LiveUSB issue w/ Fedora 10

[TRJ]

Alright, as excited as I am in trying to get Fedora 10 to run on my 4 Gb flash drive (Best Buy's Geek Squad brand... no, not the one with U3 crud on it) between multiple computers (mostly work computers, as my house has no internet for the time being), I'm having several issues with getting it to boot. After downloading fresh copies of 'F10-i686-Live.iso', 'LiveUSB Creator', and 'UNetBootin', and no matter whether using the iso image with either program, or downloading a fresh copy from within the programs, most work computers (ranging in age from 7 yrs. old with XP to 6 mos. with Vista) refuse to boot from USB. One lead that I have is when using the Fedora LiveUSB Creator, the process goes through flawlessly, until I get the message to check the log for errors, which gives me "[creator:502] Problem determining free space: (21, 'GetDiskFreeSpace', 'The device is not ready.')". Oh, and even though I said these are work computers, I am downloading/ executing/ etc. the programs and files from the Admin account, so I'm assuming I should have full priveleges.

I'm in the process of making a Live CD to try on these computers to see if it's a hardware issue, but so far, I get a few responses from different computers: one goes through the automatic boot countdown screen before going blank after reaching 0 (a Toshiba Laptop), no response at all on another computer as it just boots into Vista, and one that brings me to "Could not find kernel image: linux / boot: [prompt]".

Any ideas? More detail needed? More clarity?

Thanks much, in advance.

[TRJ]

One thing I forgot to mention: this liveUSB flash drive works fine on my Vista Ultimate computer at home that I built in... 2007, I think. Doesn't do me much good, considering I have no net access there, but anyway... *shrug*

[TRJ]

Alright, finally able to test out a live CD on the computers, and they work just fine (better than the live USB works on my personal computer, actually). So, given that... any other suggestions?

[leigh123linux]

Moved to Live Media (Live CD/DVD/USB)

[Jake]

Moved to Live Media (Live CD/DVD/USB) Sorry to be a bit off topic, but did you just make that forum, before you made your post, as just a minute ago is the first time I've ever noticed this forum xD?

[barf]

In my experience what you are finding is normal. FYI the issue has nothing to do with the OS installed on the machine, its the BIOS on the motherboard. For me it works fine on 3 of my PCs but wont boot on my acer laptop nor on a 4th PC :(

[TRJ]

Thanks much. I started to get the impression that that was the case, but being new to Linux (since I dropped it a few years ago after SUSElinux ate my Windows partition), I wasn't too sure. Well, looks like I'm out of luck with the 'portable computer' issues, if I plan on doing it via flash drive. I'm sure I can do it with a liveCD and the flash drive to store the settings/ data. Thanks for the help.

[Stone Ghost]

EDIT: I may have answered my own question. Thanks, anyway!

[johnnylinux]

Try this http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/FedoraLiveCD/USBHowTo

[johnnylinux]

Try a low level format on your flash.

http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/Hard-Disk-Utils/HDD-Low-Level-Format-Tool.shtml

[TRJ]

Alright, I think it's decided that I, a newb at Linux (srsly), plan the lofty goal of a live CD + USB boot. Since I'm trying to keep the persistence aspect for Fedora Live, and the live USB doesn't work everywhere, I'll have to find a way to modify a .ks file on a custom cd to boot the startup, but switch over to run and incorporate all data and preferences off the flash drive (which would then save changes TO the flash drive when shutting down)... maybe throw some LilyPond in there (another reason why I want to start using Linux again, to make music). I could have sworn that I saw something of that nature here on this site, so if anyone knows of it, could you point me in the right direction? Hopefully, I didn't just read it in some random Border's store and insist that it's here...

Thanks much for the help, all. I plan on trying the low level format sometime tonight, so hopefully, that fixes the majority of my problems. If not... hey, what better reason than to learn something new, right?

**EDIT**

Of course, I know I'll have to use livecd tools to create a live CD. I just don't want to have to download things here at work, and not be able to test them out until get home where I have no further references... *sniff*

[TRJ]

Thanks much, johnnylinux. LLF greatly enhanced how well it worked on my own computer, but still no luck with anything else. Still trying to see what I can do about taking a live CD creator from my work computer to home computer to work on that modified cd I mentioned earlier...

