# Solved: slax bootable USB flash drive error



## jrbuergel (Jan 17, 2004)

When I boot to my Slax 4 GB USB flash drive with my 06 Gateway desktop computer, it boots to the grub, but when I try to boot to the top item on the grub list as; live CD, it gives this error; error 15, file not found. I created this USB Slax with a tool called "create live USB" from PCLinuxOS, which used the 190 MB iso file, but gave an error that said; cannot create /mnt/loop/livecd.sqfs , file or directory not found. So then I created the folders; /mnt/loop/ on the USB flash drive, and ran that tool again but gave the same error. I also downloaded and extracted the slax as .tar version to the USB flash and did run that bootinst.bat file too, but no luck. When I compare the files on the root of this USB drive with those on a bootable Pendrive Linux flash drive, the Pendrive Linux has all the important bootable files including that large livecd.sqfs file, right there on root drive, (not inside folders like Slax has it) So how do I fix this so Slax does boot up fully, thanks.


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## tonio1979 (Apr 11, 2009)

hi,

It looks like you mess it up big time . But if i'm not mistaken slax used to come with lilo not grub (which OS you have installed in your desktop?) 
I dont know that tool very well but i assume you made some mistake when setting up grub.conf, remember something...using tool to conf files is a risk in linux  i rather look at the file in question and,after making a backup of the file, go and mess with it  and also when editing anything always look at the documentation about it.
#first i'd make sure the image you downloaded is not corrupted,it's only 190mb so why not download it again 
#second i'd make sure usb fs is not corrupted either, remember FAT is a very vulnerable file system!!
--> boot from your livecd --> plug usb --> tail -f /var/log/messages -->run
#dosfsck -wa /dev/usb

The process to setup a bootable usb is very simple:
download image
unpack it to your usb
when slax is unpacked to your device, it will create /boot/ and /slax/ directories there. Only one more step is needed to make slax boot from your USB device or disk: you have to manually navigate to the newly created /boot/ directory and run bootinst.sh script (if you are in Linux) or bootinst.bat script (if you are in Windows).
Also here you are an easy manual to install slax into usb in windows
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/all-in-one-usb-slaxzip/


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## jrbuergel (Jan 17, 2004)

I did get the Slax USB flash drive to boot up fully. I was useing PCLinuxOS KDE to create it, and then in Windows XP I copied some of the main files to the root of it, from the folders it had there; (boot and slax) But now it boots to a different boot menu which is the real Slax menu, where as before it booted to a grub menu. When I did click to run bootinst.bat in XP it was executable and ran, but how do you run the bootinst.sh script file in Linux, is it done in a terminal as root, since when I double clicked it nothing happens.


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## lotuseclat79 (Sep 12, 2003)

Hi jrbuergel,

Did you modify your Bios to boot from USB flash first in the boot order part of the Bios?

-- Tom


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## jrbuergel (Jan 17, 2004)

Yes my current BIOS boot order is set to; CD ROM, Removable, then hard drive, so it does boot to it now, or I can use my Gateway F10 key boot menu also to select it. Most of the bootable USB flash drives do not use that large file called; livecd.sqfs, only Linux live CDs. But when I attempted to make live USB from PCLinuxOs with the slax it said to use the iso file, and was creating that .sqfs file. So I just did it the simple way by extracting the slax.tar file and running that .bat file in windows. Thanks for the help.


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## tonio1979 (Apr 11, 2009)

> Most of the bootable USB flash drives do not use that large file called; livecd.sqfs, only Linux live CDs


this is actually not true,dont know many win live cds  . I have my BT3 running from a usb and there is no file called livecd.sqfs. also it took about 45 seconds to create, without using any tool!!!! just unrar iso directly into flash drive and run bootinst.sh
Aren't you trying to do this:

http://www.pendrivelinux.com/my-slax-creator-alternate-usb-install-method/

instead of a simple usb install.
In this case you will need the cd inserted in the system the first time you try to boot from the usb, i assume that you dont have it inserted so when trying to select it, you receive the error message you mentioned above.

Any data inside the usb?
No, then format you usb and follow the instructions in one of the links below:

http://www.pendrivelinux.com/all-in-one-usb-slaxzip/ 
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/usb-boot-cd-for-slax-609/
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/my-slax-creator-alternate-usb-install-method/

thanks
tonio1979


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