Bug#785512: regression: cannot find iso image on usb stick any more
On Mon 01 Jun 2015 at 00:51:58 +0900, Norbert Preining wrote:
> Hi Brian,
Hello Norbert,
> On Sat, 30 May 2015, Brian Potkin wrote:
> > On the other hand, #785512 is reporting a "regression" between the
> > Jessie installer and some random, unknown, testing version for which
> > documentation of any intentional change is lacking. Note that it is not
>
> Well, it is not *completely* unknown, it was this file:
> http://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/unofficial/non-free/cd-including-firmware/daily-builds/sid_d-i/current/amd64/iso-cd/firmware-testing-amd64-netinst.iso
> on/around 2014-05.
>
> So I wouldn't say this is "random", "unknown" etc ...
>
> > a "regression" compared with the Wheezy installer, which is also unable
> > to take advantage of GRUB's loopback facility.
>
> It is not about GRUB's loopback facility, but the missing
> iso-scan
> package in current installers. It don't know whether this packages
> was loaded in wheezy or not, but it was loaded in the above one.
I do not know why a testing image should behave differently from the
realeased Wheezy and Jessie images. I have a recollection I experienced
something similar with a Wheezy testing image but put it down to things
coming and going during the testing period.
> > There are at least three ways to boot a netinst ISO from a USB stick. An
>
> Hmm, I didn't find *one* that leaves the sstick useable for other things,
> and allows to boot into a variety of other rescue iso images etc
> at the same time. Please let me know which one?
Surely the method you describe on your blog and the use of the hd-media
method allows this? Another method is to partition the stick. The grub
directory and the ISO images to use with loopback can be on the larger
partition. Then dd the firmware ISO to the second partition and boot it
with a stanza like
menuentry "Debian 8.0.0 i386 netinst with firmware" {
search --label --set=root "Debian 8.0.0 i386 1"
linux /install.386/vmlinuz
initrd /install.386/initrd.gz
}
> (Fat16 - was that a joke on the current jessie installer images about
> needing fat16 on the usb stick? The options explained on
> https://www.debian.org/releases/stable/i386/ch04s03.html.en
> are all either destructive of previous data, or don't play well as
> carry on sticks for the emergency case, nor nor nor. ....)
Unlike ext* modules the fat and vfat modules are available from the very
start of the install.
> > additional one based on GRUB's loopback would be nice. All have their
> > advantages and disadvantages but installing Debian successfully without
> > the tedium and in a controlled manner is still possible without it.
>
> Is there a reason why iso-scan is *not* loaded?
The author of iso-scan has this to say:
iso-scan is part of the Debian installer[1].
However, it is only included in the hd-media initrd. There is no reason
to include it on the regular CD initrd, because isohybrid allows
mounting the USB stick directly. (Not a loop-mount of an iso file
included in some disk, which the hd-media initrd handles.)
https://lists.debian.org/debian-boot/2013/09/msg00097.html
Regards,
Brian.
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