booting from usb drive

[oliver oli]

Matt Zimmerman wrote:
> On Thu, Dec 02, 2004 at 10:25:44PM +0100, oliver oli wrote:
> 
> 
>>i installed ubuntu on an usb hard disk, but i don't what i have to do 
>>that the kernel can mount the root partition.
>>
>>the usb drive is detected by the laptop, it boots GRUB and GRUB loads 
>>the kernel, but then i get a kernel panic.
>>
>>i booted Fedora 2 successfuly from this hard disc. there i had to modify 
>>the initrd.img (howto at http://www.simonf.com/usb/). ubuntus initrd.img 
>>looks completly different, so i have no idea where to start.
> 
> 
> Start with the documentation for the mkinitrd command.  When you get it
> working, please document it on the wiki for the benefit of others.

i find it not so easy to understand the booting process and build a 
custom initrd image. i know tried to figure out for hours how to build a 
initrd.img that can mount a usb hdd and now i'm giving up, it's a waste 
of time, because i'm getting nowhere.

mkinitrd-cd from universe only supports 2.2 and 2.4 kernels. i did build 
an 2.6 initrd.img with some modifications to the mkinitrd-cd sscript, 
but of course it does not work.

i will now reinstall fedora to my usb hdd, although i would prefer 
ubuntu (i'm using debian for years, i'm used to it).

you have this 4MB monster initrd.img, it should be possible to put usb 
boot support in the default kernel image. i have no idea how to do it, 
but for one who knows how this stuff works it should be easy. ubuntu is 
using an unmodified debian kernel?