Can't install Ubuntu 12.04 from USB

[darkod]

I have already tried both formats. I always thought that linux used multiple partitions. Just thought it might be the reason why.

Linux does see multiple partitions on usb sticks. But you are preparing the stick in windows, right? In win7 the driver that loads for sticks sees only the first partition on it, regardless how many exist. So you can only specify this partition as the destination. Not sure if that has changed in win8.

But anyway, since after using unetbootin or usb installer the stick will have grub bootloader, loading the install process from any partition should be fine. As long as win8 allows you this partition as destination when using unetbootin or usb installer.

Sounds like you are doing it right, not sure what's bothering it.

The long way around you could try, is extracting the ISO to a partition on the stick, and then install the grub4dos bootloader on it and create entry in the boot menu.
http://sourceforge.net/projects/grub4dos/

[Allenph]

Alright I formatted the drive as Fat32, I extracted the contents of the image onto it, how do I use wingrub now?

[darkod]

I don't remember the exact file name, but there was a file like grub_gui.exe or grub_inst_gui.exe.

That will install grub1 on the MBR of the stick. Just make sure you select the correct letter. That is very important.

After making the boot sector, you only need to copy the grldr file onto the stick/partition, and the menu.lst. In menu.lst make an entry for your ubuntu which should be like:

title Try Ubuntu
root=(hd0,0)
kernel /casper/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper quiet splash --
initrd /casper/initrd.lz
boot

You might need to make modifications in the root=(hd0,0) line, the hd0 is the first disk which should be the stick when booting from it, and the other 0 means the first partition on the stick. The counting starts from 0. So, if the partition is not the first, modify the line. I think I got the spelling right.

That should load the live mode and you can click the Install icon on the desktop to start the installation.

[Allenph]

All I see is something called grub.exe and it opens this...



Never done this before. Sorry. Haha

[darkod]

Is G: the stick? If it is, it looks like it's installed. Browse and check if /boot/grub/menu.lst exists on the stick.

If it does, open it with notepad or wordpad, and add the title item I posted earlier.

Then try booting with the stick and selecting that ubuntu entry in the menu that shows up.

I'm not sure if you need the = in root=(hd0,0) so try with that and if it doesn't work change it to root(hd0,0).

[Allenph]

Only loopback.cfg in boot/grub. No menu.lst. Should I create one? What do I put in it?

[Allenph]

However there is a MENU.LST inside G:/GRUB

[darkod]

However there is a MENU.LST inside G:/GRUB

OK, add the above mentioned entry in there. If you don't see the entry when you boot, that's not the correct menu.lst.

If you do see the entry but it doesn't boot ubuntu live mode, that's the correct file but the entry has some error in the syntax.

[Allenph]

SO if I said (hd1,0) it is skipping all my partitions on the first disk and going to the USB right? Because disk one has 5 partitions on it.


The Original file said...

timeout 10

title Windows at (hd0,0)
root (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

I changed it to...

timeout 10

title Try Ubuntu
root=(hd1,0)
kernel /casper/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper quiet splash --
initrd /casper/initrd.lz
boot

Nothing different happened. Still "No operating system found"

[darkod]

The thing is that when booting from usb bios sometimes can consider the usb stick to be the first disk, so it can be hd0. Try that too. It depends from computer to computer whether a usb will be read before the hdd or after when booting from it.

Also, the = symbol is not needed, I wasn't sure about that earlier. I know saw on another place that for grub1 it's like root(hd0,0) without the =.