Debian: zcat boot.img.gz to thumbdrive leaves only ~230 free megs

Changes · 10-15-2009, 03:50 PM

I'm trying to install Debian Lenny on an EeePC 1005HA (on which I can't use the network from the start).

This page says:

Quote:

Follow the[ ../../HowTo/InstallUsingStandardInstaller instructions, except instead of using the netinst image as that page describes, use the first CD or DVD from the standard set so that you don't need network connection during the install.

The linked page says:

Quote:

To install a Lenny (stable) system using the standard installer, you need to do the following:

1. Download the Lenny netinst ISO image from http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-installer/
2. Get boot.img.gz from /debian/dists/lenny/main/installer-i386/current/images/hd-media from your favorite Debian mirror
3. Using an empty USB device, do zcat boot.img.gz > /dev/sdX (where sdX is the device your USB media is using)
4. Mount the USB device (i.e. /dev/sdX, not /dev/sdX1) and copy the ISO image to it.

Accordingly, I'm supposed to zcat boot.img.gz to the thumbdrive, then copy the iso from the first Debian Lenny CD on it. But I can't, because zcatting that file on the thumbdrive leaves only 230MB of free space, and I can't enlarge that partition in any way (cfdisk reports an error, gparted says it's already maxed).

What now?

r0b0 · 10-16-2009, 09:18 AM

Why not? The netinst iso images are only about 150MB each.

the trooper · 10-16-2009, 10:44 AM

From the link you posted:

Quote:

Mount the USB device (i.e. /dev/sdX, not /dev/sdX1) and copy the netinstall ISO image from #1 to the newly created

* partition. The ~170MB netinstall will fit. Confirm it copied to that partition or the install will fail.

So i would guess you are trying to install the iso for cd1,the normal install disc rather than the netinstall disc.
Make sure you have the netinstall iso and try again.

rkski · 10-17-2009, 02:31 AM

How big is the thumbdrive?