# boot from usb



## fez005 (Mar 23, 2010)

hi i have a toshiba L505d-s5983 runs windows 7
32-bit 
amd athlon II dual core m300
3gb of ram
320 gb hdd
i made a live usb running kubuntu using unetbootin and universal usbinstaller and they both were able to install kubuntu, and linux mint 8 without errors but when i run the usb in virtual box it always says boot error and when i boot the computer off of the usb it gives me this error
(udevd[122]:worker [2329]unexpectedly returned with status 0x0100)

i installed linux mint 8 and formated and installed kubuntu on my usb and i still the the same errors
i also used another usb but i keep getting the same errors

the usb's i used are hp 4gb usb and lexar 1 gb usb

it takes forever to boot up and when it does get to the desktop for both kubuntu and linux mint 8 the touch pad doesnt work so i have to shut down

can some one help please?


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## oreosrockk (Mar 20, 2010)

What are you running Virtualbox in?


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## fez005 (Mar 23, 2010)

windows 7


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## lotuseclat79 (Sep 12, 2003)

Hi fez005,

You need to visit your BIOS and reset it to boot from a USB flash drive first in the boot order (similar to when a CD is loaded into the CDROM drive for a Live CD boot), and make sure you plugin the USB flash drive before you power on to boot up.

-- Tom


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## fez005 (Mar 23, 2010)

hi Tom i did what u said but i keep getting errors. once i set the usb to boot up first. it did and a linux mint 8 wallpaper came and said automatic boot in 10 seconds once the timer hit zero a whole bunch of code came up and said error and froze 
my bios is insyde h2 bios if that helps


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## lotuseclat79 (Sep 12, 2003)

Hi fez005,

If you are still getting errors on boot up, you need to check the digital signatures of the .iso file you downloaded vs what is published at the download website you used. Note: it's always a good idea to get the downloads from the official web sites for any Linux distribution you want to burn to a Live CD or USB flash drive. Also, look up the procedures at pendrivelinux.com for more help in burning the .iso bootable image to the media.

-- Tom


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## fez005 (Mar 23, 2010)

hi Tom

one of the tech guys at the help desk burned me a disk with the iso image from the actual site and tried to boot up my computer but he got the same errors


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## lotuseclat79 (Sep 12, 2003)

Hi fez005,

What is the link to the distribution .iso file both of you downloaded and burned?

Note: Tech guys are not immune from making mistakes - me included. You should be able to test whether your computer is at fault by getting a Live CD of Ubuntu 9.10 here and if it doesn't boot up, your computer is at fault.

Also, you should follow one of the pendrivelinux.com procedures to see if you can then get a USB to boot on more than one machine.

-- Tom


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## fez005 (Mar 23, 2010)

hi Tom 
heres the link http://www.linuxmint.com/download.php i chose the main edition


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## fez005 (Mar 23, 2010)

Hi Tom

the tech guy also downloaded and burned the ubuntu 9.10 onto a cd heres the link http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download


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## lotuseclat79 (Sep 12, 2003)

Hi fez005,

The digital signature, i.e. md5sum I have for ubuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso is:
[email protected]:~/Desktop$ md5sum ubuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso
8790491bfa9d00f283ed9dd2d77b3906 ubuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso

If you can confirm that then your .iso file is ok.

The next thing to check is whether the USB procedure was properly performed. Again, following the procedures at pendrivelinux.com are good to go.

-- Tom


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## fez005 (Mar 23, 2010)

Hi Tom
the signature checks out and the usb works fine 
i called toshiba support and they told me that its a windows 7 problem. compatiblity issues with linux.
they told me that if i ran xp instaed of windows 7 on my computer, the usb would boot up right
what do you think?


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## lotuseclat79 (Sep 12, 2003)

Hi fez005,

Does the USB boot error occur only when running in virtualbox? How about on raw hardware w/o running virtualbox, i.e. not from within Windows 7 at all?

-- Tom


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## fez005 (Mar 23, 2010)

hi Tom

yea its the same thing. it shows me a whole bunch of code and sits like that for a long time until it finally gets to the desktop and the touchpad and keyboard dont work

i thought that when u boot a live cd or live usb, the os thats already on my computer makes it happen 
unless thats not how it works and toshiba makes it work

basically i get errors when booting from a live cd and live usb even without virtual box


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## lotuseclat79 (Sep 12, 2003)

Hi fez005,

No, the OS does not make it happen, i.e. you have to set the boot order first for either Live CD or USB (aka USB HDD) in the BIOS. Read the advice in the thread Which USB Drive to Run Linux Off Of?. Make sure the USB is properly formatted first - i.e. fat32 is a good choice - before creating the USB.

Note: VirtualBox 3.1.6 released.

-- Tom


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## lotuseclat79 (Sep 12, 2003)

Hi fez005,

I looked at VirtualBox, and it is possible that your VirtualBox is missing a component depending on which version you have.

There are two versions of the VirtualBox software.



> The VirtualBox Open Source Edition (OSE) is missing USB support (see below) and the combination of running the RDP server with support of remote USB devices.


Which version do you have?

