unable to create bootable installation disk

arejay2 · n00b Joined: 12 Mar 2008 Posts: 6

A relative newbie at Linux, I was intrigued by the description in Negus' Linux Bible of Gentoo, which sounds like a great way to increase my understanding. But after having downloaded the three installation files

livecd-i686-installer-2007.0.iso
install-x86-minimal-2007.0.iso
install-ia64-minimal-2007.0.iso

to each of my Windows XP, Slackware 7, and Fedora 3 partitions, I am unable to create a bootable CD containing any one of them. The problem is probably not with my BIOS configuration, because I can boot perfectly well from a Ubuntu 7 installation CD.

For example, in Windows I used my regular DVD/CD burning software package NTI DVD-Maker, dragging the icon for the file install-x86-minimal-2007.0.iso to the Data Layout window and then issuing the command "Write CD" without checking the "bootable CD" window (since I tried that once and ended up with a disk containing a dozen XP or MS-DOS files!). In Fedora, following the instructions in Appendix A of Negus, I opened K3b from the Root desktop, chose a writing speed of 4x (which is what NTI demands for a CD-RW disk), chose

Tools --> CD --> Burn CD Image

and the file install-ia64-minimal-2007.0.iso, left Image Type as "Auto Detection" and all other defaults unchanged, then pressed the Start button.

In neither case could I subsequently boot from the CD. (As for Slackware, the command line seems to require additional parameters at which I cannot guess.) The CDs I tried to make of file livecd-i686-installer-2007.0.iso, more attractive since it is supposed to require less additional downloading, did not work either

Any suggestions would be welcome.

muhsinzubeir · l33t Joined: 29 Sep 2007 Posts: 948 Location: /home/muhsin

Creating a bootable cd would be just clicking the .iso file and k3b should open..if there is a blank cd then start is active to start the burning process.With no hustling and other options needed for this case.

...im not assuming tht the reason of not detecting the cd would be a mistake in usage of k3b nero or any gui burning software...But i think probably it doesnt boot because its not the correct architecture...dunno if i686 would boot on x86_64.

Check your architecture and choose the correct .iso file....if this indeed is the issue.
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ShinyThings · Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2008 6:07 pm Post subject:

In Windows, you probably burned the .iso file as an .iso file and not as an image, (leaving a single .iso file on the CD) otherwise it should have booted.

In Fedora, you burned the ia64 .iso properly, but ia64 will not work unless you have an itanium processor (which I guarantee you do not).

Do what you did with fedora, except this time burn either the x86-minimal or i686-installer. I would go for the minimal, but its your choice.

d2_racing · Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2008 6:16 pm Post subject:

arejay2 · n00b Joined: 12 Mar 2008 Posts: 6

d2_racing · Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2008 1:33 pm Post subject:

When you burn a .iso like a .iso, the file is not decompressed to create the CD. Think that a .iso is a mega .zip.

When you tell your burning tool that you want to create a CD from an image (.iso). The burning process will first decompress the .iso to create the real CD Image that may contains many files.