From de9af5aa879110df294582591bea7e9080ceff10 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Frans Pop Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:50:48 +0000 Subject: Major rewrite of section about preparing a USB stick for booting the installer --- en/install-methods/boot-usb-files.xml | 150 +++++++++++++++++++------------ en/install-methods/usb-setup/powerpc.xml | 17 ++-- en/install-methods/usb-setup/x86.xml | 40 ++++----- 3 files changed, 119 insertions(+), 88 deletions(-) (limited to 'en/install-methods') diff --git a/en/install-methods/boot-usb-files.xml b/en/install-methods/boot-usb-files.xml index 22f67858d..58395b8f6 100644 --- a/en/install-methods/boot-usb-files.xml +++ b/en/install-methods/boot-usb-files.xml @@ -6,16 +6,63 @@ -To prepare the USB stick, you will need a system where GNU/Linux is -already running and where USB is supported. You should ensure that the -usb-storage kernel module is loaded (modprobe -usb-storage) and try to find out which SCSI device the USB -stick has been mapped to (in this example -/dev/sda is used). To write to your stick, you -may have to turn off its write protection switch. +There are two installation methods possible when booting from USB stick. +The first is to install completely from the network. The second is to +also copy a CD image onto the USB stick and use that as a source for +packages, possibly in combination with a mirror. This second method is +the more common. + + + +For the first installation method you'll need to download an installer +image from the netboot directory (at the location +mentioned in ) and use the +flexible way explained below to copy the files to the USB +stick. + + + +Installation images for the second installation method can be found in +the hd-media directory and either the easy +way or the flexible way can be used to copy the +image to the USB stick. For this installation method you will also need +to download a CD image. The installation image and the CD image must be +based on the same release of &d-i;. If they do not match you are likely +to get errors + + +The error message that is most likely to be displayed is that no kernel +modules can be found. This means that the version of the kernel module +udebs included on the CD image is different from the version of the +running kernel. + + + during the installation. +To prepare the USB stick, you will need a system where GNU/Linux is +already running and where USB is supported. With current GNU/Linux systems +the USB stick should be automatically recognized when you insert it. If +it is not you should check that the usb-storage kernel module is loaded. +When the USB stick is inserted, it will be mapped to a device which will be +named /dev/sdX, where the X is a letter +in the range a-z. You should be able to see to which device the USB +stick was mapped by running the command dmesg after +inserting it. To write to your stick, you may have to turn off its write +protection switch. + + + + +The procedures described in this section will destroy anything already +on the device. Make very sure that you use the correct device name for +your USB stick. If you use the wrong device the result could be that all +information on for example a hard disk could be lost. + + + + Note that the USB stick should be at least 256 MB in size (smaller setups are possible if you follow ). @@ -23,47 +70,54 @@ setups are possible if you follow ). Copying the files — the easy way - + There is an all-in-one file hd-media/boot.img.gz -which contains all the installer files (including the kernel) as well -as SYSLINUX and its configuration file. You only -have to extract it directly to your USB stick: +which contains all the installer files (including the kernel) +as well as syslinux and its +configuration file. +as well as yaboot and its +configuration file. + + + +Note that, although convenient, this method does have one major +disadvantage: the logical size of the device will be limited to 256 MB, +even if the capacity of the USB stick is larger. You will need to +repartition the USB stick and create new file systems to get its full +capacity back if you ever want to use it for some different purpose. +A second disadvantage is that you cannot copy a full CD image onto +the USB stick, but only the smaller businesscard or netinst CD images. + + + +To use this image you only have to extract it directly to your USB stick: -# zcat boot.img.gz > /dev/sda +# zcat boot.img.gz > /dev/sdX -There is an all-in-one file hd-media/boot.img.gz -which contains all the installer files (including the kernel) as well -as yaboot and its configuration file. Create a -partition of type "Apple_Bootstrap" on your USB stick using +Create a partition of type "Apple_Bootstrap" on your USB stick using mac-fdisk's C command and extract the image directly to that: -# zcat boot.img.gz > /dev/sda2 +# zcat boot.img.gz > /dev/sdX2 - - - -Using this method will destroy anything already on the device. Make sure -that you use the correct device name for your USB stick. - - - + -After that, mount the USB memory stick (mount -/dev/sda -/dev/sda2 -/mnt), which will now have +After that, mount the USB memory stick +(mount +/dev/sdX /mnt), +(mount +/dev/sdX2 /mnt), +which will now have a FAT filesystem an HFS filesystem -on it, and copy a Debian netinst or businesscard ISO image to it -(see ). +on it, and copy a Debian netinst or businesscard ISO image to it. Unmount the stick (umount /mnt) and you are done. @@ -74,38 +128,22 @@ Unmount the stick (umount /mnt) and you are done. If you like more flexibility