booting Linux on usb flash drive
 

I just recently purchased a PNY 8gb attache flash drive and have been trying to install Linux to it, with no success. Tried DSL, with all possible scenarios. Tried Ubuntu, again trying different ways. Xubuntu, Knoppix, etc. Even tried the HP format program.

Nothing works. But I also own a PNY 256mb and 512mb flash drives. Both could boot my rig using DSL, Xubuntu, Knoppix, etc. with no problem.

Boot menu recognizes the two small PNY's as HDD, but not the 8gb. One exception, it did recognize it as HDD after I ran the HP program but had no OS on it. After I installed Linux, no good.

Any ideas as to what I'm doing wrong?

For info purposes, I have the following m/b & proc:

abit nf8-v2
amd anthlon 64 3500+


My error is immediate, saying no boot record.

When installing, you probably need to go into the advanced partition part and ensure that a boot partition is created on the flash drive, and that grub (or lilo) is written to the flash drive.

grub
 

Try this first to see if you can boot the devices at all.

Boot up your favorite linux distro and connect the device.

Navigate to /grub/boot directory on a working linux system and enter the following command:

cat stage1 stage2 > /dev/sdc (here, 'sdc' might be different depending on your configuration, but use the root of the device, not a partition).

Then reboot the machine with the device. If you get a grub prompt, then you know the device will work for what you are trying to do with the bios that you are using.