Install to USB Flash Drive fell

[l2ulinux]

I took my time and install Mageia 2 into 16 gig USB flash drive. I set it up to be one that I could
use on more than one computer.The only thing that was not the same on the second system was
the network card and the size of the H/D. It crashed on the first boot-up on the second system.
It stopped after going thru everything but pulling up the desktop and rebooted on its on and would
not go pass loading grub. I do not know what happen to it. I use a flash drive just like with RC-2 with
no problem. It will not boot on the computer i build it on.

[doktor5000]

It stopped after going thru everything but pulling up the desktop and rebooted on its on and would
not go pass loading grub. I do not know what happen to it. I use a flash drive just like with RC-2 with
no problem. It will not boot on the computer i build it on.

Could you please rephrase that part, and explain it please in a little more detail., it's a bit difficult for me to understand.

Also, please give some details about your machines, which graphics card and which mainboard (or which mass storage controllers are being used).
And as you said on the second boot (after the second system rebooted on it's own after loading the desktop, if i understood correctly)
was there some error message from Grub or what happend exactly?

[aselluza]

I'm trying to guess the best way to do the same, to install Mageia 2 toa 16Gb pendrive, but I'm new to this and I'm a bit lost. Someone could explain me the easiest way to creat a USB flash with Mageia 2? thanx!!

[doktor5000]

Well those are two different things, writing an installation medium to a flash drive to install the system from this flash drive or installing Mageia to a flash drive, what do you want exactly?
For the former, this is already documented in the wiki: https://wiki.mageia.org/en/Installation ... B_stick.3F
For the latter, just do a normal install, but as target select the flash drive, but it should be a fast one, and you will stress it quite much when running your system from the flash drive. You may also need to set your BIOS to boot from USB, but most newer systems will recognize this by default.

[aselluza]

I'm trying the first option. Installed mandriva-seed, but it's not working (it says it can't find X server and stop). livetoflash is not working either:

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[root@localhost ~]# mandriva-seed.sh
Verifying archive integrity... All good.
Uncompressing mandriva-seed....................................................................................................................................
mandriva-seed: cannot connect to X server

Code: Select all

[root@localhost ~]# livetoflash

(zenity:4117): Gtk-WARNING **: cannot open display:

(zenity:4118): Gtk-WARNING **: cannot open display:

I'll try dd now, as the other option given.

[aselluza]

Finally I tried this:

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# dd if=/mnt/bigarrena/ISO/Mageia-2-LiveCD-KDE4-Europe1-Americas-i586-CD/Mageia-2-LiveCD-KDE4-Europe1-Americas-i586-CD.iso of=/dev/sdc1


It seemed to be right, it created in my USB a partition called Mageia2-KDE4-LiveCD with all the stuff, but when I tried to boot from it, it told me something like this:

isolinux missing or corrupted
boot system not found

So I don't know how to creat a working flash USB with Mageia 2

[alf]

You have to dd the iso to the pendrive itself and not into a partition on the usb-device
for example

Code: Select all

dd if=<path to iso> of=/dev/sdc

[aselluza]

But is it posible to creat two partitions first? I'd like to keep in it a different partition to use as a "normal" pendrive...

[aselluza]

Ok, I installed and it's working. I saw it created a 700Mb partition for Mageia 2 Live and left the rest of the pendrive blank, no partition at all. I created a second partition of 7,5Gb and left in the middle the rest of the disk blank. It still works and I can use the new partition as a normal pendrive. I wonder if there's a way that Mageia live could use the rest of the space in the disk and also if there's a way it could keep the changes made in live user. I installed Basque language and Skype, and copied some files in live user's home to keep them and be able to use them wherever I take my usb flash, but when I reboot, nothing done keeps there, it's a new sesion everytime and installed programs are not there. Any idea of how to use this live version to be a mobile system where I can keep my information for future use? it seems that no matter how big the pendrive is, just 700Mb will be useful for that live system

[doktor5000]

But is it posible to creat two partitions first? I'd like to keep in it a different partition to use as a "normal" pendrive...

Nope, that's not possible in the way you want it. There are ways to write the image to the pendrive, and then manually adjusting the partition table, but i wouldn't recommend that one.

And as i said, there are two ways to use a pendrive. When you write a live image to the pendrive, it's the same as running a live cd,
no permanent storage and everything will vanish when you reboot. The other way would be to install Mageia to the pendrive.

[aselluza]

But is it posible to creat two partitions first? I'd like to keep in it a different partition to use as a "normal" pendrive...

Nope, that's not possible in the way you want it. There are ways to write the image to the pendrive, and then manually adjusting the partition table, but i wouldn't recommend that one.

And as i said, there are two ways to use a pendrive. When you write a live image to the pendrive, it's the same as running a live cd,
no permanent storage and everything will vanish when you reboot. The other way would be to install Mageia to the pendrive.

ok, I understand. Then I don't understand why somewhere (not here, but in some other forums where they explain how to creat an usb flash) it's recommended to use a 8Gb or even 16Gb pendrive for a flash USB if it will use just 700Mb for it and the rest of the memory in the usb will be useless

[doktor5000]

There are ways to write the image to the pendrive, and then manually adjusting the partition table, but i wouldn't recommend that one.

