Archiso-Live not working with USB..Booting grub error

banshee28 · 2009-06-08 23:30:02

Ok, first did a archiso-live install and choose the option to install grub on the installation partition (USB drive). It did not boot by itself as I excepted.

Then I did the install and specified to install grub on the mbr (HD?). I did that and its not booting still. So I looked at the grub list and changed it to

root (hd1,1)
kernel /vmlinuz26 root=dev/sdb1 ro (there was a long uuid# here but I replaced it with the usb drive:sdb1)
initrd /kernel26.img

I also lost my ability to boot my original arch install since I setup the new grub on my mbr (HD).

Any help on getting the live usb install to boot would be appreciated.

**I have the usb paritioned into 4 partions:
sdb1 /
sdb2 /boot
sdb3 /home
sdb4 /var

I also tried to change the sdb1 options above to use 1 or 2 but neither made a diff.

Last edited by banshee28 (2009-06-08 23:31:42)

banshee28 · 2009-06-09 02:25:14

Ok, i now have my orig install back. Still trying to figure out how to setup the grub menu for the live iso on usb...

godane · 2009-06-09 02:56:01

I think you shouldn't replace the uuid# for one. The other is you can use unetbootin to install the live iso to a usb stick or usb hard drive.

I hope this helps.

banshee28 · 2009-06-09 03:06:36

godane wrote:

I think you shouldn't replace the uuid# for one. The other is you can use unetbootin to install the live iso to a usb stick or usb hard drive.
I hope this helps.

Thanks godane...Not sure if this is what I was thinking so here is what I was trying to do: Install the "full live setup" to usb just as if I were installing it permanently to a HD. I dont want just the "live" version but rather have it installed and modified as I go along.

Also once I get it properly installed, most of it runs from RAM, right?

Here is what I recently did: Used larchin to from lxde to install onto the usb. Used gpart first to setup all 3 partitions and ext4. Skipped to step to select to install to partitions, then once it completed, tried the first grub option to install to the MBR, using sda1(first option), which did not work, so I repeated the install and tried it on the next one which is what the usb device is: sdb1.

Now it boots to the brub menu and has sdb1 listed in the path, but soon errors out saying:

attempting to create root device /dev/disk.xxxxx
error: failed to parse block device name for /dev/disk/xxxxx
unable to create/detect root device
root fs can not be detected try using rootfstype= kernel

I tried adding these 2 options to the grub menu list which produced a delay but did not help it boot:

rootdelay=8
rootfstype= kernel

Last edited by banshee28 (2009-06-09 03:29:34)

godane · 2009-06-09 04:47:13

I never tested a larchin install on a usb hard drive so i would not know why its not working on your sda1 partition.

banshee28 wrote:

Also once I get it properly installed, most of it runs from RAM, right?

No. A properly installed archliinux will not run from ram. You can add copy2ram boot option when using the livecd to get to load in ram. Also you can have changes save with the system with changes=/dev/sdb1 or whatever device your using.

banshee28 wrote:

**I have the usb paritioned into 4 partions:
sdb1 /
sdb2 /boot
sdb3 /home
sdb4 /var

This type of setup i think is impossible when using larchin installer. The larchin installer just makes the drive as one big root (/) filesystem. That was the only one i have tested with success. You get the setup you want with /arch/archiso-setup script. Just don't change anything with the grub menu.lst cause its using uuid# for a reason.

I hope this help.

Arch Linux

#1 2009-06-08 23:30:02

Archiso-Live not working with USB..Booting grub error

#2 2009-06-09 02:25:14

Re: Archiso-Live not working with USB..Booting grub error

#3 2009-06-09 02:56:01

Re: Archiso-Live not working with USB..Booting grub error

#4 2009-06-09 03:06:36

Re: Archiso-Live not working with USB..Booting grub error

#5 2009-06-09 04:47:13

Re: Archiso-Live not working with USB..Booting grub error

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