Hi

Im clutching at straws here, i just purchased an Zonbu (mini pc running Via
C7/512 MB ram) and i'm trying to install Debian 4.0 on external USB drive.
I've prepped an USB stick with the net install image. Boot's from it and
installs debian fine from what i can see
When i reboot i see that bios detects the USB-HD properly but instead of
showing the kernel to boot it shows only the "Mininmal BASH like" version of
grub and no selection box.
I tried to reinstall this time manually making the partitions on the USB-HD

sda1 /boot (ext2) 100 MB bootable
sda2 / (ext3) 20 GB
sda3 /swap

Same issue again. tried it a couple of more times and once i got "Error 18"
in GRUB
I'm at a loss as what can be wrong. I tried to search the net but can't find
information that me out here.
So if anyone have any suggestions or any experience installing Debian on
"Zonbu" i would be really greatful

Thanks

Mikael

I forgot to add that i told grub to install into /deb/sda as well

On 9/11/07, Mikael Rudberg <mikael.rudberg@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hi
>
> Im clutching at straws here, i just purchased an Zonbu (mini pc running
> Via C7/512 MB ram) and i'm trying to install Debian 4.0 on external USB
> drive.
> I've prepped an USB stick with the net install image. Boot's from it and
> installs debian fine from what i can see
> When i reboot i see that bios detects the USB-HD properly but instead of
> showing the kernel to boot it shows only the "Mininmal BASH like" version of
> grub and no selection box.
> I tried to reinstall this time manually making the partitions on the
> USB-HD
>
> sda1 /boot (ext2) 100 MB bootable
> sda2 / (ext3) 20 GB
> sda3 /swap
>
> Same issue again. tried it a couple of more times and once i got "Error
> 18" in GRUB
> I'm at a loss as what can be wrong. I tried to search the net but can't
> find information that me out here.
> So if anyone have any suggestions or any experience installing Debian on
> "Zonbu" i would be really greatful
>
> Thanks
>
> Mikael
>
>

> On 9/11/07, Mikael Rudberg <mikael.rudberg@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hi
>>

Hello Mikael.

>> Im clutching at straws here, i just purchased an Zonbu (mini pc running
>> Via C7/512 MB ram) and i'm trying to install Debian 4.0 on external USB
>> drive.
>> I've prepped an USB stick with the net install image. Boot's from it and
>> installs debian fine from what i can see
>> When i reboot i see that bios detects the USB-HD properly but instead of
>> showing the kernel to boot it shows only the "Mininmal BASH like" version of
>> grub and no selection box.
>> I tried to reinstall this time manually making the partitions on the
>> USB-HD
>>
>> sda1 /boot (ext2) 100 MB bootable
>> sda2 / (ext3) 20 GB
>> sda3 /swap
>>
>> Same issue again. tried it a couple of more times and once i got "Error
>> 18" in GRUB
>> I'm at a loss as what can be wrong. I tried to search the net but can't
>> find information that me out here.
>> So if anyone have any suggestions or any experience installing Debian on
>> "Zonbu" i would be really greatful
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> Mikael
>>
>>

See "info grub trouble stage2"

Another possible source of the problem is that the USB-key was connected
when you installed Grub to the large external USB disk. Drive positions
move as USB devices are added and removed from the computer.

So the USB-key was probably /dev/sda (hd0) during installation, and the
USB drive was /dev/sdb (probably hd1). Perhaps somehow Grub got
installed to the right drive, but it could be using the geometry for the
other drive.

Getting Grub installed properly in a situation where the install
environment is different from the run environment requires
Grub-configuring skills that go for beyond mine. However, there might
not be a solution.

Target Stores in America sells 25MB USB-keys for $5. Maybe you could use
one as a kind of bootdisk. All it would probably need is for Grub to be
installed to its MBR, but you would need both drives connected whenever
you wanted to use the Debian installation on the external big disk.

Your 'netinstall' USB-key might already have the ability to let you boot
into your Debian installation. The Debian Etch CD #1 has a function that
allows me to boot a Debian installation. I can't remember where that
function is located in the menus, but it's there.




