Author Topic: Zentyal on a Bootable USB Thumb Drive?  (Read 34021 times)

Sam Graf

  • Guest
Re: Zentyal on a Bootable USB Thumb Drive?
« Reply #30 on: September 17, 2011, 09:04:43 pm »
I understand. And in fact Zentyal (Ubuntu, really, at least initially) should not be asking for a CD at all during the entire process. This should be a seamless and painless process assuming that the developers have correctly identified and fixed the USB installation problems we had before. So you're trying to do something perfectly sensible and something you should be able to do--install the Zentyal 2.2 ISO without a CD.

So the idea is exactly right, but something is breaking down in the implementation, in the process. If we can figure out where things are going wrong, we can get you up and running. :)

nalare

  • Zen Apprentice
  • *
  • Posts: 23
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
Re: Zentyal on a Bootable USB Thumb Drive?
« Reply #31 on: September 17, 2011, 10:24:05 pm »
My problem is, that Zentyal always wants a CD-Rom during the install process, because it is looking for some files on the CD. But my Microserver doesn't have a CD drive. So I am desperatly trying to install things via USB. In the tutorial it says there is a way to tell Zentyal the path to the cd-rom so you could send it to the USB, but this option doesn't exist for me. That is my main problem.

I dont know if this can help you, but with the dd command you can make even any iso image boot from an usb without using any other external app. I've used it with dozens of linux distros (and BSDs and solaris ISOs) and this makes the usb thumb drive "becomes" an iso CD or DVD, at least my PCs dont see any difference before, during or after the installation procces. You can use this command from every unix system, of course linux flavours included


          dd if=<route to zentyal.iso> of=/dev/<device node of the usb stick>


PD: I've just tested it, booted and installed zentyal inside a virtual machine using this method: no difference when using an install CD. It never asked me for a CD

holch

  • Zen Apprentice
  • *
  • Posts: 27
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
Re: Zentyal on a Bootable USB Thumb Drive?
« Reply #32 on: September 18, 2011, 12:17:52 am »
@nalare: if seen your response before. So if this is true, then there would be something wrong the way I create my bootable usb key. However, this problem existed in 2.1 and you needed some work around. Now I thought this was fixed in 2.2 and it seems like it works for you.

So I will try to create the bootable usb device the way you explained it.

Sam Graf

  • Guest

holch

  • Zen Apprentice
  • *
  • Posts: 27
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
Re: Zentyal on a Bootable USB Thumb Drive?
« Reply #34 on: September 18, 2011, 05:13:18 pm »
Hi Sam!

Thanks for the hint! I'll have a look at that. I was not using ubuntu to greate the stick though.


Sam Graf

  • Guest
Re: Zentyal on a Bootable USB Thumb Drive?
« Reply #35 on: September 18, 2011, 07:02:46 pm »
It seems like the Ubuntu 10.04 utility is the tool of choice, under the circumstances. If you could confirm that it actually makes a difference in your case, that would be very helpful information to anybody else who gets stuck as you have. :)

christian

  • Guest
Re: Zentyal on a Bootable USB Thumb Drive?
« Reply #36 on: September 18, 2011, 07:23:12 pm »
I did generate USB key to install 2.2 from Ubuntu 11.04 desktop and didn't face any single issue during Zentyal install, just in case it helps...

nalare

  • Zen Apprentice
  • *
  • Posts: 23
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
Re: Zentyal on a Bootable USB Thumb Drive?
« Reply #37 on: September 18, 2011, 08:32:03 pm »
 I've had the problem you mention using tools like unetbootin. It seems like at any point of the installation, some OSes cant recognize the usb thumb  (before that point they do because they see the iso image dumped to the USB like a CD iso image). It seems that Its something that have to do with syslinux

  That's why Ive mentioned before the "DD way", because in those situations I haven´t had the problem again dumping the iso file to a USB using dd from an unix box (of course any linux will do). The dd command doesnt use syslinux or grub or any other bootmanager, during the whole procces the PC will see the same iso file copied in a CD  or dumped to an USB thumb drive. So I'd bet the dd way will work in your case like it did in mine before


  Sorry for my English
« Last Edit: September 18, 2011, 08:34:08 pm by nalare »

Sam Graf

  • Guest
Re: Zentyal on a Bootable USB Thumb Drive?
« Reply #38 on: September 18, 2011, 09:03:00 pm »
To avoid syslinux and use isolinux it requires using an Ubuntu Desktop version prior to 10.04--9.04 was the last to support an isolinux boot, if I recall correctly. So we may have some conflicting information.

