Create bootable iso file

kalimat · 10-20-2010, 02:27 PM

I want to (re-)install Ubuntu in my computer (actually just to reactivate the grub) but I had a bad surprise: my DVD player does not recognize any CD anymore so I have to boot Ubuntu from USB stick. I have downloaded ubuntu 10.10 from their website but it's just a ISO file, and when I try to boot from USB it says no bootable file...so the question is.. how to make that ISO file bootable?

thanks in advance!

Hungry ghost · 10-20-2010, 03:31 PM

You can use unetbootin to put ubuntu on the USB stick and make it bootable; if you're on linux, you can search on the repositories of the distro you're using.
(Btw, I think this is more suitable in one of the support forums

)

Regards.

kalimat · 10-21-2010, 01:25 PM

Thanks a lot!!!

now another question: my usb stick has a capacity of almost 4GB, it is currently `empty` because I deleted all files on it, but it still says only 800MB free.... are there any hidden files and how can I get them?
thanks again .

Hungry ghost · 10-21-2010, 02:03 PM

Hmm, I'm not sure, maybe there are hidden files there? Try executing ls -la inside the USB stick, or maybe du -ha | sort -n (I'm not on linux right now, so I can't test the last command to see what exactly it does, but I think it should show you which file(s) are there and their size).

Regards.

smeezekitty · 10-21-2010, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kalimat

Thanks a lot!!!

now another question: my usb stick has a capacity of almost 4GB, it is currently `empty` because I deleted all files on it, but it still says only 800MB free.... are there any hidden files and how can I get them?
thanks again .

Sounds like the partitions might have been messed up.
Probably best to just format it.

Kenny_Strawn · 10-21-2010, 05:56 PM

Here's what I suggest:

Code:

sudo apt-get install gparted && sudo gparted /dev/disk/by-id/$(ls /dev/disk/by-id | grep usb)

This will open GParted, in which you can then select "Device -> Create Partition Table" (which will erase the drive) and then create a new fat32 partition.

smeezekitty · 10-21-2010, 06:29 PM

I think the OP cannot get Linux to boot.

kalimat · 10-23-2010, 12:04 PM

thanks a lot! i will try that as soon as I go back to ubuntu!