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On Tuesday 11 September 2007 16:26, Mikael Rudberg wrote:
> Hi
>
> Im clutching at straws here, i just purchased an Zonbu (mini pc running Via
> C7/512 MB ram) and i'm trying to install Debian 4.0 on external USB drive.
> I've prepped an USB stick with the net install image. Boot's from it and
> installs debian fine from what i can see
> When i reboot i see that bios detects the USB-HD properly but instead of
> showing the kernel to boot it shows only the "Mininmal BASH like" version
> of grub and no selection box.
> I tried to reinstall this time manually making the partitions on the USB-HD
>
> sda1 /boot (ext2) 100 MB bootable
> sda2 / (ext3) 20 GB
> sda3 /swap
>
> Same issue again. tried it a couple of more times and once i got "Error
> 18" in GRUB
> I'm at a loss as what can be wrong. I tried to search the net but can't
> find information that me out here.
> So if anyone have any suggestions or any experience installing Debian on
> "Zonbu" i would be really greatful
>
> Thanks
>
> Mikael
---------------------------------------------------
grub needs to be installed {written to the mbr} on the disk from which your
machines bios is set to boot.

easy:
If you want it to boot from the usb stick then set your system bios to this
boot order
1 cd or floppy
2 usb stick
3 hard drive

then put grub on the usb stick: this will only change the order of choices
that your machines bios has to make to boot. You will not write instructions
to the mbr here, only the usb stick; Your machines bios will handle the rest.

More difficult:
if you want to leave your bios alone then you must install grub on the hard
drive that your system will boot from 'not the usb stick'; then edit the grub
to the boot order selection that you want.
Best wishes: BTW This is what I did on my machine: grub on the main boot drive
has a selection of 4 operating systems to boot to.
Best wishes!
--
John W. Foster


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Thanks for all your feedback guys, so based on your feedback that grub is
confused i thought i give it a go to prep the USB harddrive with the
netinstall image instead of running it from the USB stick.

So i did the following (from another Debian)

zcat boot.img.rz > /dev/sda
mount /dev/sda /mnt
cp initrd.gz /mnt (from the netinstall)
umount /mnt

And this time i only booted the machine with the USB HD attached and the
installer booted and run happily from the USB HD


i proceeded with the installation and selected /dev/sda as the partion to
put grub on

Reboot.... and still the same problem is there (no boot entries). also tried
the grub commands suggested but when i do root ( <tab> i only get fd0. and
the finds dosn't work

Then i tried to install grub on

/dev/sda1

dosn't boot at all

making the partition reiserfs instead of ext3
Grub error 17
after doing a rescue and grub-install /dev/sda
Grub error 18


So my guess is either
a) The USB-HD isn't supported ( which seems a bit unlikely as it boots the
installer )
b) Some weird restriction exist in the hardware to boot from a USB-HD
c) Im doing some stupid mistake that I'm not realizing

I can't really come up with anything what to do next if you guys have any
more suggestions please let me know

Thanks

/Mikael




On 9/12/07, John W. Foster <johnwfoster@verizon.net> wrote:
>
> On Tuesday 11 September 2007 16:26, Mikael Rudberg wrote:
> > Hi
> >
> > Im clutching at straws here, i just purchased an Zonbu (mini pc running
> Via
> > C7/512 MB ram) and i'm trying to install Debian 4.0 on external USB
> drive.
> > I've prepped an USB stick with the net install image. Boot's from it and
> > installs debian fine from what i can see
> > When i reboot i see that bios detects the USB-HD properly but instead of
> > showing the kernel to boot it shows only the "Mininmal BASH like"
> version
> > of grub and no selection box.
> > I tried to reinstall this time manually making the partitions on the
> USB-HD
> >
> > sda1 /boot (ext2) 100 MB bootable
> > sda2 / (ext3) 20 GB
> > sda3 /swap
> >
> > Same issue again. tried it a couple of more times and once i got "Error
> > 18" in GRUB
> > I'm at a loss as what can be wrong. I tried to search the net but can't
> > find information that me out here.
> > So if anyone have any suggestions or any experience installing Debian on
> > "Zonbu" i would be really greatful
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> > Mikael
> ---------------------------------------------------
> grub needs to be installed {written to the mbr} on the disk from which
> your
> machines bios is set to boot.
>
> easy:
> If you want it to boot from the usb stick then set your system bios to
> this
> boot order
> 1 cd or floppy
> 2 usb stick
> 3 hard drive
>
> then put grub on the usb stick: this will only change the order of choices
> that your machines bios has to make to boot. You will not write
> instructions
> to the mbr here, only the usb stick; Your machines bios will handle the
> rest.
>
> More difficult:
> if you want to leave your bios alone then you must install grub on the
> hard
> drive that your system will boot from 'not the usb stick'; then edit the
> grub
> to the boot order selection that you want.
> Best wishes: BTW This is what I did on my machine: grub on the main boot
> drive
> has a selection of 4 operating systems to boot to.
> Best wishes!
> --
> John W. Foster
>
>
> --
> To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-REQUEST@lists.debian.org
> with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact
> listmaster@lists.debian.org
>
>

