Booting Gentoo Min. Install from a USB [SOLVED]

Chromace · n00b Joined: 01 Mar 2015 Posts: 7

Hi!

So I'm trying to install Gentoo (redundant I know), but as it stands, I don't have a disk drive and so have to resort to using a USB with my laptop. After following the LIVEUSB/HOWTO on the Gentoo wiki, and booting into it through BIOS (with 'gentoo doscsi slowusb'), I come to this problem, after selecting the keymap:

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 10:49 am Post subject:

Chromace,

Welcome to Gentoo.

The LiveCD is fairly basic and its not required to install Gentoo as none of its code goes into your install.
Instead, it provides a few tools that are needed to accomplish the install.
You can use any Linux you can boot to install Gentoo.

These days, I use System Rescue CD as it will give you a GUI if you want.
This means you can join IRC, post on the forums and read the handbook online. It also supports WiFi.

Take care to boot a 64 bit kernel if you want a 64 bit install.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

Chromace · n00b Joined: 01 Mar 2015 Posts: 7

Thank-you for your reply Admin! Downloading SystemRescueCd now! Hopefully this will solve the problem of not being able to boot into a workable environment. I will report my success (or lack thereof) once I have the time to try it out. Thanks!

Chromace · n00b Joined: 01 Mar 2015 Posts: 7

Great news!

After creating a SystemRescueCd LiveUSB using the said website's Windows instructions, I am able to boot into it. However, it was not without hiccups. Like the Gentoo Minimal Install disk, it too did not detect itself after booting (that is to say, after selecting the keymap, it attempted to mount everything in sda, but not sdb, where the USB was). The solution was rather simple, so I'm quietly hitting myself. Before proceeding past the keymap selection, I unplugged and replugged in the LiveUSB, and this time around, it detected it! I assume that this was the problem that I encountered when I attempted to use the Minimal Install disk (the way it proceeded was exactly the same, except with more retries). Hopefully this will help other potential Gentoo users without CD drives.

Summary: To solve the problem of the LiveUSB system not mounting said device, unplug and replug it, after the RAM disk is loaded but before selecting the keymap options. And if using the Min. Install disk, don't forget to use the doscsi option after 'gentoo'.

Now to proceed onto the hard part: actually installing Gentoo. Cheers!

Oh, and how might I mark this topic as solved? Thank-you! (Nevermind, found out already)