Re: Bug#762024: installation-guide-amd64: Please add caution warning to instructions to create a usb bootable stick
On Thu, 18 Sep 2014 16:58:56 +0100
Ben Hutchings <ben@decadent.org.uk> wrote:
> On Thu, 2014-09-18 at 07:00 +0100, Miguel Figueiredo wrote:
> > On 17-09-2014 21:22, Prekates Alexandros wrote:
> > > Package: installation-guide-amd64
> > > Severity: normal
> > >
> > > In Debian GNU/Linux Installation Guide in section 4.3.1
> > > Preparing a USB stick using a hybrid CD or DVD image [1]
> > > it says:
> > >
> > > # cp debian.iso /dev/sdX
> > > # sync
> > >
> > > Unfortunately i used /dev/sdb1 spenting a couple of hours
> > > trying to figure out why my mobo would boot my usb flash with
> > > the debian image resulting in the thread:
> > > ''USB bootable debian stick wont boot on 890FXA-GD65 mobo''[2]
> > > in the debian-user list where after some messages a friend send
> > > me an analytical example [3] understanding my error which in short
> > > was that i wrote the image to a partition not to the whole drive.
> > >
> > > So i think that it'd be helpfull the aforementioned 4.3.1
> > > paragraph to have a warning of caution to use the name of disk
> > > not partition.
> > >
> > > I know that in better days with less fatique and more time i
> > > could have think of my mistake but under pressure i blindly
> > > followed the manual substituting the 'X' with what ever i like.
> >
> >
> > I've took a look to the text and to be honest it seems OK.
> > sdX it's a common nomenclature in *nix-world, the paragraph uses
> > the term USB stick and not partition.
> > On top of the page/chapter (4.3) there's the explanation for the
> > nomenclature used, see:
> >
> > http://d-i.alioth.debian.org/manual/en.amd64/ch04s03.html
> >
> > "[...] When the USB stick is inserted, it will be mapped to a
> > device named /dev/sdX, where the “X” is a letter in the range a-z.
> > [...]"
> >
> >
> > Nevertheless if you really feel the instructions can be improved,
> > here's a proposal using "USB stick device" (added "device"):
> >
> >
> > Index: install-methods/boot-usb-files.xml
> > ===================================================================
> > --- install-methods/boot-usb-files.xml (revisão 69341)
> > +++ install-methods/boot-usb-files.xml (cópia de trabalho)
> > @@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
> > The CD or DVD image you choose should be written directly to the
> > USB stick,
> > overwriting its current contents. For example, when using an
> > existing GNU/Linux system, the CD or DVD image file can be written
> > to a USB stick -as follows, after having made sure that the stick
> > is unmounted: +device as follows, after having made sure that the
> > stick is unmounted: <informalexample><screen>
> > <prompt>#</prompt> <userinput>cp
> > <replaceable>debian.iso</replaceable> /dev/<replaceable>sdX</replaceable></userinput>
> >
>
> I think that's a subtle change that won't help.
>
> As people are still making this mistake, I would suggest explicitly
> saying "The image must be written to the whole-disk device and not a
> partition, e.g. /dev/sdb and not /dev/sdb1."
>
> Ben.
>
Thanks all for the answers.
I prefere Ben's proposal. I dont know if putting examples is in
sync with the doc's style but i thinks it's has more 'error preventive'
power.
Alexandros.
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