USB installing and booting

[samurai99]

Hi,
Ill keep it short, simple and sweet.

I want to be able to boot kubuntu portably off my Transcend storejet 250GB and for it to be able to retain settings, preferences etc. (persistent install)
My comp is USB boot compatible.
I have partitioned my USB drive into one 5 gb (for kubuntu) and a 245gb (for portable windows apps etc)
Using the Kubuntu 9.04 live cd i installed it on the 5gb partition whose file system is ext3.
I set my BIOS to boot the storejet first.
but nothing happens, the cursor just keeps blinking :-( and it never boots.
help please, in essence when i plug the storejet into any computer (it should be portable) i want to be given the choice of booting kubuntu from the usb or the preinstalled OS from the internal hard disk.

what do i do? ive looked all around for a long time, for the solution to this specific issue, cant find anything on target.
help guys.

[Qqmike]

Re: USB installing and booting

You just need to re-install GRUB (the Kubuntu bootloader) to the MBR of the USB drive. You can do this from a Live Kubuntu CD.

With the USB drive connected so your live Kubuntu CD will see it (depends on your setup etc.),
Start the live Kubuntu CD
Begin a live session (i.e., try Kubuntu without installing anything)
In the live Kubuntu session, open Konsole
Type
sudo grub
grub>find /boot grub/stage1
That will return some (hdx,y). Use that specific output next:
grub>root (hdx,y)
grub>setup (hdx)
(where the "x" is the same as the "x" in the output "(hdx,y)")
grub>quit
$ exit
Exit the live Kubuntu session and re-boot to test it.
As it re-boots ...
You may have to enter BIOS setup--as you know--to set BIOS to boot from that USB drive (again, depending on how you have things going on there).

That should do it.



How To GRUB Methods - Toolkit
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3081671.0
SECTION 3: Re-installing GRUB: the cure for many problems.
SECTION 6: Windows topics
--- Special Situations
-- How to avoid installing GRUB to the MBR of your Windows XP drive
-- Two drives, a Windows drive and a Kubuntu drive, GRUB is in the Windows MBR,
but sometimes you must remove the Kubuntu drive
and Windows won’t boot when you do.

[samurai99]

Re: USB installing and booting

Type
sudo grub
grub>find /boot grub/stage1
That will return some (hdx,y). Use that specific output next:

I appreciate the quick response but when i reach the quoted step, it doesnt return (hdx,y) it returns
ERROR 15: FILE NOT FOUND.

[samurai99]

Re: USB installing and booting

hey, still isnt working, i went through the link you posted, my partition name is LIN btw.

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ mkdir/media/fixthings
bash: mkdir/media/fixthings: No such file or directory
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ mkdir /media/fixthings
mkdir: cannot create directory `/media/fixthings': Permission denied
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ mkdir /media/sdb2/fixthings
mkdir: cannot create directory `/media/sdb2/fixthings': No such file or directory
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ mkdir /media/LIN/fixthings
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo mount /dev/sdb2 /media/LIN/fixthings
mount: special device /dev/sdb2 does not exist
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo mount /media/sdb2 /media/LIN/fixthings
mount: special device /media/sdb2 does not exist
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo mount /media/LIN
mount: /dev/sdf1 already mounted or /media/LIN busy
mount: according to mtab, /dev/sdf1 is already mounted on /media/LIN


ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo mkdir /media/LIN/fixthings
mkdir: cannot create directory `/media/LIN/fixthings': File exists
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo mount /media/LIN /media/LIN/fixthings
mount: /media/LIN is not a block device

[Qqmike]

Re: USB installing and booting

> Carefully read your choices about how to boot these two OSs--your options (SECTION 6).

> BUT, apart from that, there seems to be another serious problem:
"ERROR 15: FILE NOT FOUND."

That means either your USB is not being recognized and/or GRUB files did NOT get installed by the 9.04 installer.

Going to have to get in there and investigate this. You can use a live CD to do such.
May have to re-install 9.04 ( ? ).
Choose Manual partitioning method.
Step 6: Advanced button at lower right => let's you specify where to put GRUB.

Very strange that you would not have GRUB files, though. (Stage 1 is one of the GRUB files--a most important GRUB file).