On Sat, Oct 2, 2010 at 4:57 PM, mike cloaked <mike.cloaked@xxxxxxxxx> wrote> > One pure Fedora method that should work I have not tested with a > usbkey, but I will run a test this weekend, is to write the DVD iso to > the usbkey using the livecd-tools package - i.e. > > livecd-iso-to-disk --format --reset-mbr > /path-to/Fedora-14-i386-DVD.iso /dev/sdb1 with the usbkey unmounted - > and see if that is the only step needed in preparing the usbkey for a > full install once the key is booted. I have now had the chance to try out another install from usbkey as a source of the install iso. I have added some comments to https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=618071 The livecd-iso-to-disk method does work but there are some watchpoints that are not clearly explained in the existing f13 install documentation - I am reproducing my comments here: If you have a usbkey that is already partitioned, and mounted, then the livecd-iso-to-disk command fails, but how do you unmount it? What I found was that if you right click on the icon for the mounted usbkey, and select eject, then the stick umounts but does not put it in a mode that is correct for the use of the livecd-iso-to-disk command! However after a lot of messing about I have found that if you umount the partition of the stick that you want to write to using a terminal and line command, and then as root do: # umount /dev/sdb1 and then # livecd-iso-to-disk --reset-mbr /path-to/Fedora-14-DVD.iso /dev/sdb1 It will work fine and result in a bootable key. This presumes the key is already formatted with a boot flag set. The documentation is just not clear enough to be easily understandable even by experienced Fedora users (I have been with Fedora since its inception!) I have just done this using the analogues of the above command from an f13 machine, and written the f14 beta DVD iso. The key had been formatted using gparted, with a single fat32 partition set with the boot flag. When plugging the key in it mounted automagically. Closing the nautilus window and running the umount command from the cli as I described above makes the preparation of the key work fine. One other very important point that is missing from the documentation is the issue of where grub gets written as part of the install process. When it gets to the section of the main install where grub gets written it is vital to click "Switch device" - then make sure that first bios drive is selected as (typically) /dev/sda and 2nd bios drive is /dev/sdb (if that is the usbkey device). Then ensure that the installer will write grub to the mba of /dev/sda. If this is not done then grub gets written to the mbr of the usbkey by default and the resulting installed system will not boot (though it can be fixed post install using a rescue disk) Then continue with install - and the new system will boot perfectly! The dd command method to write the iso to the usbkey failed to give a bootable key for me in this case, so I don't know if there is a bug in the preparation of the f14 beta iso or if there is some other problem. Anyway I certainly think that the documentation for f14 needs to be changed to reflect the correct and reliable methods for creating bootable install or live usb media. I have subscribed to the docs list now but I have not been involved directly in documentation before so I don't know if I can directly contribute to the necessary changes for f14 - however I really feel that the install guidance concerning the use of usb media as a source of the install isos needs an overhaul. -- mike c -- test mailing list test@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe: https://admin.fedoraproject.org/mailman/listinfo/test
