Arch Linux

hiteshlala

Member

Registered: 2014-01-27

Posts: 5

Additional Instructions for Creating USB Installation Media

Greeting Everyone,

I have been trying to install archlinux on my Acer c720 chromebook.  The instructions have been posted on one of the forums and I have been following them and ran into a bit of a problem.  For some mysterious reason using Syslinux as the bootloader (I think I got that right) puts the C720 into reboot immediately.  The forums indicate that I should use GRUB instead of Syslinux.  Great! That is exactly what I want to do, and here is the problem:

The instructions for creating the USB Flash Installation Media give step by step instructions for getting archlinux.iso and Syslinux on to the USB memory stick - which I followed and succeeded- but no instructions on how to put GRUB on there instead of Syslinux.

Could someone give me instructions on how to do that.

I am following the "Manual Formatting" --- "In Windows" section of the wiki titled "USB Flash Installation Media."

Just so everyone knows this is my first venture into linux world and away from point and click windows world.....

Mr.Elendig

#archlinux@freenode channel op

From: The intertubes

Registered: 2004-11-07

Posts: 4,092

Re: Additional Instructions for Creating USB Installation Media

Just dd/bin32-image-writer the .iso  to the usb stick.

Last edited by Mr.Elendig (2014-02-03 12:02:42)

---

Evil #archlinux@libera.chat channel op and general support dude.
. files on github, Screenshots, Random pics and the rest

Steef435

Member

Registered: 2013-08-29

Posts: 577

Website

Re: Additional Instructions for Creating USB Installation Media

Just dd/bin32-image-writer the .iso  to the usb stick.

See the wiki for more details:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/US … a#Using_dd

tomk

Forum Fellow

From: Ireland

Registered: 2004-07-21

Posts: 9,839

Re: Additional Instructions for Creating USB Installation Media

The forums indicate that I should use GRUB instead of Syslinux.

Are you talking about this forum? If so, which thread?

hiteshlala

Member

Registered: 2014-01-27

Posts: 5

Re: Additional Instructions for Creating USB Installation Media

Hello Tomk,

the forums for Acer C720/C720P Chromebook is here:
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=173418

The wiki on how to install archlinux on an Acer C720 is here
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ac … Chromebook

And I was trying to follow the instructions for creating the USB installation media here:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/US … tion_Media

hiteshlala

Member

Registered: 2014-01-27

Posts: 5

Re: Additional Instructions for Creating USB Installation Media

Just dd/bin32-image-writer the .iso  to the usb stick.

See the wiki for more details:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/US … a#Using_dd

So I tried using dd in cygwin and this did not work, I did not even get a archlinux installation splash screen with that method. 

So I tried the second set of instructions under "Using manual formatting", "In Windows"  of the same document. 
Which worked fine for getting the archlinux and syslinux onto the usb but not archlinux and grub which is what I need. 

Hence the post  for additional instructions.

Steef435

Member

Registered: 2013-08-29

Posts: 577

Website

Re: Additional Instructions for Creating USB Installation Media

You don't need to install a bootloader on the USB drive, you just have to flash the iso to the drive. Try this tool:
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal- … -as-1-2-3/
http://www.linuxliveusb.com/
Remember, just let it flash the drive. You don't need to do anything with the drive afterwards but to stick it in the system and follow the steps you found in the wiki. The actual bootloader of your system doesn't have anything to do with the bootloader on your drive. The installation of the bootloader is all written out in the Beginner's Guide which I highly recommend you to follow after you get to boot your drive.

EDIT: Why are you so sure you need Syslinux?

Last edited by Steef435 (2014-02-05 17:37:43)

hiteshlala

Member

Registered: 2014-01-27

Posts: 5

Re: Additional Instructions for Creating USB Installation Media

.              "EDIT: Why are you so sure you need Syslinux?

I am sure that I do not need Syslinux and need GRUB as indicated in the wiki:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ac … Chromebook

I have tried the LiLi USB creator with 3 different images so far and none of them have worked.  I will keep trying

Steef435

Member

Registered: 2013-08-29

Posts: 577

Website

Re: Additional Instructions for Creating USB Installation Media

Those instructions are about the installation(about what you choose to install on your harddisk). So they aren't important yet if you haven't managed to boot up the usb drive. What three images did you try? You should get the image from here:
https://www.archlinux.org/download/

Did you try booting the drive on other machines and how did that go? Did you go through all the instructions described in the wiki(enabling developer mode and enabling legacy boot) and did you get to the boot menu?

Were you able to select the usb drive in the boot menu?

On a side-note, I don't have a Chromebook so I'm not able to confirm the instructions on how to enable developer mode etc.

hiteshlala

Member

Registered: 2014-01-27

Posts: 5

Re: Additional Instructions for Creating USB Installation Media

Those instructions are about the installation(about what you choose to install on your harddisk). So they aren't important yet if you haven't managed to boot up the usb drive. What three images did you try? You should get the image from here:
https://www.archlinux.org/download/

Did you try booting the drive on other machines and how did that go? Did you go through all the instructions described in the wiki(enabling developer mode and enabling legacy boot) and did you get to the boot menu?

Were you able to select the usb drive in the boot menu?

On a side-note, I don't have a Chromebook so I'm not able to confirm the instructions on how to enable developer mode etc.

Yes I used the following images from archlinux.org:
archlinux-2013.10.01-dual.iso
archlinux-2014.01.05-dual.iso
and the third was from a random selection from the drop down menu in LiLi USB creator.

Yes I have followed the instructions from the installation wiki and was able to get the developer mode and to the boot menu on the c720 and able to select USB to boot from.

As I mentioned earlier I had success using the method for creating a USB Installation in the wiki (under  "Using manual formatting", "In Windows" https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/US … tion_Media ) I was able to get the archlinux splash screen and it tries to install but resets.  And I figured out that this happens because following the instructions I end up with archlinux and Syslinux on the USB and I need arclinux and GRUB.

Hence my request for additional instructions for getting archlinux and GRUB onto a USB for installation.

I will try the USB installation created using LiLi on a different computer - it is much older though and I am not sure it has enough memory for it.