Hi,

I just got a nice small book-size pc, and want to run linux on it
and use it as a router. So far, so good. But i just cant get anything installed
on it.

The Bios(award version 6.1) shows me that I can choose from a lot of bootdevices,
for example USB-HDD, USB-FDD, USB-ZIP, USB-CDROM.

I attached the usb-drive (120gig maxtor) to one of the 3 usb devices (i tested
it with all 3 devices), and select first boot device usb-hdd, second
usb-fdd, third usb-cdrom.

Then boot, -> nothing happens, it doesn't access the usb-drive.

If you ask if this drive is bootable at all, I tried it with my laptop, and it works
just fine out of the box.

Some data for information:

Chipset: VIA PLE (North: VT8601A, South: VT82C686B)
CPU: 800 Mhz Via C3.


I am totally stuck on this one... I mean it even shows me USB-boot options,
but doesn't work.

Hope you can help me on this one... I am desperate!

/shad

Well, something to add here:

It always says: "Invalid partition table"

Here is that partition table of the Harddisk:

>>fdisk -l
[...]
Platte /dev/sdb: 122.9 GByte, 122941341696 Byte
255 Köpfe, 63 Sektoren/Spuren, 14946 Zylinder
Einheiten = Zylinder von 16065 * 512 = 8225280 Bytes

Gerät Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 1 2491 20008926 83 Linux
/dev/sdb2 2492 4982 20008957+ 83 Linux
/dev/sdb3 4983 7473 20008957+ 83 Linux
/dev/sdb4 7474 14946 60026872+ 5 Erweiterte
/dev/sdb5 7474 14946 60026841 83 Linux

Like you see, I simply use an ext3 partition, and copied the files from my
Trustix bootable cdrom onto the first partition.

Well, on my laptop it works... but here it doesn't want to.

Could you give me an advice how to change the partition table
or something to make this bootable?

looks to me like you might need to set a partition as active (bootable).
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 13 104391 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 14 81 546210 82 Linux swap
you should have a '*' under boot for the partition you want to boot to as shown above. i think the 'a' option in fdisk sets the partition active (bootable).

Well, didn't work either.

I just found a way to attach a cdrom drive, and now it works.
Thanks anyway.

Hi all,

I have a pretty similar problem.

I'm using an Asus A7N8X Deluxe Rev2.0. As suggested by Asus-Support I upgraded the BIOS to 1007 (currently latest version).

With this version it is possible to select to boot from USB-HDD, USB-FDD, USB-ZIP and USB-CDROM.

I bought a external HDD housing (Type ICY BOX IBU 350 U, USB 2.0 see www.icybox.de).
A WD 80GB HDD is running in that housing. I have installed the Knoppix 3.4 to that HDD.

I tried all of USB-XXX Boot settings, but it did not boot from the USB-HDD.

Unfortunately I cannot verify, that the USB HDD is bootable at all, because I don't have any other machine available, that supports booting from USB...

Does anybody know, if all USB-HDDs must be bootable my design?

Has anybody experience with this housing?

Thank you very much,

Thorsten