[syslinux] Locally attached disk is seen, 40 gig PATA in USB enclosure is not.

Gene Cumm gene.cumm at gmail.com
Sun Apr 5 10:15:58 PDT 2009


On Sat, Apr 4, 2009 at 2:48 PM, Miller, Shao
<Shao.Miller at yrdsb.edu.on.ca> wrote:
> I would suggest that you edit the initrd to include USB kernel modules
> as well as edit the init/linuxrc/whatever to insmod these so that
> /dev/sdb will be available when installation disks are scanned-for.
>
> As far as I can tell, this has little to do with Syslinux.  Once Linux
> loads, Syslinux is out-of-scope for any issues you might encounter.
>
> Try taking a look at 'lsmod' from your booted environment (if possible)
> and check for the USB storage device module.

In the future, also take a look at /proc/kallsyms.  This shows all
symbols from modules and compiled in code in the kernel.  Few kernels
are compiled with the USB storage symbols built into the kernel.  If
you know the name of a kernel module file (ie usb-storage.ko), you can
search for its symbols (look like usb_storage).  This is a great
suggestion for any time you can't find a storage device once in Linux.
 Most kernels have PATA (IDE) support compiled in but sometimes USB,
SCSI, or SATA (especially AHCI or IRRT) may not be available
immediately, especially when it's a newer controller (AHCI and IRRT
controllers fall here) and/or an older kernel or less common
controller.

In my system, the line looks like:
ffffffff88645880 d usb_storage_driver   [usb_storage]

The bracketed name I believe means that it came from a module and is
not built into the kernel.

>
> Good luck!
>
> - Shao Miller
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: syslinux-bounces at zytor.com [mailto:syslinux-bounces at zytor.com] On
> Behalf Of Chris Miller
> Sent: Saturday, April 04, 2009 13:30
> To: syslinux at zytor.com
> Subject: [syslinux] Locally attached disk is seen,40 gig PATA in USB
> enclosure is not.
>
> Hi Folks,
>
> When I boot ISOLinux, the locally attached disk is visible but the PATA
> 40 Gig in a USB attached enclosure is not.  The locally attached disk
> has no bearing on what I am doing and to avoid confusion will not be
> mentioned again.  Everything is happening on the 40 Gig.
>
> Let me explain.
>
> The goal is: Copy an installation iso to the disk, boot the disk and
> install it on that disk.  I have done this using GRUB to call ISOlinux
> and it works, but there are problems with GRUB and I decided to design a
> straight SYSLINUX solution.  Here is a list of the steps I took:
>
> Initialize the USB disk (I will call it /dev/sdg until farther notice)
>        dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdg bs=512 count=63
>        cat /usr/lib/syslinux/mbr.bin /dev/sdg
>        fdisk - create one partition of consuming the full disk
>        mount /dev/sdg1 /mnt/p1
>        mkdir -p /mnt/p1/boot/extlinux
>        extlinux -i /mnt/p1/boot/extlinux
>
> At this point qemu -hda /dev/sdg demonstrates that things are working
> and that extlinux doesn't know what to do, which is correct, since I
> haven't yet said.  I have more bootloader configuration to do but that
> comes in a little bit.  So far do good...
>
> Configure the installation image:
>
>        mkdir -p /mnt/p1/boot/Fedora-10
>        cp  <iso image> /mnt/p1/boot/Fedora-10/F10.iso
>        mount -o loop -t iso9660 /mnt/p1/boot/Fedora-10/F10.iso /mnt/iso
>        cd /mnt/p1/boot/Fedora-10/
>        cp -prv /mnt/iso/isolinux .   (This is referenced by extlinux in
> extlinux.conf)
>        cp -prv /mnt/iso/images .  (The installation procedure wants
> this.
>
> Complete the boot loader setup:
>
>        cd /mnt/p1/boot/extlinux
>        cp /usr/lib/syslinux/*.c32 .
>        cp /mnt/p1/boot/Fedora-10/isolinux/*.msg .
>        cp /mnt/p1/boot/Fedora-10/isolinux/splash.jpg .
>
>
>
>
>
> And finally, extlinux.conf (included later in this message)  At this
> point qemu -hda /dev/sdg demonstrates that things are working perfectly.
> I get a splash screen with two choices, just like extlinux.conf
> describes.
>
> When I attach this disk to my Dell Imspiron 9100, it works brilliantly.
> I get language and keyboard "dialogs" the anticipate the installation.
> Then I am asked where the installation image is.  At this point I know
> from previous experience I should have TWO disks as choices -- /dev/sda1
> and /dev/sdb1.  /dev/sda1 is the locally attached disk that I promised I
> would not mention again and the erstwhile and  notably
> invisible /dev/sdb1 is the 40 Gig PATA in the USB enclosure.  Needless
> to say, installation from and invisible image is a bit tricky.
>
> I have no USB choices in the BIOS and despite the other problems I had
> with GRUB, this did work and I have successfully installed Fedora Ten to
> at least one other USB attached disk.
>
> Can anybody advise me?
>
> Chris.
>
>
>
>
>
>
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>
>
>
> DEFAULT /boot/extlinux/vesamenu.c32
> #DEFAULT ins-F10
>
> DISPLAY /boot/extlinux/boot.msg
> F1 /boot/extlinux/boot.msg
> F2 /boot/extlinux/options.msg
> F3 /boot/extlinux/general.msg
> F4 /boot/extlinux/param.msg
> F5 /boot/extlinux/rescue.msg
>
> menu title Kit
> menu background /boot/extlinux/splash.jpg
> menu color border 0 #ffffffff #00000000
> menu color sel 7 #ffffffff #ff000000
> menu color title 0 #ffffffff #00000000
> menu color tabmsg 0 #ffffffff #00000000
> menu color unsel 0 #ffffffff #00000000
> menu color hotsel 0 #ff000000 #ffffffff
> menu color hotkey 7 #ffffffff #ff000000
> menu color scrollbar 0 #ffffffff #00000000
>
> LABEL ins-F10
>    MENU LABEL ^Install Fedora-10 or Upgrade an existing system
>    SAY Booting the installation DVD for Fedora Ten
>    KERNEL /boot/Fedora-10/isolinux/vmlinuz
>    APPEND initrd=/boot/Fedora-10/isolinux/initrd.img ro
>
> LABEL ins-F10-Rescue
>    MENU LABEL ^Rescue an existing system
>    KERNEL /boot/Fedora-10/isolinux/vmlinuz
>    APPEND initrd=/boot/Fedora-10/isolinux/initrd.img ro mode=rescue
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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-- 
-Gene

"No one ever says, 'I can't read that ASCII E-mail you sent me.'"




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