[TheeJoey]

Hey guys.

May I throw a spanner in the works?

I'm trying to hack the fedora 10 live distro to allow me to update the software via an install disk.

I've looked at it and notice that it is almost exactly like the location from which linux automatically takes packages. Its the full fedora 10, and I'm wanting to use that instead of using up my network data quota.

Someone suggested that the baseurl value in the fedora.repo be edited, and so I searched, found, edited, went to save, and it disallowed it. I remember reading somewhere that it is not possible to edit such things in the live distro, because they simply decided to make it that way. I'm sorry, that just doesn't cut it with me.

I did a net search and found that sudo could get me to save it, but sudo didn't let me in either. I don't have the previleges to change the sudoer file, and the file system is not readable by any other operating system.

Those linux programmers, I'll give 'em this - they've tied it all up really REALLY well. I am genuinely impressed. Usually I'll find a way around it, but this time I'm stumped.

In order to edit the files you need privileges, of which I have none. And there's no way around that, that I know of. Well, I could make a whole new live distro of my own, but I have to choose the packages, and Fedora has what I want anyway, which is only the latest stable open source.

What can you suggest? Can anyone think of a way around this problem? Besides making one of my own?

Oh(?), btw, I am doing this to install software on my liveUSB 64-bit fedora 10. This is supposed to be possible, however I do not want to point my cute and furry little friend, aka the unrelenting idiot ("I will report you for trying to edit files that are clearly beyond your authority .. tsk tsk tsk"), at the internet, because I have the exact same thing sitting right here.

[I entered the above text in another thread, and as I hit the post button I looked up to see posts that were years old. Pardon the duplication.]

[Evil_Bert]

[I entered the above text in another thread, and as I hit the post button I looked up to see posts that were years old. Pardon the duplication.]
I've deleted that post in the other thread since cross/duplicate posting is prohibited. Please read the forum Guidelines (http://www.fedoraforum.org/?view=guide).

And welcome to the forum!

[TheeJoey]

Try a low level format on your flash.

http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/Hard-Disk-Utils/HDD-Low-Level-Format-Tool.shtml

another method is to use the HP USB disk format tool. Found it at pcworld maself. Don't go looking on the HP website - it aint there anymore.

http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,64963/description.html?tk=nl_hsxdwn

I had removed the u3 software from my cruzer while another was connected - big mistake. I tried using it only to find that files werent what they said they were, and when I went to reformat using Windows, Bill Gates baby reckoned the cruzer had 200MB of space on it.

They charge a whole heap for software that doesnt match up to an open collaborative effort, many of whom haven't met before, and people wonder why their wintels crash on a regular basis.

Anyway, I hope that helps :)

Oh, and thanks for the welcome, Mr President (hmm, conjures images of a blonde standing over a drain .. which is scary when you realise that I'm a guy .. .. until you start to imagine it yourself, then its a good thing :D). I plan to regularly visit this place. I also hope that I contribute something more than just doing what others have already achieved.

[TheeJoey]

Please read the forum Guidelines (http://www.fedoraforum.org/?view=guide).

Thanks for the friendly advice. :) I did kinda jump in here without a line, a floatie, or even the ability to swim!! Well, if tech ability is the ability to swim in this analogy, then I guess maybe I CAN swim.

Anyway, I got a small problem. I have cross polinated my problem with another problem that is very similar to mine, in fact it probably has as much to do with mine as this one has. I am not permitted to advertise my success in achieving a new strain of technological problem, and yet the people here might benefit from some of my progress .. .. so to speak. :(

What can you suggest? :confused:

[TheeJoey]

I found something interesting:

http://www.labtestproject.com/using_linux/setup_to_install_software_package_from_fedora_10_d vd

This is an instruction set for the alteration of repository locations. [edit: it allows a local repository to be sourced rather than one over a potentially costly (time and money) internet connection] It gives instructions on how to change where yum looks for the packages, and further instructions on how to install if there is any further trouble as a result of previous actions.

The language is simple, however he gets his message across well enough, including code examples, and all that.

I'm gonna give it a try.

