tc-install test result

[bmarkus]

Upon discussion at http://forum.tinycorelinux.net/index.php/topic,12235.0.html I retested tc-install. test environment:

- CorePlus 4.2 running from CD
- Acer Aspire 5720Z notebook
- 256Mbyte and 4Gbyte USB stick

Following installation types tested:

Frugal / whole disk / VFAT
USB-HDD / whole disk / VFAT
USB-ZIP / whole disk VFAT
Frugal / existing partion / VFAT

In all cases partition was formatted by tc-install and boot installed, as well partion marked bootable in latest case.

USB stick always fails on the Acer notebook with 'Boot error' message, while it always boot on my desktop machine.

USB sticks behaves on the same way except 256MByte stick can't be formatted in USB-ZIP mode, tc-install displays format error while 4G is OK.

It means that I can't create a bootable USB installation in the Acer notebook where all 3rd party installers and other Live Linux systems boots fine.

[roberts]

At least we learned that is it one machine, an Acer.
The question was does your Acer require a partition-less installation, i.e., USB-FLOPPY ?
What is the BIOS boot option?

We can try to improve the system with good feedback, or we can splinter off with dozens of solution with "it works for me".

[bmarkus]

At least we learned that is it one machine, an Acer.
The question was does your Acer require a partition-less installation, i.e., USB-FLOPPY ?
What is the BIOS boot option?

Doesn't require partition-less installations. USB stick is used as USB-HDD.

[bmarkus]

Problem is caused by extlinux which is not the right bootloader for FAT. Install syslinux instead of and it will work.

[roberts]

When tested tc-install usb pendrive by selecting USB_HDD and selecting vfat, syslinux was used as expected.
It would be helpful if you could specify exactly which options you were using that resulted in extlinux.

[bmarkus]

When tested tc-install usb pendrive by selecting USB_HDD and selecting vfat, syslinux was used as expected.
It would be helpful if you could specify exactly which options you were using that resulted in extlinux.

You are right, it installs syslinux in this setup, but it doesn't boot. BTW, selecting USB-HDD it repartitions the whole space creating a single FAT32 partition. In frugal mode I can choose partition but than extlinux is used even if I reformat partition to vfat with tc-install.

What is about syslinux in frugal when target partition is FAT?

Anyhow, too late now. Lets go to sleep.

[ixbrian]

I can reproduce when trying to install to a existing vfat partition and selecting the option to not format.   We will work on fixing this. 

You said "extlinux is used even if I reformat partition to vfat with tc-install", I can't reproduce this one, when I try this syslinux is installed and it works correctly.   Can you provide some more details on how to reproduce the problem when having tc-install format with vfat?

Thanks,
Brian

[bmarkus]

I can reproduce when trying to install to a existing vfat partition and selecting the option to not format.   We will work on fixing this. 

How could you install to an existing partition? In USB-HDD mode this option is inactive, only 'Whole Disk' is available?

[bmarkus]

You said "extlinux is used even if I reformat partition to vfat with tc-install", I can't reproduce this one, when I try this syslinux is installed and it works correctly.   Can you provide some more details on how to reproduce the problem when having tc-install format with vfat?

[ixbrian]

I can reproduce when trying to install to a existing vfat partition and selecting the option to not format.   We will work on fixing this. 

How could you install to an existing partition? In USB-HDD mode this option is inactive, only 'Whole Disk' is available?

I was referring to a frugal installation on an existing vfat partition and selecting the option to not format. 

[ixbrian]

You said "extlinux is used even if I reformat partition to vfat with tc-install", I can't reproduce this one, when I try this syslinux is installed and it works correctly.   Can you provide some more details on how to reproduce the problem when having tc-install format with vfat?

I've done some more testing and I think I've tracked down the problem.   Here is what I'm guessing happened:  Your sdb1 device had the extlinux install on it to start with, and then you selected to vfat format and install to an existing partition which you already had mounted.   The installer isn't able to format a mounted partition so the existing extlinux stuff remained on there.   I'll look at adding some error checking to handle a user requested format of a mounted partition. 

Thanks for the additional information. 

Brian

[bmarkus]

You said "extlinux is used even if I reformat partition to vfat with tc-install", I can't reproduce this one, when I try this syslinux is installed and it works correctly.   Can you provide some more details on how to reproduce the problem when having tc-install format with vfat?

I've done some more testing and I think I've tracked down the problem.   Here is what I'm guessing happened:  Your sdb1 device had the extlinux install on it to start with, and then you selected to vfat format and install to an existing partition which you already had mounted.   The installer isn't able to format a mounted partition so the existing extlinux stuff remained on there.   I'll look at adding some error checking to handle a user requested format of a mounted partition. 

Thanks for the additional information. 

Brian

As far as I remember It was formatted before on Windows, but will make a test.

[justauser]

I freshly formatted a pen drive and then did a tc-install. The drive had not been mounted at all.  After the install I mounted and in the boot directory there is the extlinux directory with ldlinux.sys and extlinux.cfg

[bmarkus]

Now I can create a bootable FAT formatted USB stick with CorePlus CD manually. Need some testing and I can provide a script.

[ixbrian]

I freshly formatted a pen drive and then did a tc-install. The drive had not been mounted at all.  After the install I mounted and in the boot directory there is the extlinux directory with ldlinux.sys and extlinux.cfg

Did you select to format with a ext2, ext3, or ext4 filesystem?   If so, extlinux would be installed by design.   Was there any problem when booting the pen drive?