That being said, i wouldn't recommend that to novice users. Maybe the situation with another distro is totally different in that regard.

Also, maybe you still didn't fully understand what the difference between an installation and live mode is.
As you can easily install Mageia to an 8 or 16GB pendrive and use the whole stick for this, just like a normal installation to harddisk.

[aselluza]

It's ok, I was able to change the partition and keep Mageia live working in the pendrive, so I guess I'll keep it that way. The advantage of live is that it should work for any computer and can be nice to keep it there just in case, while using the rest of the pendrive as a normal usb device where I can carry the files I need. not the perfect solution I wanted, but not so bad either

[alf]

Nope, that's not possible in the way you want it.

That should be possible, doktor5000. You remember the MUD-live-edition created by tigger-gg?

[Ken-Bergen]

It's ok, I was able to change the partition and keep Mageia live working in the pendrive, so I guess I'll keep it that way. The advantage of live is that it should work for any computer and can be nice to keep it there just in case, while using the rest of the pendrive as a normal usb device where I can carry the files I need. not the perfect solution I wanted, but not so bad either

An install on a stick from the live CD will work on any computer that the Live CD will if you don't remove support for unused hardware.

[aselluza]

That should be possible, doktor5000. You remember the MUD-live-edition created by tigger-gg?

Nice one, I did it following instructions here http://www.mandrivauser.de/doku/doku.php?id=allgemein:tutorials:simplediystick_en. I had to pass a part of it through google german to spanish translator, and it was a bit tough to understand the first time, but finally it worked. the only thing I couldn't get was to resize the 2Gb partition created for Mandriva One, so when I run the system and confirmed that data changes were persistent, I decided to update the system. Bad idea, I run out of memory as 2Gb were not enough for that operation. It should be great something simillar could be done for a Persistent Mageia 2 Live, as Mageia 2 is far away from Mandrina 2010.1. I'd love to have a Mageia 2 as a data persistent usb flash... I'l try again with Mandriva One 2010.1. Anyone could help me to resize that MANDRIVAONE partition from 2Gb to at least 6Gb? It creates it some way that doeasn't let Gparted change its size and parted command in Mageia 2 doesn't accept "resize" option... I'll try partitionmanager this time, let's see if I succeed...

[doktor5000]

Nope, that's not possible in the way you want it.

That should be possible, doktor5000. You remember the MUD-live-edition created by tigger-gg?

Yeah sure, but seems my memory struck me. I may be forgiven, as i don't use live editions overall, i think the last one i tried was Mandrake Move back in the days which was one of the first live cd's overall. If one can readjust the partition size later on, even better. Nevermind my previous comments ...

[aselluza]

Yeah sure, but seems my memory struck me. I may be forgiven, as i don't use live editions overall, i think the last one i tried was Mandrake Move back in the days which was one of the first live cd's overall. If one can readjust the partition size later on, even better. Nevermind my previous comments ...

I'm trying something, I'll tell how it works. I finally could resize that 2Gb partition to 5Gb (I had to do it using Gparted in the Mandriva 2010 my girlfriend has in her netbook, as in Mageia 2 it was impossible to resize it). Now I'm trying to upgrade that Mandriva One, which is working pretty fine as persistent flash system, to Mageia 1. If the trick works, I'll have a persistent Mageia 1 flash, then I'd think about upgrading it to Mageia 2 (just in case, I keep a copy of the original state of working Mandriva One).

[aselluza]

No, finally it failed to upgrade so I had to go back to the previously saved Mandriva One. At least I have a permanent usb flash with 5Gb where changes and information are kept and a second partition that can be mounted to use as a normal pendrive

[doktor5000]

You can't upgrade a Mandriva One that way, as it's image-based and not package-based, also the filesystem setup is kind of special.
What you can do is try to customize some live cd, like described in http://www.mandrivauser.de/doku/doku.ph ... madeiso_en also works for Mageia live cds.

[aselluza]

You can't upgrade a Mandriva One that way, as it's image-based and not package-based, also the filesystem setup is kind of special.
What you can do is try to customize some live cd, like described in http://www.mandrivauser.de/doku/doku.ph ... madeiso_en also works for Mageia live cds.

I see. I'm not sure if I'll dare to try it, but maybe... Doing things it's the best way to learn thanx!!

[doktor5000]

So care to mark the thread as [SOLVED] please?

[aselluza]

So care to mark the thread as [SOLVED] please?

I didn't create this one, it was l2ulinux and I'm not sure if his problem is solved

[doktor5000]

Yeah, right you just hijacked his thread, so maybe he was afraid to post again here?

PM'ed him.

[aselluza]

Yeah, right you just hijacked his thread, so maybe he was afraid to post again here?

PM'ed him.

yep, sorry