-- Tom


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## fez005 (Mar 23, 2010)

hi Tom

i formated the usb using fat 32 and installed linux mint 8 and tried to boot my laptop with it but i still get errors 
is there any way that future relaeses of linux like 10.04 and any new ones after that have the ability to make the bios recognize the usb or even a live cd and boot without errors

since my bios might not be able to recognize os's on bootable usb's and cd's
atleast that what the tech guy said. he said my toshiba doesnt have the support or drivers to run an os besides windows from a live cd and usb 
so linux basically wont work
only windows custom edition will work

you said that the os has nothing to do with it 
if this problem i have affects all toshiba L505 s5983 laptops then i hope linux is aware of it and makes some sort of program to make it work
if not, as in, its just my computer that has this problem and its some faulty driver or something then i hope the tech guys can solve the problem


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## fez005 (Mar 23, 2010)

Hi Tom

heres a similar problem like mine
toshiba laptop too 
heres the code
found it here
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/470154

apparently its a ubuntu bug problem
something about acpi=off

Binary package hint: udev
udevadm settle - timeout of 180 seconds reached, the event queue contains:
/sys/devices/LNXSYSTM:00/device:00/PNP0A08:00/device:02/device:03/device:08/device:09 (788)
udevd[125] worker [129] unexpectedly returned with status 0x0100
udevd[125]: worker [129] failed while handling /devices/LNXSYSTM:00/device:00/PNP0A08:00/device:02/device:03/device:08/device:09
ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: i386
CheckboxSubmission: 27a61cb016cca5edeef1f2f877256cdf
CheckboxSystem: b1865df84255b8716d3bcc269ff410d1
Date: Sun Nov 1 23:44:12 2009
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
MachineType: TOSHIBA Satellite P200
NonfreeKernelModules: fglrx
Package: udev 147~-6
PccardctlIdent:
Socket 0:
no product info available
PccardctlStatus:
Socket 0:
no card
ProcCmdLine: root=UUID=5156dd0d-0289-4e5b-b1fb-b22656b967a1 ro quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
LANG=en_US.UTF-8
SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-14.48-generic
SourcePackage: udev
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-14-generic i686
dmi.bios.date: 02/12/2008
dmi.bios.vendor: TOSHIBA
dmi.bios.version: V2.30
dmi.board.name: ISRAA
dmi.board.vendor: TOSHIBA
dmi.board.version: 1.00
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: *
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: TOSHIBA
dmi.chassis.version: N/A
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnTOSHIBA:bvrV2.30:bd02/12/2008:svnTOSHIBAnSatelliteP200vrpspB6u-07p02L:rvnTOSHIBA:rnISRAA:rvr1.00:cvnTOSHIBA:ct10:cvrN/A:
dmi.product.name: Satellite P200
dmi.product.version: pspB6u-07p02L
dmi.sys.vendor: TOSHIBA


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## lotuseclat79 (Sep 12, 2003)

Hi fez005,

One thing I would recommend is to determine exactly the BIOS you do have, and then look for firmware updates for it on the Toshiba website for your computer's motherboard.

I have done that in the past and discovered many BIOS updates for my motherboard's BIOS. I have the latest one stored on hard drive and a copy of my current (original BIOS) which I am still using. Note: It is not usually recommended to flash a BIOS unless you really, really need the newer capabilities - and the caveat is that a BIOS flash procedure must be followed exactly as the documentation recommends, otherwise, you may need to get a whole new BIOS chip if you aren't careful. I'll do it someday when the time is right for me.

-- Tom


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## saikee (Jun 11, 2004)

There seems to be a lot of unrelated issues here so I decided to spend 20 minutes to investigate.

First I downloaded the Linux Mint 8 LXDE iso.

Secondly I took out a 1Gb USB pen drive which has its original file format of Fat16. I booted up an old Ubuntu (that uses Lagacy Grub as newer Ubuntu uses Grub2), mounted the USB pen drive's only partition, deleted all files inside but did not re-format it. I then make a /boot/grub directory in this empty USB device and copy the Ubuntu's /boot/grub/stage1 and stage2 across into the pen drive's /boot/grub directory. To make the USB boots I called up a Grub shell and issued these commands at a root terminal

```
grub
root (hd2,0)
setup (hd0)
quit
```
My USB pen drive is 3rd disk in my PC so it is known to Grub as (hd2) and its only partition is (hd2,0). The above commands instruct Grub to install in the MBR of the USB pen drive. At this stage the USB pen drive only boots to a Grub prompt. Legacy Grub (or Grub1) is the most versatile boot loader that can be installed as a stand alone system in any floppy, hard disk, USB device, CD or DVD. This thread outlines and explains the key steps steps.

