Question

Install FreeBSD 7.1 on Acer Aspire One from USB Flash Drive?

Asked by: razorwire

I was trying to get this to work with UNetbootin:
http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

However, I couldn't select FreeBSD 7.1 from the UNetbootin options, so I used the 7.0 option with the 7.1 .iso and got the Acer Aspire One to show the following on boot:
Loading /ubnkern.
Invalid or corrupt kernel image.
boot:

Maybe there is another utility I can use to make a bootable FreeBSD 7.1 image on a USB Flash Disk...

Maybe I can just download the .img (NOT .iso) file from somewhere and copy it over with dd. See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dd_(Unix)

How do I Install FreeBSD 7.1 on an Acer Aspire One from a USB Flash Drive??

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Asked On
2009-01-22 at 03:18:13ID24073594
Tags

FreeBSD

,

Unetbootin

Topic

FreeBSD

Participating Experts
1
Points
250
Comments
15

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Answers

 

by: gheistPosted on 2009-01-22 at 18:46:12ID: 23446007

Like this:
http://people.freebsd.org/~dwhite/pxeboot.html ?
Linux is really better for hibernation and powersaving.

 

by: razorwirePosted on 2009-01-22 at 19:41:02ID: 23446189

@gheist
This is complicated...  and it looks like it requires networking...  The Acer Aspire One network card is tricky and only recognizes on FreeBSD 7.1.

Plus I really had my heart set on installing from a USB Flash Drive...

Most luck I have had so far is PCBSD which I guess is pretty much the same as freebsd. PCBSD has a .IMG (not .ISO) file that can be used with the "dd" utility to create a bootable USB Flash Disk.

Problem here is that I don't think PCBSD has a partition editor... so... I would need to somehow repartition the drive before I boot PCBSD.

And PCBSD installs a bunch of extras that I don't need...

Oh and the current PCBSD .IMG file for a Bootable USB Flash Disk supports the network card on the Acer Aspire One...

Mostly I guess I am just upset that .ISO files are so much more popular than .IMG files which could easily be "burned" to a USB Flash Disk.

Also I hate optical media... specifically (CDs/DVDs).

With how many netbooks are being produced without Optical Drives I am hoping that people start creating more .IMG files!

 

by: gheistPosted on 2009-01-22 at 20:13:09ID: 23446285

Look here: http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions/2005-September/099754.html
Basically full system contains sysinstall that can install system anywhere like USB etc.
Make sure you have only one filesystem as USB device names varies from system to system

 

by: razorwirePosted on 2009-01-22 at 21:24:09ID: 23446520

@gheist
Seems like that is more to install FreeBSD to the USB Flash Disk and run it off of there...  I want to install FreeBSD to the Acer Aspire One Hard Drive FROM the USB Flash Disk.

I would be so happy if ANYONE would just make me a FreeBSD 7.1 .IMG file that would work on a USB Flash Disk...

Otherwise... I may have to just get/borrow/buy an external USB CD Drive and go from there...

 

by: razorwirePosted on 2009-01-22 at 21:28:36ID: 23446538

@gheist
I guess if I am able to get freebsd installed on a usb disk and then from there install freebsd again to the Acer Aspire One that could work... But it seems like way too much effort...  It shouldn't be this difficult.

 

by: gheistPosted on 2009-01-22 at 23:00:32ID: 23446902

I'll try after 10 hours - put miniinst.iso into bootable image.

 

by: razorwirePosted on 2009-01-23 at 00:52:46ID: 23447346

If you could give me a FreeBSD 7.1 bootable .IMG file for my USB Flash Disk that would be awesome! I have tried so many times...

My findings so far with creating bootable USB Flash Disks:
- 256MB Samsung USB Flash Disk never ever got a working bootable image on it of anything.
- 512MB IPod Shuffle got Parted Magic 3.4 Installed from http://partedmagic.com/ using UNetBootin (winxp version) from http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net
- 2GB Kingston Data Traveler got PCBSD 7.0.2 installed on it just using the USB Boot .IMG file from http://www.pcbsd.org/ and dd from OSX
- I had no luck with UNetBootin and FreeBSD 7.0 or 7.1 at all... (I focused more on just the boot only .iso versions but also tried with the Full Install CD .iso files)

 

by: razorwirePosted on 2009-01-23 at 19:41:50ID: 23454979

Ok so I found a new possility to make my own bootable USB Stick... unfortunately...  I am running into problems...

http://syslinux.zytor.com/wiki/index.php/FreeBSD_disk_image_creation

Right now I run into problems at:
# bsdlabel -w -B md0 auto

I get:
bsdlabel: Geom not found: "md1"

And who knows if this even works...  It was from 2005!

 

by: razorwirePosted on 2009-01-24 at 03:14:54ID: 23455939

 

by: gheistPosted on 2009-01-24 at 12:53:38ID: 23458022

md0 is name of memory disk used in example so you do not copy/paste.
In short:
1) Boot off installer
2) install into USB disk
3) boot off USB disk
4) install using sysinstall

 

by: gheistPosted on 2009-01-24 at 12:56:18ID: 23458031

PXE is networked facility, you really need something like pxelinux or pxeboot to really do disk emulation.

 

by: razorwirePosted on 2009-01-24 at 16:41:06ID: 23458986

I was able to create a [Bootable FreeBSD 7.1 USB Flash Drive] using the link I found on the internet...  Although I just used the LINK to make the .IMG file. I did NOT actuallly use PXE anything I don't think...

I just used dd to copy the .IMG to the USB stick.

@gheist
Thank you for your help.  Installing the OS two times should work too although I didn't solve my problem that way...

And I think it would be better if you just have to "Burn" the .IMG file onto usb and then do only 1 install...

 

by: gheistPosted on 2009-01-25 at 01:42:55ID: 23460229

So ask your refund since you answered yourself.

 

by: razorwirePosted on 2009-01-25 at 12:25:43ID: 23462526

Gheist I think your solution would work too (Although I haven't tested it)...  So I gave you points...  Your help is appreciated...

However, I think your answer could be better stated as:
1) Run sysinstall on ANY computer you can...
2) install into USB disk
3) boot off USB disk on Acer Aspire One
4) install AGAIN to Acer Aspire One hard disk using sysinstall

If you know this will NOT work feel free to object and say that your solution will not work so I can get my points back.

 

by: gheistPosted on 2009-01-26 at 00:25:11ID: 23464869

Only problem I see is that usb flash device's name may change - you will not always get da0, so you really have to follow boot messages and set correct root device name..

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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