Install to USB with an updated version of syslinux

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chadauld
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Joined: Sun 22 May 2005, 04:09

Install to USB with an updated version of syslinux

#1 Post by chadauld »

Let me start by saying Puppy rules! I have tried just about all the Linux-To-Go solutions and Puppy is the best. By Linux-To-Go.. I mean Linux with a super small footprint and extreme portability. Many of the Linux distros claiming that they are Linux-To-Go like Knoppix, Mandrake Move, etc all work pretty well, but they are also like 700mb in size.

When I think of Linux-To-Go I think of something I can carry in my pocket, not in a CD case. While Puppy does have a Live-CD option which works great I prefer the USB option myself. I can put Puppy right on my USB key, toss it in my pocket, and truly take Linux with me everywhere I go.

While some of the other distros can be customized for this purpose, Puppy is the only one right out of the box that has this solution built in. Now on to why I started this. I have been using the manual method of installation for quite some time. Barry has been encouraging people to move away from the old manual method and over to the install-usb.sh. This is great, however I have not had much luck with this. Tried it over the last several releases with several different USB keys and still no luck. I finally figured out it was because of syslinux. Puppy is running a very old version of syslinux (2.13). The current version is 3.08. After running the script and trying to boot from the key I get the syslinux message and then a bunch on weird symbols like "@%%#%#%@%$*&^%^*(&(YIIGYUR$%^" and it just hangs. I found that if I run the script, boot into another OS that I have installed the current version syslinux on, run syslinux on the usb key from there, and reboot it works perfectly. It display the syslinux 3.08 message and keeps right on rolling. I tried this on both usb keys that were giving me an issue on several different PC's and all are now working. My guess is that the the older version of syslinux doesn't handle newer motherboards/BOISes as well as a newer version does.

So there you have it.. my suggestion is for the v1.0.3 Puppy release or shortly thereafter could you please update syslinux to v3.08 or whatever is the latest version at that time? Thanks! :D

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BarryK
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#2 Post by BarryK »

Okay, I'll go get the latest version!

chadauld
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Joined: Sun 22 May 2005, 04:09

#3 Post by chadauld »

Wow Barry... that was fast! Thanks for the speedy turnaround on this. I think this will really help out the USB crowd. Newer users would probably give up after the first few tries. Hopefully, this will help make their first attempt a susscessful one. Keep up the great work! Thanks again. Chad

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pakt
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#4 Post by pakt »

I had the same symptom as chadauld on my Dell Inspiron 510m laptop, so I'm happy to report that syslinux 3.08 is the first version that boots a flash pen drive (128MB Cruzer mini) correctly on this PC :)

Now if I could just get a kdrive server that will give me 1024x768x16 graphics (the laptop has i810-family chipset), Puppy would almost be perfect! ;)

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papaschtroumpf
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#5 Post by papaschtroumpf »

1.0.3 doesn't boot on a dell D505 and my Kingston pen drive
It exhibits the symptoms described above.
IT doesn't look like it uses SYSLINUX 3.08 though, it says SYSLINUX 2.13 2004-12-14

Did syslinux 3.08 *not* make it into 1.0.3?

(I used the "install on USB key" wizard to create the key from the liveCD).
Mandriva LE 2005 user and puppy newbie

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papaschtroumpf
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Re: Install to USB with an updated version of syslinux

#6 Post by papaschtroumpf »

chadauld wrote: I found that if I run the script, boot into another OS that I have installed the current version syslinux on, run syslinux on the usb key from there, and reboot it works perfectly. It display the syslinux 3.08 message and keeps right on rolling.
I'm not sure I understand this part.
How can I force the use of syslinux 3.08 on my usb flash key?
The only other linux distro I have installed right now is Mandriva, which according to the syslinux page has a heavily modified, unsupported syslinux.
Mandriva LE 2005 user and puppy newbie

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pakt
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Re: Install to USB with an updated version of syslinux

#7 Post by pakt »

[quote="papaschtroumpf"]
How can I force the use of syslinux 3.08 on my usb flash key?

