Install from LiveUSB onto Fit-PC Slim

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greanie · Post by **greanie** » Tue Mar 05, 2013 10:03 am

I have a Fit-PC Slim, nice little machine that consumes very little power. I managed to install Gentoo 2010.1 on it about 8 months ago using the minimal 2010 install CD. I had the good fortune to fall on a distribution that had circular dependencies in the emerge (confirmed by expert user at the time, bug submitted, etc...). I ran out of time and let it go.

I am trying again, this time 2012. I created a liveUSB on the Fit-PC Slim) as per many instructions on the web. I opted to use GRUB rather than syslinux (because I can't emerge anything because of the circular dependencies). I have to start the process manually as follows:

grub>root (hd0,0)

grub>kernel /isolinux/gentoo

grub>initrd /isolinux/gentoo.igz

grub>boot

The unit boots and loads all the kernel modules and gets to

>> Determining root device...

Then I get the error

!! Could not find the root blook device in .

If I specify: /dev/sdb1 (current location of the usb drive), it puts out "the filesystem mounted at /dev/sdb1 does not appear to a valid /, try again

I try everything and the only thing that works is /dev/sda3, which is the root partition for the 2010 install.

What have I missed? What should I specify the root block device as?

Post by **NeddySeagoon** » Tue Mar 05, 2013 6:22 pm

greanie,

Code: Select all

!! Could not find the root blook device in .

should have a list of all of the block devices the kernel can see, just before the full stop.
In this case you have none.

As you want to have root on the USB device, this is a minor problem. Root is normally mounted before the USB subsystem is started, so root on USB appears to be doomed to fail.
Add the kernel parameter rootdelay=7 to your kernel line.
This allows 7 seconds for the USB system to be ready before root is mounted. Delays between 7 and 30 seconds are knw to work.

Circular dependancies are usually addressed by using a two pass approach to some builds.
In the first pass, disable one or more USE flags to break the circular dependency.
In the second pass, enable the flags again, knowing that a part of the circular dependency is already satisfied.
Its not normally a bug, its more a feature. Its only required for new installs too.

greanie · Post by **greanie** » Wed Mar 06, 2013 2:53 pm

Thanks for the reply. I'll try this as soon as possible.

chiefbag · Post by **chiefbag** » Wed Mar 06, 2013 4:26 pm

Is this a i686 stage3 or did you use an x86?

greanie · Post by **greanie** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 9:14 am

I used the x86 LiveCD.

I tried adding the rootdelay but it made no difference

grub>root (hd0,0)
grub>kernel /isolinux/gentoo rootdelay=7
grub>initrd /isolinux/gentoo.igz
grub>boot

I tried different values for root delay: 7, 10, 15, 20, 30 but none seemed to make a difference. Did I get the syntax right?

chiefbag · Post by **chiefbag** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 9:55 am

greanie

Ok so you have booted with a live usb correct?

You now want to install Gentoo on to your usb stick instead of the internal sda drive?

Where have you installed the new system?

You should have I imagine created another partition on the usb drive for this ie. /dev/sdb2

If I specify: /dev/sdb1 (current location of the usb drive), it puts out "the filesystem mounted at /dev/sdb1 does not appear to a valid /, try again

This is your live usb, you should create a second partition /dev/sdb/2 and install your system here.

greanie · Post by **greanie** » Mon Mar 25, 2013 12:38 pm

Actually, my goal was not to install Gentoo on the USB stick but just to boot from the USB stick. I shouldn't need a separate partition for that, right?

chiefbag · Post by **chiefbag** » Mon Mar 25, 2013 5:31 pm

What guide did you follow?

If you just created a live usb the same as you would use a live cd then you just need to mount your root device.

I think you might be trying to create a custom live usb which is configured in other ways?

A link to the current guide might give us a clue.