parted Magic 5.7
find --set-root /flashdrive.tag
map --heads=0 --sectors-per-track=0 /pmagic/pmagic-5.7.iso (hd32)
map --hook
root (hd32)
chainloader (hd32)

title Arch Linux (second partition)
find --set-root /flashdrive.tag
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 archisolabel=ARCH_201005 tmpfs_size=75% locale=en_US.UTF-8
initrd=/boot/archiso.img

Arch Linux USB Install and Rescue Media.
Grub4dos wiki.

Last edited by Alth (2010-11-13 01:46:57)

Arch Linux

#1 2009-05-30 09:10:40

How to make the Arch Install Flashdisk...[SOLVED]

#2 2009-05-30 10:01:51

Re: How to make the Arch Install Flashdisk...[SOLVED]

#3 2009-05-30 10:38:07

Re: How to make the Arch Install Flashdisk...[SOLVED]

#4 2009-05-30 10:45:50

Re: How to make the Arch Install Flashdisk...[SOLVED]

#5 2009-05-30 11:32:22

Re: How to make the Arch Install Flashdisk...[SOLVED]

#6 2009-05-30 11:47:11

Re: How to make the Arch Install Flashdisk...[SOLVED]

#7 2009-05-30 13:33:26

Re: How to make the Arch Install Flashdisk...[SOLVED]

#8 2009-05-30 13:35:11

Re: How to make the Arch Install Flashdisk...[SOLVED]

#9 2009-05-30 13:38:59

Re: How to make the Arch Install Flashdisk...[SOLVED]

#10 2009-05-30 13:40:28

Re: How to make the Arch Install Flashdisk...[SOLVED]

#11 2009-05-30 14:09:53

Re: How to make the Arch Install Flashdisk...[SOLVED]

#12 2009-05-30 14:11:41

Re: How to make the Arch Install Flashdisk...[SOLVED]

#13 2009-05-30 15:01:20

Re: How to make the Arch Install Flashdisk...[SOLVED]

#14 2009-05-30 15:10:34

Re: How to make the Arch Install Flashdisk...[SOLVED]

#15 2009-05-31 13:12:09

Re: How to make the Arch Install Flashdisk...[SOLVED]

#16 2009-05-31 13:19:33

Re: How to make the Arch Install Flashdisk...[SOLVED]

#17 2009-06-01 14:15:20

Re: How to make the Arch Install Flashdisk...[SOLVED]

#18 2010-11-13 01:41:59

Re: How to make the Arch Install Flashdisk...[SOLVED]

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