Hello Everybody!
Type of my notebook on workplace is ASUS S3Ac (old), and when I installed Puppy 3.01 from Live CD on a 128 MB pendrive, it was good. When I restarted the notebook (in the BIOS the first boot device is "removable media"), the Puppy started and worked well.
Because in the 128 MB pendrive I had only 22 MB free space, that I tryed to install Puppy on a bigger, 2 GB pendrive. I used the Live CD, but when I tryed to restart notebook, the BIOS identifyed the removable media, but NOT booted from it !!!!! Hark Ye: when I plugged in (notebook has 4 USB ports) BOTH pendrives (!!!!) all at once, the system started from the smaller pendrive, loaded in the kernel, and the computer asked me, which *.2fs may I use? When I typed number of the bigger pendrive, the system started thereof. When the Puppy stood up, I can unplug the smaller pendrive.....
Why not boot ASUS from a bigger media than 128 MB???? When I made a small, 128 MB partition in the 2 GB pendrive, it was not worked too...
When I tryed to ran Ubuntu 7.10 from an external hard drive, it was not worked too......
I have a HP510 notebook at home, and ALL THE INSTALLED medias are run whith this computer. Is it ASUS problem? Is anybody, who know, is this problem correctable?
Thanks for all helps!!! fejesg from Hungary
ASUS S3Ac boots Puppy from one USB pen but not another
There are two ways to format a pen drive.
1. To simulate a regular hard drive with an MBR and four primary partitions.
2. In "superfloppy" mode which simulates a diskette, only larger.
Some older BIOS's only boot USB devices that are formatted in superfloppy mode. It may be that your small pen drive came factory-formatted this way, so it works. Your 2 GB drive has the conventional format and won't boot on this particular machine. Your HP510 machine may have a newer BIOS that can boot both types.
To check this, connect the 128 MB pen drive to your working machine and mount it with the MUT drive mounting tool. If it is formatted as a superfloppy, it will appear as sda instead of sda1. (This is because the entire device acts as one large partition.) Or you can test it with the Gparted partition manager. Gparted will flag the pen drive with an error symbol.
If you want to play around, you can try re-formatting the 2 GB drive in superfloppy mode. Use the command:
mkdosfs -I /dev/sdx (where x is the appropriate drive letter)
Note above that -I is an upper-case i.
Or you can use a boot CD to launch Puppy off a pen drive when running the ASUS. Read here:
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=16950
1. To simulate a regular hard drive with an MBR and four primary partitions.
2. In "superfloppy" mode which simulates a diskette, only larger.
Some older BIOS's only boot USB devices that are formatted in superfloppy mode. It may be that your small pen drive came factory-formatted this way, so it works. Your 2 GB drive has the conventional format and won't boot on this particular machine. Your HP510 machine may have a newer BIOS that can boot both types.
To check this, connect the 128 MB pen drive to your working machine and mount it with the MUT drive mounting tool. If it is formatted as a superfloppy, it will appear as sda instead of sda1. (This is because the entire device acts as one large partition.) Or you can test it with the Gparted partition manager. Gparted will flag the pen drive with an error symbol.
If you want to play around, you can try re-formatting the 2 GB drive in superfloppy mode. Use the command:
mkdosfs -I /dev/sdx (where x is the appropriate drive letter)
Note above that -I is an upper-case i.
Or you can use a boot CD to launch Puppy off a pen drive when running the ASUS. Read here:
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=16950
THANXXXXX !!!!
Hello, rcrsn51!
I think, that is the solution, which You wrote: when I installed Puppy, the system handles 128MB pendrive as SDA, the 2 GB pendrive as SDB !
I try to format 2GB pendrive to "superfloppy", and try tu run opsystem.
Is solution in Ubuntu 7.10 (grub), that I format as "superfloppy" a 7,5 GB external HDD?
Bye: fejesg
I think, that is the solution, which You wrote: when I installed Puppy, the system handles 128MB pendrive as SDA, the 2 GB pendrive as SDB !
I try to format 2GB pendrive to "superfloppy", and try tu run opsystem.
Is solution in Ubuntu 7.10 (grub), that I format as "superfloppy" a 7,5 GB external HDD?
Bye: fejesg
SUCCESS !!!
Hi, rcrsn51!
The problem SOLVED, the "superfloppy" formatted (that way how You wrote), I installed from 128MB pendrive the Puppy system - after this, I restarted the ASUS, only with 2GB pendrive, AND WORKED !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank You the help. I searched the solution long ago....
Yours sincelery: fejesg
The problem SOLVED, the "superfloppy" formatted (that way how You wrote), I installed from 128MB pendrive the Puppy system - after this, I restarted the ASUS, only with 2GB pendrive, AND WORKED !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank You the help. I searched the solution long ago....
Yours sincelery: fejesg
For anyone finding this thread later who is trying to debug their own problem. I have one tip to add.
On my Compaq nc4010 Laptop (about 4 years old) the USB drive is only checked for boot media on a COLD BOOT. i.e. when power button is first pushed.
If I use Puppy (or Windows) and select "reboot pc" - the USB is not checked and the laptop starts the default boot of the hard drive (i.e. windows).
I don't know if this is specific to my laptop make/model, but it's something to be aware of if experimenting with booting different USB sticks - it's safer to power down and press the power button again button to be sure the USB is checked.
On my Compaq nc4010 Laptop (about 4 years old) the USB drive is only checked for boot media on a COLD BOOT. i.e. when power button is first pushed.
If I use Puppy (or Windows) and select "reboot pc" - the USB is not checked and the laptop starts the default boot of the hard drive (i.e. windows).
I don't know if this is specific to my laptop make/model, but it's something to be aware of if experimenting with booting different USB sticks - it's safer to power down and press the power button again button to be sure the USB is checked.
Ubuntu grub not works in "Superfloppy"
Hello, rcrsn51!
I tryed, which You wrote: typed in this command line: mkdosfs -I /dev/sd..; if I installed Puppy 3.01 on the formatted external 7,5 GB HDD, it was worked, booted, etc!!!
After this I installed Ubuntu 7.10 from Live CD, to reformatted HDD - the Ubuntu maked new filesystems, "normal" FAT and ext2. The complete Ubuntu NOT booted the Asus, it works only with the HP510.
Your idea was good, but Ubuntu not understand it...................... I stay with the Puppy.
YS: fejesg
I tryed, which You wrote: typed in this command line: mkdosfs -I /dev/sd..; if I installed Puppy 3.01 on the formatted external 7,5 GB HDD, it was worked, booted, etc!!!
After this I installed Ubuntu 7.10 from Live CD, to reformatted HDD - the Ubuntu maked new filesystems, "normal" FAT and ext2. The complete Ubuntu NOT booted the Asus, it works only with the HP510.
Your idea was good, but Ubuntu not understand it...................... I stay with the Puppy.
YS: fejesg