USB install?

The_Great_Sephiroth · Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2014 4:10 am Post subject: USB install?

Alright, i believe this post belongs here. I have a 16GB flash drive that has Grub4DOS on it along with memtest and a custom project of my own (Mini WIndows 7 for working on Xp/Vista/7/8 machines) and I want to put the current Gentoo AMD64 installer on it. I have done this (grabbed the ISO, put it into the right place, booted it from G4D), but after it gets to the "boot:" prompt and I press enter, it cannot find the bootable device. My guess is that it detects the USB drive as /dev/sdb1 and the ISO I used to boot is not being seen or may be gone.

With this setup, is it possible to add Gentoo to my boot device for installing Gentoo on systems without optical drives? What must I do to make this work?
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DONAHUE · Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2014 5:10 am Post subject:

http://diddy.boot-land.net/grub4dos/files/map.htm#hd32 tells why not
recommend spring for another flash drive and put http://www.sysresccd.org/Download on it per http://www.sysresccd.org/Sysresccd-manual-en_How_to_install_SystemRescueCd_on_an_USB-stick
sysresccd is a superior install medium
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Jaglover · Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2014 5:37 am Post subject:

I second DONAHUE. I've been carrying a SysRescueCd USB stick with me for many years. It does everything I need, rescue files from virus-eaten Windows machines, fix Linux computers, install Gentoo 32 or 64 bit. Of course I do not install Windows, I used to be an IT manager for many years and quit because I could not stand it any more. I tell everybody I can get their files off the HDD and I can install Linux or anything they want but no Windows.
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NeddySeagoon · Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2014 11:47 am Post subject:

Thirded :)
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The_Great_Sephiroth · Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2014 1:29 pm Post subject:

We use System Rescue CD. Well, used to. We now use custom USB sticks with Parted Magic (last free version), Mini XP, and loads of other tools on it. We made it in-house. It is very similar to Hiren's, but without all of that software we didn't pay for. The reason we want both a Windows and Linux solution is that I can use all of the Windows tools from a trimmed XP or trimmed 7 OS. Things like RSAT, chkdsk, fsutil, NTPWEdit, etc etc. I know Sys Rescue CD has a tool to blank passwords, but try managing an AD domain from it at a client location!

Sorry, I got carried away. I can already boot PMagic from this same USB stick. I was simply hoping to boot the Gentoo installer. If you're telling me it isn't possible, I will accept that. If not, what must be done to do this? I already have a development stick which can install XP, Vista, and 7 from my Mini 7 environment, which is actually an ISO image that G4D boots. I did do the hd32 trick and it has worked well until now.

If you care to know what the goal here is, it is to have a USB stick with 8GB~10GB of actual bootable systems and utilities and the rest free for storage. When this is completed we will offer new employees 64GB sticks with this on them. They can then essentially carry a portable desktop with them. Need to administer AD on a client domain? No problem! Boot Mini 7 and do it. Need to install Gentoo on a new system? Boot the installer and go! Need to backup or recover data? We got that too!

That is my end-goal here. If I have to stick with PMagic I can, I am just hoping I can do Gentoo or System Rescue CD the same way.
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Ever picture systemd as what runs "The Borg"?