On 09/12/2007 02:34 PM, Mikael Rudberg wrote:
> Thanks for all your feedback guys, so based on your feedback that grub is
> confused i thought i give it a go to prep the USB harddrive with the
> netinstall image instead of running it from the USB stick.
>
> So i did the following (from another Debian)
>
> zcat boot.img.rz > /dev/sda
> mount /dev/sda /mnt
> cp initrd.gz /mnt (from the netinstall)
> umount /mnt
>
> And this time i only booted the machine with the USB HD attached and the
> installer booted and run happily from the USB HD
>
>
> i proceeded with the installation and selected /dev/sda as the partion to
> put grub on
>
> Reboot.... and still the same problem is there (no boot entries). also tried
> the grub commands suggested but when i do root ( <tab> i only get fd0. and
> the finds dosn't work
>
> Then i tried to install grub on
>
> /dev/sda1
>
> dosn't boot at all
>
> making the partition reiserfs instead of ext3
> Grub error 17
> after doing a rescue and grub-install /dev/sda
> Grub error 18
>
>
> So my guess is either
> a) The USB-HD isn't supported ( which seems a bit unlikely as it boots the
> installer )
> b) Some weird restriction exist in the hardware to boot from a USB-HD
> c) Im doing some stupid mistake that I'm not realizing
>
> I can't really come up with anything what to do next if you guys have any
> more suggestions please let me know
>
> Thanks
>
> /Mikael
>
>

It should work. You need to repartition the USB drive and reinstall
Debian onto it. But as you do the install, you need to appreciate the
fact that you'll install Grub to a different device specification than
it will boot from.

That is to say, you'll install both Debian and Grub to /dev/sdb (USB
disk), but when the machine boots, Grub should see /dev/sda (USB disk).

IOW, configure Grub so that it wants to boot from /dev/sda, but install
Grub to /dev/sdb. That's the best I can do to explain it; I doubt this
is possible with Grub, but I think it's possible with Lilo.

Anyway, good luck.


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The partion manager says /dev/sda when i create the partions so i don't
think it installs to /dev/sdb but i'll try to install from a wmvare image to
see if i get the same result

On 9/13/07, Mumia W.. <paduille.4061.mumia.w+nospam@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> On 09/12/2007 02:34 PM, Mikael Rudberg wrote:
> > Thanks for all your feedback guys, so based on your feedback that grub
> is
> > confused i thought i give it a go to prep the USB harddrive with the
> > netinstall image instead of running it from the USB stick.
> >
> > So i did the following (from another Debian)
> >
> > zcat boot.img.rz > /dev/sda
> > mount /dev/sda /mnt
> > cp initrd.gz /mnt (from the netinstall)
> > umount /mnt
> >
> > And this time i only booted the machine with the USB HD attached and the
> > installer booted and run happily from the USB HD
> >
> >
> > i proceeded with the installation and selected /dev/sda as the partion
> to
> > put grub on
> >
> > Reboot.... and still the same problem is there (no boot entries). also
> tried
> > the grub commands suggested but when i do root ( <tab> i only get fd0.
> and
> > the finds dosn't work
> >
> > Then i tried to install grub on
> >
> > /dev/sda1
> >
> > dosn't boot at all
> >
> > making the partition reiserfs instead of ext3
> > Grub error 17
> > after doing a rescue and grub-install /dev/sda
> > Grub error 18
> >
> >
> > So my guess is either
> > a) The USB-HD isn't supported ( which seems a bit unlikely as it boots
> the
> > installer )
> > b) Some weird restriction exist in the hardware to boot from a USB-HD
> > c) Im doing some stupid mistake that I'm not realizing
> >
> > I can't really come up with anything what to do next if you guys have
> any
> > more suggestions please let me know
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> > /Mikael
> >
> >
>
> It should work. You need to repartition the USB drive and reinstall
> Debian onto it. But as you do the install, you need to appreciate the
> fact that you'll install Grub to a different device specification than
> it will boot from.
>
> That is to say, you'll install both Debian and Grub to /dev/sdb (USB
> disk), but when the machine boots, Grub should see /dev/sda (USB disk).
>
> IOW, configure Grub so that it wants to boot from /dev/sda, but install
> Grub to /dev/sdb. That's the best I can do to explain it; I doubt this
> is possible with Grub, but I think it's possible with Lilo.
>
> Anyway, good luck.
>
>
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> with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact
> listmaster@lists.debian.org
>
>