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Old 05-27-2018, 02:45 PM   #1
stf92
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Formatting a USB stick in vfat (FAT32).


Hi: this is not Slackware proper but as I am a slackware user... A debian installer is asking me to insert removable media (and it mentions USB stick expressly) to load a wi-fi driver: iwlwifi-3160-17.ucode. I had a stick with two partitions: one, ISO9660 and the other vfat. I placed the file in the vfat partition, but the installer did not find it. So I think that if I make only one partition, and that type vfat, maybe the installer finds it. I have the procedure to format in FAT32 in a note-book, but I do not have here. Ahhh... I think I remember. mkfs.fat, but do not remember the options. Well, a little reading of the manual won't heart me.
 
Old 05-27-2018, 02:56 PM   #2
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mkfs.vfat -I /dev/sdX
 
Old 05-27-2018, 03:55 PM   #3
stf92
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Perhaps the installer expects to see an ISO9660 filesystem?
 
Old 05-27-2018, 04:34 PM   #4
Skaendo
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I never needed to use ISO9660 when Debian installer wanted the iwlwifi drivers from USB. Just plain fat format.

EDIT: But the last time I used Debian was 6.0 (2011).

Last edited by Skaendo; 05-27-2018 at 04:39 PM.
 
Old 05-27-2018, 05:38 PM   #5
Alien Bob
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Typical of you - asking here to get quick answers instead of using your own brain. Especially since the question has nothing to do with Slackware.

ISO9660 is the filesystem meant for CDROM devices, it is read-only by nature and I wish you much luck in writing a file into that partition.

Has it ever occurred to you that when a Linux distro asks for a file on a USB stick, it expects a Linux filesystem on that USB stick?
 
Old 05-27-2018, 06:44 PM   #6
jlinkels
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You need the WiFi drivers only if you want to use WiFi during installation. Do you? If you have a wired connection at your disposal, use the wired connection. Once Debian is installed, you can add the non-free repositories and install non-free drivers as needed.

Instead of this complicated process, try to download a Debian installer which already contains the non-free drivers. On the Debian page where the installers are listed there is a link to installation media including non-free drivers.

jlinkels

Last edited by jlinkels; 05-27-2018 at 06:46 PM.
 
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Old 05-27-2018, 07:13 PM   #7
stf92
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Thanks, jlinkels. I cannot find the link anywhere on the page. Could you send me a link?
 
Old 05-27-2018, 09:02 PM   #8
stf92
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jlinkels View Post
You need the WiFi drivers only if you want to use WiFi during installation. Do you? If you have a wired connection at your disposal, use the wired connection. Once Debian is installed, you can add the non-free repositories and install non-free drivers as needed.

Instead of this complicated process, try to download a Debian installer which already contains the non-free drivers. On the Debian page where the installers are listed there is a link to installation media including non-free drivers.

jlinkels
Thanks a lot. I downloaded the firmware package and had no problems with the wi-fi.
 
Old 05-28-2018, 04:29 AM   #9
jlinkels
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Debian changes the installer page now and then... It used to be there.

https://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/u.../amd64/iso-cd/

You can burn the ISO to a USB stick, despite of the name cdimage. Instructions on the same page.

jlinkels
 
Old 05-28-2018, 05:16 AM   #10
stf92
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Thanks again.
 
Old 05-30-2018, 03:31 PM   #11
stf92
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alien Bob View Post
Has it ever occurred to you that when a Linux distro asks for a file on a USB stick, it expects a Linux filesystem on that USB stick?
From https://www.debian.org/releases/stab...06s04.html.en:
Quote:
To prepare a USB stick (or other medium like a hard drive partition, or floppy disk), the firmware files or packages must be placed in either the root directory or a directory named /firmware of the file system on the medium. The recommended file system to use is FAT as that is most certain to be supported during the early stages of the installation.
 
Old 06-09-2018, 09:14 PM   #12
DVOM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alien Bob View Post
Typical of you - asking here to get quick answers instead of using your own brain. Especially since the question has nothing to do with Slackware.

ISO9660 is the filesystem meant for CDROM devices, it is read-only by nature and I wish you much luck in writing a file into that partition.

Has it ever occurred to you that when a Linux distro asks for a file on a USB stick, it expects a Linux filesystem on that USB stick?
Is this a joke?
 
  


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