[syslinux] Boot from CD -> system + data on USB storage

[Christian Marg]

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Thomas Schlosser wrote:
> But afaik Knoppix has all the system on the CD and runs an emulation. 

Runs an emulation? What do you mean? It uses a small Ramdisk as root
file system, mounts the cdrom into it and then mounts a compressed file
via loop device (cloop) to access/boot the Knoppix system.

> So I think I need a boot-CD which contains only a bootloader to boot a
> system which sits actually on the USB drive.
> I think Isolinux provides part of the solution but I do not (yet) know
> exactly how the CD is to be configured & mastered  and how the harddiskt
> has to look like to be used for phase 2 of the boot process.
> 

Isolinux is just the bootloader (and the only one I know that will boot
linux from CD). It comes with documentation.

The Harddisk has to have a standard root partition and every other
partition you may need.

> I still hope that there is a ready to use solution out there and/or an
> exact how-to.

Not quite, at least not that I'd have found it.

See

http://rz-obrian.rz.uni-karlsruhe.de/knoppix-usb/

You should be able to adapt his method to load kernel and
initrd/miniroot from a CD. Combine it with some initramdisk howto
(should come with your kernel sources or be findable on the net) and you
are done.

I don't know if you'll be able to install SUSE to an USB-Disk with
Yast(2)/without hassles...

bye
Christian
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