cannot create successful live disk on flash drive

[tomcloyd]

After 3 attempts, I continue to get the same result: Using usb-creator (which I understand is the recommended tool, if one wants to load both the ISO and a persistence file to the FD), I continue to get a "live" FD that appears to start ok, but eventually dumps a load of chained error messages to the screen, then ends up displaying:

BusyBox v1.17.1 (Ubuntu 1:1.17.1-10ubuntu1) built-in shell (ash)
Enter 'help' for a list of built-in commands.

(initramfs) _

I have no idea what's happening. I've always been able to create a live FD before.

I should add, that the persistence area I asked for was 2.2 GB in size, on a 4 GB FD. Shouldn't be a problem.

In desperation, I'll now go to CD to see if that flys...

[GreyGeek]

Re: cannot create successful live disk on flash drive

It sounds like your iso file didn't pass its md5sum check.

I burned two this evening (32 and 64bit) and ran the 64 bit. My 32 bit was put on a 4GB USB. I gave 2.9GB to file storage and 1GB to the iso. It runs great. My 64bit was put on an 8GB stick and I created a 4GB file space. It ran fantastic on this Sony.

[Snowhog]

Re: cannot create successful live disk on flash drive

I should add, that the persistence area I asked for was 2.2 GB in size, on a 4 GB FD. Shouldn't be a problem.

Leaving only 1.8 GB (less actually) for the installation itself. I'm thinking that that simply isn't enough space to install to.

[tomcloyd]

Re: cannot create successful live disk on flash drive

I'm reaching the same conclusion, as I just burned a 3rd FD which has also just failed. Assuming my previous bittornet ISO (not md5sum-checked - I was trusting) was not true, I used zsync to quickly re-download it, and was delighted to see that zsync also md5sum-checked it for me (I didn't see this in the documentation, but it's a cool feature of this very cool CLI program). I then made my 3rd FD, again with a 2.2 GB persistence area.

This ought to have worked, dammit. The whole ISO will fit on a CD, so why isn't 3.7 minus 2.2 GB enough for it on a FD? I simply cannot figure this.

In any case, I'm now burning my 4th FD attempt, this time with a 500MB persistence area.

Now, why doesn't usb-creator note the size of the area needed to load the ISO, and refuse to load it is enough space isn't available? That's just plain common sense, isn't it?

It's been a long day.

-----

Update: FD attempt #4, with 500MB persistence area, just did what all previous attempts did: flooded the monitor with error messages, then dove into command line hell. This is lovely. I've never had this problem before, so I've no real idea what's happening. Maybe all my FDs have been taken over by space aliens.

Dropping the FD idea, and going to CD, after another md5sum check of the ISO. I don't trust anything at this point.

----

OK, the CD worked fine. The system reload is going forward exactly as expected. My netbook will soon be running OK, and I'll only have to do a mess of application program installs to get back to my normal working environment + Natty.

My thanks to all for your suggestions.

[Detonate]

Re: cannot create successful live disk on flash drive

Have you tried it with UNetbootin?

[el_koraco]

Re: cannot create successful live disk on flash drive

If you're trying it with the Startup disk creator, sometimes you have to choose the option to erase the disk before you try to make another live variant.

[tomcloyd]

Re: cannot create successful live disk on flash drive

Have you tried it with UNetbootin?

Well, no, because my notes, from a previous time I was wrestling to make a live flash drive, firmly said to use the startup disk creator, and it's always worked for me until now.

[tomcloyd]

Re: cannot create successful live disk on flash drive

If you're trying it with the Startup disk creator, sometimes you have to choose the option to erase the disk before you try to make another live variant.

In all cases, I had no choice. It insisted that I erase the disk, and I did.

[dibl]

Re: cannot create successful live disk on flash drive

@tom the guide that I wrote here does not provide for persistence, but otherwise looks like the type of information you are looking for. I don't think it would be huge leap to add a persistence feature to it (but I'll admit I haven't done it myself).

Just FYI.

[tomcloyd]

Re: cannot create successful live disk on flash drive

@tom the guide that I wrote here does not provide for persistence, but otherwise looks like the type of information you are looking for. I don't think it would be huge leap to add a persistence feature to it (but I'll admit I haven't done it myself).

Just FYI.

Thanks - look good, and sounds like it could be made to work with a persistent storage area. Will make a note to try it when the dust settles a little. My need was not so much for persistent storage as for a live FD, 'cause my netbook has only an external optical drive. I expected to have the live FD be a slam dunk, as always...then the fun began. Who knows why it didn't work. I will say this though: the failures in all 4 instances of the supposedly live FD looked identical on the screen. I just don't know what it was telling me, other than "not today".

[GreyGeek]

Re: cannot create successful live disk on flash drive

I should add that I burned my NN LiveUSBs using my Lucid Lynx desktop.

[Rob_G]

Re: cannot create successful live disk on flash drive

It's not just you. I have also found the live-usb install breaks itself after one use. It seems to save the settings from the previous install and it goes downhill from there. I have tried 4 or 5 fresh live-usb 11.04 (64bit) builds and they all start failing the install process. I used the usb-creator application, but may switch to unetbootin and see if that changes anything. I'm not sure if creating an instance on the usb device has an impact or not, but I've tried both 4 and 8 gb usb keys with the same results.

Also, the online upgrade killed my main system, something didn't work right with the raid stripe. It wouldn't mount volumes anymore... Oh and reqonk crashes ALOT on the live usb when backspacing to the previous page (google usually).

Rob