Boot up from external hdd??

nie · 10-09-2003, 06:40 PM

could i install a linux on an external hard drive and boot from it? i am using red hat 9.0

frieza · 10-09-2003, 07:58 PM

hmm, is the external hard drive scsi? then the device name would be
/dev/sda
although i can't think ov any bios versions that support booting from scsi, you'd have to put your bootloader on the internal hd's MBR, although i don't see why it shoudn't be possible, you will just have to tell linux that the '/' partition is on the scsi device which will be sda or something like that

James Tobiasson · 10-10-2003, 12:34 AM

I have seen several recent BIOS that allow booting from USB drives, I think. I need to look back at them....a little confused, too many systems.

frieza · 10-10-2003, 08:47 AM

hmm, scsi or usb you still shouldn't have to set the bios to boot from the external drive asl long as the boot loader (lilo or grub) is on the MBR of the internal drive, because it shouldn't matter to the bios where the kenel is if there is a boot loader to point to it.

nie · 10-10-2003, 03:01 PM

it's not a scsi hard drive..just a common 2.5" laptop hard drive!

actually i cant install linux to my external hard drive. so i install the system to my internal hard drive first. then i swap the internal hd to external hard drive. i can see the boot loader. when i press enter to confirm starting linux, it works. however it comes errors such as no boot master log..sth like that.

is it impossible to boot up linux from a external hard drive in my case?