Damn Small Linux - Not!

roberts · Joined: 17 Apr 2006 Posts: 320 Location: OC CA USA

Both USB install types are supported.
The USB-ZIP, having the limitations in supported boot sizes based on ZIP Drive specs, creates two partitions. The first one being 96MB to accomodate the large system size.

ggordon · Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Posts: 11

Well...boots great from a 185MB mini CD-R...just not from USB device Crying or Very sad

_______
ggordon

PS-Hope I'm not sounding like a gripe...just trying to give some feedback Smile

roberts · Joined: 17 Apr 2006 Posts: 320 Location: OC CA USA

I am posting this from a USB-HDD pendrive install of DSL-N. Smile

I am not finding any issue in this area.

iang · Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Posts: 4 Location: Somerset, England

It looks as if DSL-N is not going to boot easily with the EPIA 5000 boards. The BIOS only supports USB-ZIP and USB-FDD booting, not USB-HDD (why, VIA?!).

Shame, as isn't this the same motherboard as the DSL machines?

I think the processor should be well capable of running DSL-N - it can run Knoppix 4, albeit slowly.

May have the go the compact flash / IDE route. Anyone see any possible problems with this and the EPIA 5000?

EPIA 5000
256 MByte
DSL 2.3 on USB-ZIP pendrive
Sony CD-R/RW DVD-R (needs syslinux to boot)
No HDD

roberts · Joined: 17 Apr 2006 Posts: 320 Location: OC CA USA

I am able to use USB-ZIP install on a 128MB pendrive.
It is just that the geometry of large pendrives become a problem trying to set them to the old IOMEGA ZIP specs. Maybe, the USB-ZIP install should stay and I take the heat when it can't automatically adjust the geometry?

iang · Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Posts: 4 Location: Somerset, England

That's interesting, if I understand correctly. Is it only the size of the pendrive that is causing the problem?

I tried a USB-ZIP install of DSL-N on a 256MB pendrive. As Murphy's Law predicts, I have only 64MB and 256/512MB pendrives kicking around. Were I to do a USB-ZIP install on a 128MB drive, it may work?

roberts · Joined: 17 Apr 2006 Posts: 320 Location: OC CA USA

Nows that interesting 64MB! The script should produce a 96MB partition
84MB don't fit in 64MB. Sad

Yes, the size of the pendrive and the heads cyclinders sectors.
There is a write-up on this subject in the DSL Wiki.
Usually 256MB pendrives can be made to work up to 250MB ala ZIP specs.
I never had any luck with anything larger.

doobit · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 32

[quote="iang"]That's interesting, if I understand correctly. Is it only the size of the pendrive that is causing the problem?

I tried a USB-ZIP install of DSL-N on a 256MB pendrive. As Murphy's Law predicts, I have only 64MB and 256/512MB pendrives kicking around. Were I to do a USB-ZIP install on a 128MB drive, it may work?[/quote]

No, not exactly...um, not at all, actually. The geometry refers to the way the sectors of the drive are arranged to form the full capacity of the drive. It is not necessary on all drives to play with the geometry, but there seem to be a few that give problems. There is a tutorial on the DSL Wiki on how to set up the geometry of the pendrive:

iang · Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Posts: 4 Location: Somerset, England

Sorry, the combination of my badly worded post and more enthusiasm than ability has created confusion.

I believe the DSL-N USB-ZIP install went OK on the 256MB pendrive. I have one partition, sda1 of 96MB, and another partition, sda2 of 148MB. But it doesn't boot with the EPIA 5000.

I can USB-ZIP install & boot DSL 2.3 on the same pendrive and it boots with no problem. In this case the sda1 partition is 50MB, with around 200MB for the sda2 partition.

I normally run DSL 2.3 off a 512MB pendrive which also seems to have no problems with the USB-ZIP install - partition sda1 50MB, sda2 441MB.

The 64MB drive also works with DSL; not tried, for obvious reasons, with DSL-N.

What I was trying to understand is, is the size of the pendrive a factor in whether or not DSL-N will boot from a USB-ZIP install? I thought the answer is no - as long as the install script is creating the correct partitions, which seems to be the case. But now I'm just confused!

ggordon · Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Posts: 11

I was usng a 256MB also...was getting geometry error, so pulled out a 128MB and......got same error....didn't mater if I used USB-ZIP or USB-HDD, got same result Sad

...well...guess I'll be happy trying it out from CD-R...works fine that way....I suspect it's a kernel/my hardware type problem as I have no problems putting it on a USB drive using regular DSL...works great. Maybe someday DSL-Not will use newer kernel and back to sda instead of uba...razzle-frazzle.. Confused

ggordon · Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Posts: 11

Well....boot ok now from USB and as USB-Zip..and in all fairness, probably did in the last build also....the fault was mine....I knew it would take longer to write to usb stick since image is almost twice as big, but it took even longer...or so it seemed, but finally did finish..so probably a lack of patience on my part...sorry Embarassed

...anyway...I'll doctor this version up to my own personal liking and see how it flys....

_______
ggordon

roberts · Joined: 17 Apr 2006 Posts: 320 Location: OC CA USA

Thanks for the feedback.
I probably should have mentioned that it does seem to take a [i]long[/i] time to install to a pendrive.
I usually try to watch the light on the pendrive to go out then hopefully I see the completed install message.