It'll be interesting to see what holch can tell us.

holch

  • Zen Apprentice
  • *
  • Posts: 27
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
Re: Zentyal on a Bootable USB Thumb Drive?
« Reply #39 on: September 22, 2011, 12:31:18 am »
Sorry that I didn't get back so far. As I am only a "hobby" sysadmin I can only work on this over the weekend and last weekend I had to finish a report, so I didn't get any further. I will see if I can work on it this week.

I will try to create the usb stick with the 11.04, as it is already installed. If that doesn't help I was thinking of installing Zentyal directly on the hard disc via a USB to SATA Docking station that I would connect to a computer with CD-Drive. Would this be a possible solution (after trying once again the USB Stick), or would this create problems?

holch

  • Zen Apprentice
  • *
  • Posts: 27
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
Re: Zentyal on a Bootable USB Thumb Drive?
« Reply #40 on: September 22, 2011, 12:34:20 am »
ahhh, and after the 11.04 way and before the hard disk way I'll try nalares dd thingy. I hope I'll manage that. ;-)

holch

  • Zen Apprentice
  • *
  • Posts: 27
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
Re: Zentyal on a Bootable USB Thumb Drive?
« Reply #41 on: September 24, 2011, 02:40:47 pm »
OK, I have created a boot up stick with 11.04, worked fine.
Once I put it in my HP Proliant n36L and started to boot from it I get the following message:
-------------------------------------------------------
Syslinux: unkown keyword in Gfx boot.
Boot:
-------------------------------------------------------

holch

  • Zen Apprentice
  • *
  • Posts: 27
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
Re: Zentyal on a Bootable USB Thumb Drive?
« Reply #42 on: September 24, 2011, 02:45:41 pm »
I found a 10.04 LTS DVD somewhere in the office.

Will create that stupid stick from there now. But as this little thing here (I am actually writing from the Microserver under Ubuntu 11.04 - which by the way installed like a charm from USB!) has no DVD-drive, what causes the problem in the first place, I'll have to get to a computer with a optical drive first.

Maybe I should just install Freenas. At the end of the day, it will be used mainly as a small file server.

Sam Graf

  • Guest
Re: Zentyal on a Bootable USB Thumb Drive?
« Reply #43 on: September 24, 2011, 03:22:06 pm »
OK, I have created a boot up stick with 11.04, worked fine.
Once I put it in my HP Proliant n36L and started to boot from it I get the following message:
-------------------------------------------------------
Syslinux: unkown keyword in Gfx boot.
Boot:
-------------------------------------------------------
If I recall correctly, that's the syslinux "problem" nalare was talking about. I think you'd have the same problem with a USB stick made under 10.04. I don't quite understand why some hardware works well with syslinux and some doesn't. Nor do I know what compelling advantage syslinux has over isolinux, especially since there are some frustrating compatibility issues under syslinux--or so it seems.

I am sorry this has been such a hassle. It is really discouraging when you can't even get past the installation phase. :(

holch

  • Zen Apprentice
  • *
  • Posts: 27
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
Re: Zentyal on a Bootable USB Thumb Drive?
« Reply #44 on: September 25, 2011, 03:05:16 am »
That is fine! It is not your fault, is it? But what do you mean with...
I am sorry this has been such a hassle. It is really discouraging when you can't even get past the installation phase. :(

Is it gonna get worse afterwards??? hahahaha....