Download http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/b ... .08.tar.gz and use the syslinux executable from this package on your usb flash key.

That's how I did it :)

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papaschtroumpf
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#8 Post by papaschtroumpf »

I downloaded the package (from within puppy of course) and extracted the ldlinux.sys file to replace the exisitng one on the USB drive (after I changed the name of the original one).
Seems to work even less than before: it show boot failed and goes on to the next boot option (HD).

Since I don;t really understand what makes a floppy, CDROM or USB-key bootable, I must just be missing something.

I guess I need detailed instructions.
Mandriva LE 2005 user and puppy newbie

MikeB23930
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Joined: Sat 18 Jun 2005, 00:57

#9 Post by MikeB23930 »

When I try to install syslinux 3.08 on the usb key I created with the install script included with Puppy Linux 1.0.3 I get the following error message:

possibly unsafe /tmp permissions

Can anyone tell me what this message is supposed to be telling me and how I can correct the problem?

Thanks

Mike

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BarryK
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#10 Post by BarryK »

Yeah, I didn't get around to upgrading Syslinux for 1.0.3, but it will be in 1.0.4, see News page:
http://www.goosee.com/puppy/news.htm

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papaschtroumpf
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#11 Post by papaschtroumpf »

I guess I needed to RTFM on syslinux :oops:

Since I wanted step by step instructions, I guess I'll write them down hoping it helps others in the future:

- go to the syslinux page, download section, follow the link to kernel.org and download the latest version (3.09 at the time of this writing).
- extract the downloaded file
- since I was working under windows XP, I went to the win32 directory and executed:
syslinux.exe E:
where E: is whre windows XP had mounted the USB drive


If you were to work under linux, you would do something like:
syslinux /dev/sda1

that's it, you have made your USB drive bootable with sysylinux 3.09 and my laptop now boots fine from it
Mandriva LE 2005 user and puppy newbie

plasma

#12 Post by plasma »

- go to the syslinux page, download section, follow the link to kernel.org and download the latest version (3.09 at the time of this writing).
- extract the downloaded file
- since I was working under windows XP, I went to the win32 directory and executed:
syslinux.exe E:
where E: is whre windows XP had mounted the USB drive
this worked great for me...i'd been struggling with using an older version syslinux and it was giving me 16bit compatibility issues with xp.
the problem i have now is when the system boots from my usb key the loader can't find any image to boot from :(

moritzes
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Location: Akron, OH

updated syslinux.exe works for SanDisk Cruzer and Dell D600

#13 Post by moritzes »

Same for me, putting Puppy 1.05 on a SanDisk Cruzer Micro 512MB

Except that I first had to format the (brand new and seemingly already correctly formatted as FAT) Cruzer with the HP USB stick formatting utility here:

http://h18007.www1.hp.com/support/files ... 20306.html

After that, and running

Code: Select all

syslinux.exe f:
with an updated syslinux as described above, I was booting fine on a Dell Latitude D600.
[For you Dell users out there, I had to upgrade my BIOS to get the best USB support for flash booting.]

NB. It appears that 1.05 flash puppy wizard still doesn't have the new syslinux, which could be a real barrier for people trying to create flash puppy from a WinXP SP2 environment.

Foxti
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#14 Post by Foxti »

I was having problems with this as well even with the 3.0.8 version outlined here but after doing some research I cam across version 3.0.11 and found that it resolved my issues with all of the thumb drives Itried it on

Linx/Unix version
http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/b ... 011.tar.gz

Windows Version
http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/b ... 3.0.11.zip

Foxti
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HP thumb drive format utility

#15 Post by Foxti »

the HP thumb drive format utility has been moved to a new page the new page is

http://h18007.www1.hp.com/support/files ... 20306.html

Hope this helps some people

Puppy is awesome

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