Ubuntu

Ubuntu USB External HDD Boot

Asked by tedmondson

I've setup Ubuntu 6.10 on an external USB hard drive following the directions @ https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LiveUsbPendrivePersistent.

When I startup my PC and select the USB device to boot from I receive the message "No partition active".

How can I correct this error?

Thanks...

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pitwalker
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pitwalker (pitwalker) said : 		#1

You can solve this MISTAKE by: Sysresccd 0.3.7 (http://www.sysresccd.org/Download)

When you boot with this (gentoo linux), you can set active partition with cfdisk (or fdisk when you are more experienced user)

you can find your usb hdd's device name (/dev/???) by browse in /etc/disks/by-id or something similar directory,
or trying with "cfdisk /dev/sda" "cfdisk /dev/sdb", "cfdisk /dev/hdb" yes this last is also possible.

Best regards: pitwalker

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tedmondson (tedmondson) said : 		#2

Sorry for the mistake; I must have missed that part of the posted instructions.

I have used the System Rescue CD to make the first partition bootable. It starts to boot and displays the scrolling progress bar below the Ubuntu logo. After a minute or two the screen blanks out with the flashing cursor in the top left corner. There is no prompt but keyboard input is displayed on the monitor.

What should be my next step?

Thanks: Tom

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pitwalker (pitwalker) said : 		#3

If I were you...
I abandon the trying with an old release.
I trying with latest stable Ububtu (7.04), this is the current, the modern, I love it. (or 6.06 LTS)
I get the alternate CD, because you set more things with this.
For example: GRUB, the boot manager, you can install it to any place,
any disk, any partition. Not only the MBR of the first HDD.

If we found any problems, we have a RESCUE CD :) with Midnight Commander (NC like)
with NTFS read-WRITE support.

Best regards: pitwalker

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tedmondson (tedmondson) said : 		#4

I'd like to move to 7.04 but I've read of persistence problems when booting from removal media and the remediation procedure seems really complicated.

I've setup 7.04 in MS Virtual PC 2007 for someone else . Besides having to use a safe graphics mode during installation and patch the kernel (it took me a day to find the script) in order to use the emulated PS/2 mouse it went well.

Are there accurate and complete instructions for installing & booting 7.04 from removable media?

Thanks: Tom

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Best pitwalker (pitwalker) said : 		#5

I need more infos to get help.
I need the GRUB's menu (/boot/grub/menu.lst)
I need info from /var/log (system log files, what happen during the boot process)
Infos from your hardvare

The 6.10 correcly run on your PC? (live, without removable drives)

I use PATA->USB converter (with aluminium house, it's name "Spire GigaPod" made in c****)
for my Seagate HDD, this works correctly with 7.04

But I use the FRESH version, I installed all updates available.
But installation time...
You are very CLEVER.

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pitwalker (pitwalker) said : 		#6

Can we clone a working FRESH system from NON REMOVABLE HDD?

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pitwalker (pitwalker) said : 		#7

I would like a new Ubuntu distribution, it's name is "Portable Ubuntu".

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tedmondson (tedmondson) said : 		#8

Never mind...

Time to move on to something else.

Thanks: Tom