boot error

[linuxuser159]

I am trying to create a bootable usb partition to install linux on a netbook

when i type:

Code: Select all

qemu /dev/sdb1

it boots fine and starts the installer

but when i boot the netbook with usb disk, i get a "boot error"

any reason?

[AlbertP]

Which program did you use to place Mint on USB? If you want to use the USB to install Mint, I can recommend Universal USB Installer from www.pendrivelinux.com. With this program you can place the Mint ISO file on USB, so that it's actually bootable. If you just copy files or extract the ISO to the USB, it indeed fails to boot.

[linuxuser159]

Which program did you use to place Mint on USB? If you want to use the USB to install Mint, I can recommend Universal USB Installer from http://www.pendrivelinux.com. With this program you can place the Mint ISO file on USB, so that it's actually bootable. If you just copy files or extract the ISO to the USB, it indeed fails to boot.

actually, this is kinda what happened. i used unetbootin to load an iso on a usb flash drive (mp3 player), then copy and pasted the content to a bootable usb parition, then i "syslinux /dev/sdb1"

it works fine with qemu but not when i boot it for real.

it looks like the pendrive programs run only on windows

[lmintnewb]

Ye have angered the Magic Linux Minty gawds !!!!

Ye shall burn, ohhhhh yeah, ye shall burn !!!


Just messing with ya ... comic relief and stuff.

[AlbertP]

You have to use exactly the same Syslinux version as the isolinux loader of the ISO. That means you should use Syslinux 3.89 for LM 11.

[linuxuser159]

but why would it still work on qemu ???

[AlbertP]

Make sure booting from USB is enabled in the BIOS, and the stick is FAT32 formatted. If it's another filesystem, computers may not be able to boot from it. Plus, syslinux requires the FAT format to boot.

If it works in Qemu, then most likely your Syslinux version is already OK.

[linuxuser159]

yes. it is fat 32 and bios is set up right.

it is a USB hard disk. i sued it before to boot win7 on the netbook. so, i am assuming bios is set up right.

##edit

I've redone the whole thing using a manual method for creating bootable usb partition. it is working successfully.

still not sure what was the original problem. i thought if it worked on qemu, it must work on real hardware.

[AlbertP]

I thought the same, but Qemu's bootloading code works different than a normal BIOS.

[linuxuser159]

it happened the other way around as well. qemu booted but could not read the ubuntu iso image. however, it worked fine on real hardware and was able to start up live ubuntu