What follows is a very very basic precis of what he said (copied and pasted without much of the examples, code, pics, etc) ..

edit to point to Fedora 10 DVD

1. Login on Fedora 10, open shell terminal
2. If you cannot login as root user on Fedora 10, use the su - command to become root user
3. Change working directory to /etc/yum.repos.d/
4. List file inside the yum repos directory.
5. It is recomended that you make backup for each file inside the /etc/yum.repos.d/ directory.
6. Then verify that all the repo file is backup using ls command.

Make Fedora 10 DVD repo

1. Make sure that your Fedora 10 DVD is auto mount by the system when you insert the Fedora 10 installation DVD on the DVD drive.
2. Use any text editor of your choice to edit the fedora.repo configuration file.
Add the line baseurl=file:///media/Fedora%2010%20i386%20DVD/

[TheeJoey: this assumes the name of an automount disc, one that has that exact name - you are gonna have to look for it, find its name. Also you will have to find its location, likely in the media directory.]

Make sure you disable #baseurl and #mirrorlist by put the # sign in front of the line
[TheeJoey: a baseurl is added, and the old one is disabled.]

Install and Add software from Fedora 10 installation DVD

1. If you get yum error message, try to clean all yum cache first:

[root@fedora yum.repos.d]# yum clean all
Loaded plugins: refresh-packagekit
Cleaning up Everything
[root@fedora yum.repos.d]#

2. Install software package on Fedora 10 using Fedora 10 DVD as software package repo:

[root@fedora yum.repos.d]# yum -y install squid*



TheeJoey again .. I hope that answers any questions, and I also hope it works!! I haven't tried it, but you can bet that I'll give it a try tonight.

Hows that(??), question asked, question answered.

[barf]

Hey guys.

May I throw a spanner in the works?

I'm trying to hack the fedora 10 live distro to allow me to update the software via an install disk.



You want to set up the install DVD as a repository. Google this for many guides 'use cd as repository fedora'.

[TheeJoey]

I gave that instruction set a try and it worked, though it was limited.

I could only see individual packages. I couldn't see package groups. The GUI yum program complained to me in a similar way to before when I attempted to see the groups. (question: do I need to worry about that?)

My current projects as they stand are

(1) to find a document that lists the package groups. This is unlikely to provide a proper fix, as it is my guess that packages should be installed together to allow for any possible dependency issues

(2) to find a work-around which will allow me to fine the groupings. I'm away from my computer at the moment, but I remember that there was some issue with not being connected to the internet.

The package listing issue might have simply been the need for access to a directory. On an intuitive level it would seem reasonable that the groupings issue be resolved with access to a special xml file, or some such, which would have groupings of packages and any possible dependencies. I imagine that finding this file would be extremely difficult, as it would be unique to each repository, and unique to each edition.


My mind is working on this and I'm bumping into interesting solutions as I go. However, this seems to be getting a little technical in a way that involves prior knowledge. I am relatively new to this OS, though I have experience with UNIX going way back.

I would appreciate it if any linux-tech-heads out there had any suggestions. Thanks.

[TheeJoey]

I'm dis-inclined to follow the instructions placed on a website unless its from a reputable location. In this case, with the changing of BASEURL and other things, there is a clear objective and instruction, even though it was not a conclusive victory. I'm not pushing your suggestion aside - I will look, cause maybe I've overlooked something - but I don't feel comfortable doing something unless the creators or specialists are telling me its the thing to do through their websites.

I've seen in the blogs and postings of the creators and specialists that there are certain limitations, and things that have not been done. Installing software on a live USB is not generally accepted because of the possible usage issues. It seems that for Fed10 this is not an issue because it loads up the OS and stores any changes made during the session, then when you boot-out any changes are saved in the one hit, without the constant to-ing and fro-ing that usually comes with the use of an operating system. Which is why I'm interested in making this work.

[johnnylinux]

try this. http://fedoraforum.org/forum/showthread.php?t=166284

[TheeJoey]

try this. http://fedoraforum.org/forum/showthread.php?t=166284

Gee that looks good - thanks johnny :)

I haven't given it a proper good look just yet, but I'll get to it in a sec. Just wanted to post a thankU b4 I get engrossed and 4get.



“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe.” - Albert Einstein
“It's too bad that stupidity isn't painful.” - Anton LaVey