| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Wooff
Tux's lil' helper
Joined: 19 Jun 2004
Posts: 101
Location: LB.CZ.EU
|
 Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2006 10:53 pm Post subject: [CLOSED] boot from USB disk - not supported by BIOS |
 |
|
Hi,
I would like to install dual boot gentoo on laptop which is not mine and I should do as little as changes as possible. So, I have external USB disk (normal 3.5" IDE WD250GB) and I would like to install my gentoo machine on it. BUT - this older ACER 243LC does not support USB booting in BIOS.
SO (and now iam coming to glue), is it possible to install gentoo like this? on core laptop hdd have only /boot partition and / partition have on the external one?
at laptop HDD 30GB
/dev/hda1 /windows /29.9GB
/dev/hda2 /boot /32MB
at USB external IDE HDD 250GB
/dev/sda1 / /4GB
/dev/sda2 /swap /512MB
/dev/sda3 /... /...
Booting from HDD will be set in BIOS.
/dev/hda2 will be set as active
Grub will be on /dev/hda2
grub will load bzImage, start init and then after USB drivers and mass storage modules will be succesfully loaded - it will finished booting proces from external disk /
WILL DOES IT WORK?
thanks for your replies. any idea is welcome and if you know interesting sites and links about this, please, put them here. I really want to solve it. So, please, dont flame... and try to primary reply to my MAIN question. thx again.
Have a nice day ((-:
W
SIDE QUESTIONS:
1) is it possible to make a start bootCD to boot from this CD and then continue work from external USB disk?
2) is it possible to share swap partition with windows? it will be much faster to have swap partition on laptop disk. but from windows user it will be wasteing of space - so set windows use this pattition as a swap too
3) how fast/slow will be to have a / partition on external USB disk?
4) if I create a / partition on laptop HDD. as small as possible. how (and when during install) can I move /usr, /home, /??? to external disk? (there is simple way how to move portage, is there any similar simple way how to use home,...???
5) can I install grub to hda2 active partition and receive grub after turn on computer? and then change active partition to hda1 (windows one) and receive windows startup directly from turn on computer?!?!
6) [ADDED] can I create second /boot partition on external USB disk and boot from this on another computer if it will support USB booting? (there will be probably problem with hardware-kernel options I know)
Last edited by Wooff on Tue Feb 14, 2006 11:50 am; edited 2 times in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
JeliJami
Veteran
Joined: 17 Jan 2006
Posts: 1086
Location: Belgium
|
| Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 7:00 am Post subject: Re: boot from USB disk - not supported by BIOS |
|
|
| Wooff wrote: | is it possible to install gentoo like this? on core laptop hdd have only /boot partition and / partition have on the external one?
at laptop HDD 30GB
/dev/hda1 /windows /29.9GB
/dev/hda2 /boot /32MB |
Hm, if the BIOS does not support USB boot, maybe it won't support a boot partition beyond the first 4GB (or is it 2GB? 1GB?)
| Quote: |
grub will load bzImage, start init and then after USB drivers and mass storage modules will be succesfully loaded - it will finished booting proces from external disk /
|
if you want to use modules for the usb stuff, you will need an initrd as well
maybe you can better compile your usb stuff into the kernel
| Quote: |
WILL DOES IT WORK? |
I see no reason why not, except for the BIOS not supporting boot partitions beyond a certain threshold
| Quote: |
SIDE QUESTIONS:
1) is it possible to make a start bootCD to boot from this CD and then continue work from external USB disk? |
yes
| Quote: |
2) is it possible to share swap partition with windows? it will be much faster to have swap partition on laptop disk. but from windows user it will be wasteing of space - so set windows use this pattition as a swap too |
I don't think so: the swap partition has a special filesystem on it, which windows will not know about
| Quote: |
3) how fast/slow will be to have a / partition on external USB disk? |
no idea, but I guess it will be faster than a root system on nfs
| Quote: |
4) if I create a / partition on laptop HDD. as small as possible. how (and when during install) can I move /usr, /home, /??? to external disk? (there is simple way how to move portage, is there any similar simple way how to use home,...??? |
why don't you create them on the usb disk immediately?
| Quote: |
5) can I install grub to hda2 active partition and receive grub after turn on computer? and then change active partition to hda1 (windows one) and receive windows startup directly from turn on computer?!?! |
you better install grub in the MBR, and follow some dual boot howto to see how to alter the grub config
_________________
Unanswered Post Initiative | Search | FAQ
Former username: davjel |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Wooff
Tux's lil' helper
Joined: 19 Jun 2004
Posts: 101
Location: LB.CZ.EU
|
| Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 8:01 am Post subject: comprehensive answer |
|
|
Hi, thanx for comprehensive answer.
MAIN... ok I will try it (boot beyond 4GB treshold).
| Quote: | | Quote: | Quote:
4) if I create a / partition on laptop HDD. as small as possible. how (and when during install) can I move /usr, /home, /??? to external disk? (there is simple way how to move portage, is there any similar simple way how to use home,...??? |
why don't you create them on the usb disk immediately?
|
ok, but I dont know how to do it immediatly ... just create partition and filesystem and then write it down to fstab? is this enough?
| Quote: | | Quote: | Quote:
5) can I install grub to hda2 active partition and receive grub after turn on computer? and then change active partition to hda1 (windows one) and receive windows startup directly from turn on computer?!?! |
you better install grub in the MBR, and follow some dual boot howto to see how to alter the grub config |
why I wont this is because I dont want to change anything on that laptop. and if I install grub to MBR then everytimes somebody turn on this laptop - GRUB menu will show them that I WAS THERE.
so, my idea was to do it as I said. and when somebody take the computer - i will change the active partition - and let him work as usual. But I dont know if BIOS loading from MBR of disk or from first sector of active partition. (BTW: I have fully working dual boot at THIS computer)
W |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Man Cubus
n00b
Joined: 11 Jun 2006
Posts: 4
|
| Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2006 2:25 pm Post subject: |
|
|
<erroneous post edited out>
The LiveCD 2006.0 does indeed recognize my USB HDD !
I am trying to install, and it can even install GRUB on USB, /dev/sdb. My IDE is /dev/sda.
Just be sure you don't change your internal IDE HD layout, AND choose the USB as your BOOT DISK. You may even get a warining if running the text-mode install, saying that you indicate a drive that may not be the first to be loaded by BIOS. Disregard it! Insist the MBR on your USB is going to work.
So far, the best USB-ready distro! Kudos! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
Installing Gentoo
