Re: Creating a USB key to install debian

[Eduardo M KALINOWSKI <eduardo@kalinowski.com.br>]

Mathieu Malaterre wrote:
> Hi there,
>
>   I am still struggling to create a USB key to install debian. I am following:
> http://d-i.alioth.debian.org/manual/en.i386/ch04s03.html#ftn.id318505
>
> Steps:
> - Pull in the USB key : SanDisk Corp. SDCZ2 Cruzer Mini Flash Drive (thin)
> - Make sure it is not mounted (check status of 'df')
> - Check dmesg status and retrieve dev number (/dev/sdb1 in my case)
> - Clean partition:
> $ sudo mkdosfs /dev/sdb1
>   

That's unnecessary, as your whole disk will be replaced moments after.

> - Copy boot.img.gz:
> $ wget http://people.debian.org/~joeyh/d-i/images/daily/hd-media/boot.img.gz
> $ zcat boot.img.gz > /dev/sdb1
>   

You should copy the imagem to the disk, not to a partition:

zcat boot.img.gz > /dev/sdb

You'll probably need to be root to do that.

> - When command return, check status of disk:
> $ sudo cfdisk /dev/sdb1
>   
Partition tables also belong to the disk, not to the first partition, so
you should run cfdisk /dev/sdb.

-- 
Always try to do things in chronological order; it's less confusing that way.

Eduardo M KALINOWSKI
eduardo@kalinowski.com.br