or just want to know what's going on, you -should use the following method to put the files on your stick. +should use the following method to put the files on your stick. One +advantage of using this method is that — if the capacity of your +USB stick is large enough — you have the option of copying a +full CD ISO image to it. &usb-setup-x86.xml; &usb-setup-powerpc.xml; - - - - Adding an ISO image -The installer will look for a Debian ISO image on the stick as its source -for additional data needed for the installation. So your next step is to -copy a Debian ISO image (businesscard, netinst or even a full CD image) -onto your stick (be sure to select one that fits). The file name of the -image must end in .iso. - - - -If you want to install over the network, without using an ISO image, -you will of course skip the previous step. Moreover you will have to -use the initial ramdisk from the netboot -directory instead of the one from hd-media, -because hd-media/initrd.gz does not have network -support. - - - -When you are done, unmount the USB memory stick (umount -/mnt) and activate its write protection switch. +If you used an hd-media image you should now copy a +Debian ISO image (businesscard, netinst or full CD image; be sure to select +one that fits) onto the stick. When you are done, unmount the USB memory +stick (umount /mnt). @@ -121,7 +159,7 @@ contain an invalid master boot record (MBR). To fix this, use the mbr: -# install-mbr /dev/sda +# install-mbr /dev/sdX diff --git a/en/install-methods/usb-setup/powerpc.xml b/en/install-methods/usb-setup/powerpc.xml index 08d01e057..89c75f561 100644 --- a/en/install-methods/usb-setup/powerpc.xml +++ b/en/install-methods/usb-setup/powerpc.xml @@ -7,14 +7,15 @@ Most USB sticks do not come pre-configured in such a way that Open Firmware can boot from them, so you will need to repartition the stick. -On Mac systems, run mac-fdisk /dev/sda, +On Mac systems, run +mac-fdisk /dev/sdX, initialise a new partition map using the i command, and create a new partition of type Apple_Bootstrap using the C command. (Note that the first "partition" will always be the partition map itself.) Then type -$ hformat /dev/sda2 +$ hformat /dev/sdX2 Take care that you use the correct device name for your USB stick. The @@ -38,7 +39,7 @@ so you will have to install yaboot by hand using the hfsutils tools. Type -$ hmount /dev/sda2 +$ hmount /dev/sdX2 $ hcopy -r /usr/lib/yaboot/yaboot : $ hattrib -c UNIX -t tbxi :yaboot $ hattrib -b : @@ -54,8 +55,9 @@ utilities. -Mount the partition (mount /dev/sda2 /mnt) and -copy the following files from the Debian archives to the stick: +Mount the partition +(mount /dev/sdX2 /mnt) +and copy the following installer image files to the stick: @@ -77,11 +79,6 @@ copy the following files from the Debian archives to the stick: boot.msg (optional boot message) - - - -Optional kernel modules - diff --git a/en/install-methods/usb-setup/x86.xml b/en/install-methods/usb-setup/x86.xml index 5e9f28509..db5d58a15 100644 --- a/en/install-methods/usb-setup/x86.xml +++ b/en/install-methods/usb-setup/x86.xml @@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ or any other partitioning tool to create a FAT16 partition, and then create the filesystem using: -# mkdosfs /dev/sda1 +# mkdosfs /dev/sdX1 Take care that you use the correct device name for your USB stick. The @@ -28,31 +28,32 @@ Take care that you use the correct device name for your USB stick. The In order to start the kernel after booting from the USB stick, we will put a boot loader on the stick. Although any boot loader -(e.g. LILO) should work, it's convenient to use -SYSLINUX, since it uses a FAT16 partition and can +(e.g. lilo) should work, it's convenient to use +syslinux, since it uses a FAT16 partition and can be reconfigured by just editing a text file. Any operating system which supports the FAT file system can be used to make changes to the configuration of the boot loader. -To put SYSLINUX on the FAT16 partition on your USB +To put syslinux on the FAT16 partition on your USB stick, install the syslinux and mtools packages on your system, and do: -# syslinux /dev/sda1 +# syslinux /dev/sdX1 Again, take care that you use the correct device name. The partition -must not be mounted when starting SYSLINUX. This +must not be mounted when starting syslinux. This procedure writes a boot sector to the partition and creates the file ldlinux.sys which contains the boot loader code. -Mount the partition (mount /dev/sda1 /mnt) and -copy the following files from the Debian archives to the stick: +Mount the partition +(mount /dev/sdX1 /mnt) +and copy the following installer image files to the stick: @@ -64,31 +65,26 @@ copy the following files from the Debian archives to the stick: initrd.gz (initial ramdisk image) - - - -syslinux.cfg (SYSLINUX configuration file) - - - - -Optional kernel modules - -If you want to rename the files, please note that -SYSLINUX can only process DOS (8.3) file names. +You can choose between either the regular version or the graphical version +of the installer. The latter can be found in the gtk +subdirectory. If you want to rename the files, please note that +syslinux can only process DOS (8.3) file names. -The syslinux.cfg configuration file should -contain the following two lines: +Next you should create a syslinux.cfg configuration +file, which at a bare minimum should contain the following two lines: default vmlinuz append initrd=initrd.gz +For the graphical installer you should add +video=vesa:ywrap,mtrr vga=788 to the second line. + -- cgit v1.2.3