Re: chain loading USB harddrive if no native USB support possible?

[Gregg Levine]

On Fri, Apr 4, 2008 at 12:07 PM, Franklin PIAT <address@hidden> wrote:
>
> On Fri, 2008-04-04 at 16:10 +0200, Michael Reichenbach wrote:
> > Franklin PIAT wrote:
> > > On Fri, 2008-04-04 at 05:51 +0200, Michael Reichenbach wrote:
> > >> I have a comp here without native USB support. The bios can not boot
> > >> from USB directly. Booting from CD, HD and floppy works.
> > >>
> > >> In grub shell with null ( I also does not see the device, only the
> > >> internal harddisk.
> > >>
> > >> On google I did already found instructions to successfully chain load CD
> > >>   with grub.
> > >>
> > >> Isn`t this possible also for USB? I mean, first boot grub from cd or
> > >> floppy, then load a linux kernel, he makes the USB device usable and
> > >> then chain load USB?
> > >
> > > I guess that nothing prevents you from installing grub on a floppy or CD
> > > with its config file. The tricky part will be to tell grub to search for
> > > a given file, in order to identify the [USB] root device.
> >
> > Yes.
> >
> > > Under grub2, you can use the "search" command (read [1] for more
> > > information).
> >
> > Well, yet I have only learned grub legacy because I mostly use the
> > "latest stable" and also most documentation was for it. However, if
> > needed I will also look inside grub 2.
>
> Grub v1 may have similar feature, check the manual.
>
> > My question is now the following. You mean grub2 can detect and boot
> > more devices then grub legacy?
> >
> > (supergrub with grub legacy did not find the device)
>
> It probably depends on the scenario (grub2 has more features, but a few
> regression too).
>
> > > I haven't tested, but if you label the USB device with a unique name,
> > > then a script like this should work:
> > >  search -f MyUsbLabel
> > >  linux      /boot/vmlinuz root=LABEL=MyUsbLabel ro
> > >  initrd     /boot/initrd.img
> >
> > This means it`s only possible to boot linux that way? Chan loading
> > another bootloader directly isn`t possible?
>
> I don't know. Maybe someone else can answer this question.
>
> Franklin
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>

Hello!
Answer what question?
According to the chap who created RUNT Linux the core for USB
including most drivers need to be compiled into the kernel.

He gives everything you need to know about that idea on the home page
for it, http://runt.mybox.org/ it is quite comprehensive and well
written. It even uses Slackware Linux for its creation.

But as for booting from a USB device, got me. That one works from a
floppy if native boot support doesn't exist.
-- 
Gregg C Levine address@hidden
"This signature was once found posting rude
 messages in English in the Moscow subway."