[SOLVED] USB installer

NoStressHQ · 07-12-2016, 10:08 AM

Hi all,

First time I try to use an USB stick to install Slackware (we don't have optical drive anymore at work

)... So I used what's explained in /isolinux/README.TXT but I got this error on isohybrid:

Code:

isohybrid: Warning: more than 1024 cylinders: 2289
isohybrid: Not all BIOSes will be able to boot this device
isohybrid: /tmp/Slackware64-14.2.iso: seek error - 8: Invalid argument

I just used the same commands as in the README, but "batched" 'em into a BASH script:

Code:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
###############################################################################
set -Cue

readonly MAKE_ISO=1
readonly BURN_STICK=1
readonly ISO_TGT_DIR='/tmp'
readonly ISO_FILENAME='Slackware64-14.2'
readonly REPO_ROOT_DIR='/repo/mirrors/slackware/slackware64-14.2'

readonly USB_STICK='/dev/sdb'

readonly ISO_PATH="${ISO_TGT_DIR}/${ISO_FILENAME}.iso"

if (( MAKE_ISO )) ; then
    [[ -f "$ISO_PATH" ]] && rm "$ISO_PATH" || :
    cd "$REPO_ROOT_DIR" \
	&& mkisofs -o "$ISO_PATH" \
		   -R -J -A "Slackware Install" \
		   -hide-rr-moved \
		   -v -d -N \
		   -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 -boot-info-table \
		   -sort isolinux/iso.sort \
		   -b isolinux/isolinux.bin \
		   -c isolinux/isolinux.boot \
		   -eltorito-alt-boot -no-emul-boot -eltorito-platform 0xEF \
		   -eltorito-boot isolinux/efiboot.img \
		   -m 'source' \
		   -V "SlackDVD" . \
	&& isohybrid -u "$ISO_PATH"
fi
    
if (( BURN_STICK )) ; then
    echo " * Flashing USB Drive..."
    dd "if=$ISO_PATH" "of=$USB_STICK" bs=1M
fi

So it's very simple... I'm wondering what I did wrong... I saw on the internet that the "seek error" appeared on 32bit system, but I'm running it from a Slack64 14.2 install into a VM (no multilib). So it's not supposed to be related to the 32bit overflow bug.

Any idea ? Did I miss something obvious ? Is it a yet unfound bug ?

Cheers

Garry.

bassmadrigal · 07-12-2016, 11:28 AM

If those instructions are in the README, then it is outdated. Slackware ISOs have already been prepped with isohybrid since 14.1. You should just need to dd the image to your usb drive and then you're good to go.

Code:

dd if=/location/to/slackware.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=1M

(NOTE: Obviously, replace /dev/sdb with your usb drive)

emidevices · 07-12-2016, 11:33 AM

Slackware 14.2 ISO is already isohybrid, so you just have to copy it to a USB wiht dd.
Example (replace /dev/sdX with the device name for your USB stick):

Code:

dd if=/tmp/slackware64-14.2.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=1M

NoStressHQ · 07-12-2016, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassmadrigal

If those instructions are in the README, then it is outdated.

Thanks ! Yeah the README is "bugged"

. Shame on me, I should have just tried instead of staying stucked because of this error message.

So if the README could be fixed, it would avoid other people to be mislead as I was.

Thanks again.

Garry.

bassmadrigal · 07-12-2016, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoStressHQ

Thanks ! Yeah the README is "bugged" . Shame on me, I should have just tried instead of staying stucked because of this error message.

I know it's little consolation now, but it is mentioned in the Slackware wiki:

http://docs.slackware.com/slackware:install

Quote:

Starting with the 14.1 release, Slackware ISO images (both the ones available online as well as the discs sent out from the Slackware store) have been processed using isohybrid. This allows them to be written to a USB stick, which can then be booted and used as the install source.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoStressHQ

So if the README could be fixed, it would avoid other people to be mislead as I was.

I don't know if Pat will make changes to those files once a stable release has been pushed, but I do know a few issues with the documentation for 14.2 have been identified.