Re: Boot on CD, transfer to USB?
Use the GRUB for dos version. It will allow you to boot using the WinXP
bootloader(Grldr). You can copy the vmlinuz and initrd files from your boot
directory and create the grub menu.1st entries to boot them. This will just
load the kernel and initial ram disk from the hard drive and then use the USB
drive for everything else. No CD required. You will need to update the
vmlinux(kernel) and initrd files manually everytime you update your kernel.
Actually come to think of it, just install the whole system to the USB drive.
including GRUB. GRUB for Dos should chainload the GRUB on the USB drive and
save you the manual updates for the kernel.
Robert
On Wednesday 04 April 2007 16:02, Stefan Monnier wrote:
> > I would like to run Debian off of a USB drive using my laptop. Currently
> > I run a dual boot system: Debian with Windows on the internal hard disk.
> >
> > The laptop is a Toshiba Satellite A15-S129 and will not boot to USB. I
> > can boot to CD.
> >
> > Is there a way I can use the CD-ROM to boot the computer and transfer
> > control so that I can run Debian from the USB drive?
>
> You can, but I suspect it won't be pretty.
>
> One way to get what you want is to let the boot-loader load Debian.
> I.e. you'd install GRUB on your internal drive, and have separate entries
> there to boot either from the internal disk or from the USB disk.
> But this may not work if the BIOS doesn't see the USB drive (which is
> somewhat likely if it doesn't let you boot from it).
>
> If the BIOS doesn't see your USB drive, you'll have to go through a more
> real piece of OS. The cleanest way would probably be to boot a Linux
> initrd off of your internal drive (or off of a CD) and then have that mount
> your USB drive. I.e. you'd have the Debian system on your USB drive, but
> the kernel would be either on your internal drive or on a CDROM. Placing
> it on a CDROM is rather inconvenient when you need to update to a new
> kernel or a new initrd (and in order to get the thing to work, you'll
> probably have to try and fiddle with your initrd a few times).
>
> So the cleanest way would be: make room on your internal drive for a small
> boot partition which will hold GRUB plus your Linux kernel(s) and their
> associated initrd(s). Count 10MB per kernel, so 50MB will be sufficient
> (my boot partition is around 200MB and has about 60MB used).
>
>
> Stefan
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