Re: [gentoo-user] making bootable USB

["J. Roeleveld" <joost@antarean.org>]

On 2 September 2014 18:50:02 CEST, Joseph <syscon780@gmail.com> wrote:
>On 09/02/14 16:46, Alan McKinnon wrote:
>>On 02/09/2014 15:10, Joseph wrote:
>>> On 09/02/14 10:56, Mick wrote:
>>>> On 2 September 2014 09:00, Dale <rdalek1967@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>> Neil Bothwick wrote:
>>>>>> On Tue, 02 Sep 2014 01:23:45 -0500, Dale wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Device    Boot Start       End Blocks  Id System
>>>>>>>> /dev/sdb1 *        0    389119 194560  17 Hidden HPFS/NTFS
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I don't know if it matters or not but on one of my sticks, I get
>this:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Device    Boot Start       End  Blocks  Id System
>>>>>>> /dev/sde1 *        1   3915775 1957887+  c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Mine is FAT32 where yours is NTFS.  Could that difference cause
>this
>>>>>>> problem?
>>>>>> No, it's just fdisk trying to guess the type of a filesystem that
>isn't
>>>>>> actually there. I've just run it over 7 distro ISOs and got
>"Hidden
>>>>>> HPFS/NTFS" for 5 of them.
>>>>>
>>>>> Well, it seems everyone is grasping at straws.  So far, that is
>the only
>>>>> difference I have seen.  It's a head scratcher for sure.
>>>>>
>>>>> Dale
>>>>
>>>> There's some more straws to grasp, namely the partition table that
>the
>>>> OP created with fdisk, as well as the first partition on it:
>>>>
>>>> Assuming the USB is still on /dev/sdb, then use fdisk to delete
>>>> partition /dev/sdb1.
>>>>
>>>> Then manually delete the USB DOS partition table:
>>>>
>>>> dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdb bs=512 count=1
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Finally, reinstall the iso once more without creating any
>partitions
>>>> manually:
>>>>
>>>> dd if=/home/joseph/Downloads/install-amd64-minimal-20140828.iso
>>>> of=/dev/sdb
>>>>
>>>> sync
>>>>
>>>> NOTE: Make sure that /dev/sdb is indeed your USB stick or you'll
>cause
>>>> damage
>>>> to whatever is on /dev/sdb.
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Regards,
>>>> Mick
>>>
>>> I just did as you suggested dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdb bs=512
>count=1
>>> dd if=/home/joseph/Downloads/install-amd64-minimal-20140828.iso
>of=/dev/sdb
>>> sync
>>>
>>> make no difference, the USB still will not boot.
>>
>>what *does* happen when you try boot of the usb.
>>Something must happen on the screen, please describe that
>>
>>-- 
>>Alan McKinnon
>>alan.mckinnon@gmail.com
>
>I have tried it on two boxes, they are both small units without CD
>1.) First is an older box that can not boot from Gentoo ISO USB
>generated with "dd"
>BIOS setting are:
>USB-ZIP
>USB-FDD
>Hard Disk
>
>2.) The second box is an  ATOM-330 and the same USB boots OK.
>
>So the issue might be with the Bios on the first box.

It takes 62 emails in this thread before you mention that the USB works in 1 of 2 machines.
Most logical conclusion from that little fact:
- the not working computer has an issue with some USB boot types.

In future. Please be more complete in your reports and supply the requested information sooner.

Kind regards,

Joost
-- 
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