Can't install via USB drive on Lenovo Thinkpad T400
 

I am trying to boot and install Slackware 14.1 on a Lenovo Thinkpad T400. I have two usb sticks. One is the boot drive and the other simply has the slackware directory.

But I keep getting this error:

This happens when I try to select the source.

I boot with one usb stick, but use another to store the files. I can mount the stick and see the slackware directory, but 'setup' doesn't see it.

I tried running fsck.fat /dev/sdb and ran the disk check in Windows, but neither of those helped.

It worked fine when I installed onto my desktop.

No typo error on the directory name? Is it named "slackware" all lower case, and is located at the disk root?

Yup, no typos and it's in the root directory.

I'm convinced that there is some low level bit that got flipped somehow that is caused the problem...

I even tried mounting it and using the hard drive option, but that didn't work either.

Do you try the setup command with both usb drives connected or you swap drives after entering setup?

Sorry for keep asking things... But I don't know, maybe setup needs the boot drive connected to execute commands

I tried both drives connected, and single, but no go.

Maybe keep both drives mounted and try creating a symlink of your slackware dir in the boot drive?
Like
(in example, /mnt/drive is the mount point of the drive containing slackware dir)
Assuming there is no slackware directory in / (check with ls first)

[edit]
I doubt it will work but it is quick enough test worth checking

[edit 2]
Did you try these instructions:
http://www.slackwiki.com/Install_Sla...SB_Flash_Drive

In your case, look for the drive where slackware dir is (surelly the drive with highest storage capacity)

ln -s /mnt/blah/blah did the trick.

Thanks.

Once you are logged as root and before running setup, you can unplug the first USB key then plug in the other one (with the packages).

After that, instead of choosing in the SOURCE menu SOURCE "Install from a Slackware USB stick" you can just check the partition's name (e.g. with "lsblk"), type "mkdir key", "mount <the partion's name> /key" and choose in the SOURCE menu "Install from a pre-mounted directory".

But In any case on the USB stick the packages should be stored using exactly the same layout of directories and sub-directories as on a DVD. If you have just a flat list of packages for instance, that won't work.

EDIT Too late. Sorry, slow typer.