Install DSl on Asus EeePC


Forum: HD Install
Topic: Install DSl on Asus EeePC
started by: PaulFXH

Posted by PaulFXH on Dec. 20 2008,20:45
I'm using a Asus EeePC 901 20GB which came with Linux (Xandros) installed.
Since then I've set up a multiboot system and would like to include DSL.
DSL (4.4.12) works fine from a USB key (I set it up using Unetbootin and the downloaded 4.4.12.iso because the version of DSL in-built into Unetbootin doesn't provide a functioning mouse (usb) when I boot into it).
So far, so good.
Then I tried to install DSL to my 16 GB hard drive (SSD) and using the dsl-hdinstall command this seemed to go fine in that no errors occurred. I did however have to install DSL to /dev/hdd9 which is seen in all the other distros on this machine as /dev/sdb9. Note that this partition is a logical, rather than a primary, partition.
When I tried to boot, however, I got the "Can't find KNOPPIX filesystem" error immediately after the "scanning for usb devices" in the boot.
It seems that DSL does not recognize the device /dev/hdd9 that I included in the Grub menu (note that I'm booting -- or attempting to boot -- DSL from Xandros's Grub menu as Xandros's grub is in the MBR.)
Here's the DSL entry in the /boot/grub/menu.lst of Xandros:
Code Sample
title DSL 4.4.12
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/dsl/linux24  root=/dev/hdd9 vga=normal noacpi noapm nodma noscsi
initrd /boot/dsl/minirt24.gz

Note also that I have placed both linux24 and minirt24.gz in /boot/dsl/ within Xandros.
I have tried to alter the designation of the DSL partition in the root= line and added various cheatcodes, all to no avail.
I have a sneaking suspicion that perhaps DSL needs to be installed on a primary partition as I've seen his emphasized in various guides but without any explanation.
Can anybody help me understand what's the problem here and what I need to do to get DSL to boot on my EeePC?

Posted by kerry on Dec. 21 2008,11:49
shouldn't you use "/dev/sdb9" instead of "/dev/hdd9"?
Posted by PaulFXH on Dec. 21 2008,12:19
Quote (kerry @ Dec. 21 2008,11:49)
shouldn't you use "/dev/sdb9" instead of "/dev/hdd9"?

Thanks for your reply but, believe me, I've tried every reasonable permutation of both hdXY and sdXY to try to get this to boot but always got the same "Can't find............" error.
However, it does boot without problem if I chainload DSL's bootloader (which is also Grub in my case) from Xandros's Grub.
Weird  ???  but it works!!
Now I Just have to find how to get a network connection to DSL on the EeePC (cards are:
Code Sample
01:00.0 Network controller: RaLink Unknown device 0781
04:00.0 Ethernet controller: Attansic Technology Corp. Unknown device 1026 (rev b0)

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