Thirdly I click the Linux Mint 8 LXDE iso and open it with the Archive Manager of Ubuntu. This allows me to see the interior contents of the iso file. I therefore dragged all the files in the iso into the USB pen drive folder. My USB fold now has the following folders/files (only md5sum.txt and README.diskdefines are files):-

```
ls /mnt/sdc1
boot  casper  dists  isolinux  md5sum.txt  pool  preseed  README.diskdefines
```
Fourth step is to automate the booting

As the iso was intended for a CD so the boot loader is isolinux and all the necessary files are inside the isolinux folder. The isolinux configuration file is isolinux.cfg and I list the content below with the lines of interest to me marked in red 

```
default vesamenu.c32
timeout 100

menu background splash.jpg
menu title Welcome to Linux Mint 8 Helena LXDE
menu color border 0 #00eeeeee #00000000
menu color sel 7 #ffffffff #33eeeeee
menu color title 0 #ffeeeeee #00000000
menu color tabmsg 0 #ffeeeeee #00000000
menu color unsel 0 #ffeeeeee #00000000
menu color hotsel 0 #ff000000 #ffffffff
menu color hotkey 7 #ffffffff #ff000000
menu color timeout_msg 0 #ffffffff #00000000
menu color timeout 0 #ffffffff #00000000
menu color cmdline 0 #ffffffff #00000000
menu hidden
menu hiddenrow 7
label live
  menu label Start Linux Mint LXDE
  [COLOR="Red"]kernel /casper/vmlinuz
  append  file=/cdrom/preseed/mint.seed boot=casper initrd=/casper/initrd.lz quiet splash --[/COLOR]
menu default
label xforcevesa
  menu label Start Linux Mint LXDE (compatibility mode)
  kernel /casper/vmlinuz
  append  file=/cdrom/preseed/mint.seed boot=casper xforcevesa initrd=/casper/initrd.lz ramdisk_size=1048576 root=/dev/ram rw noapic noapci nosplash irqpoll --
label check
  menu label Check the integrity of the CD
  kernel /casper/vmlinuz
  append  boot=casper integrity-check initrd=/casper/initrd.lz quiet splash --
label memtest
  menu label Memory Test
  kernel memtest
label local
  menu label Boot from local drive
  localboot 0x80
```
I used Ubuntu to create a Grub configuration file by command

```
gedit /mnt/sdc1/boot/grub/menu.lst
```
with the following entries

```
[COLOR="Blue"]title Mint Linux
root (hd0,0)[/COLOR]
kernel /casper/vmlinuz [COLOR="Blue"]root=/dev/sda1 ro[/COLOR] file=/cdrom/preseed/mint.seed boot=casper quiet splash --
initrd /casper/initrd.lz
```
The isolinux tells me the kernel and initrd files are in /casper so I use the isolinux.cfg information directly adding only the blue bits. The initrd command of Grub is different from isolinux and I have put it outside the kernel command.

Lastly I booted up my Linux Mint 8 from the USB pen drive and post this reply. Apart from the downloading of the iso all the work took about 20 minutes.

The above is easiest way to put an iso into a pen drive, add Grub and boot it up as a Live CD.

-----------------------------------------------

The essential features are

(1) The Linux iso is copied onto a USB pen drive after it has been expended. This normally requires the iso to be mounted on a loop back device but many operating system will expend the iso automatically.

(2) An iso is meant for a CD or DVD which uses a boot loader complying iso9660. This boot loader, the most common is isolinux, is unsuitable for block devices like a USB pen drive. Therefore to make a USB pen drive boot a different boot loader is needed. This can be syslinux or Grub.

(3) The isolinux booting instructions, which is always contained in a file called isolinux.cfg, can be used with very little alteration if a different boot loader is used.

(4) I favour Grub because if Grub fails to boot up the Linux automatically according to /boot/grub/menu.lst then one can get a Grub prompt. In a Grub prompt one can ask Grub to display the isolinux.cfg and use/base the similar instructions to boot up the Linux "manually". If the Bios cannot boot up a USB device one can still boot up another Grub and fire up the Linux Mint in the USB pen drive. I tried my LInux Mint on two PC. One allows a USB device to boot first and the other doesn't. On the machine which can't boot up a USB device so I booted up the hard disk first which has Grub and used it to fire up the USB Linux manually (by altering the the disk position). If a USB device is booted first it will be (hd0) to Grub and sda to Linux, otherwise ask Grub to report whe disk order by command 

```
geometry (hd0)
geometry (hd1)
```
If one type the commands of /boot/grub/menu.lst at a Grub prompt one line at a time then one is boot the system manually. There is no installed PC operating system that Grub cannot fire it up manually!

(5) I should stress that not all Linux distros are compiled to be bootable in a USB device.


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## fez005 (Mar 23, 2010)

hi Saikee

i been using opensuse 11.2 and it has an option at boot that lets you disable acpi and also use safe settings and this way i'm able to use the live cd 

but in linux mint 8 all editions there is no option at boot so is there any way i can disable acpi or use safe settings and make that permanent?

thanks


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## fez005 (Mar 23, 2010)

hi Tom

sorry for the long wait i found out that its an acpi problem
when i use opensuse 11.2 gnome and kde there is an option at boot that lets me use safe settings and that works. then i'm able to use my live usb
there is options like disable acpi but that doesnt work and booting up normally without any parameters doesnt either.
but safe settings work. but this option, and disable acpi option is only for puppy linux, opensuse 11.2, and mandriva as far as i know and it works


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