Installing GhostBSD into a 16 GB USB drive: can't boot

[pedrito]

Hello

I am trying to install GhostBSD into a 16 GB USB drive.
The computer is a Thinkpad X40 where the USB live image of GhostBSD runs correctly: Xorg OK. Sound OK.
The computer doesn't have a working hard drive, and thus the USB drive the only option I have to boot and exploit the hardware.

Using GhostBSD installer I have tried several times to make this 16 GB USB drive my booting device. I noticed that to perform a successful installation I had to first unmount the USB drive. . Nonetheless, after terminating the installation process that takes around 3 h, after rebooting the 16GB USB drive is not recognized by the hardware as booting device, or as drive what so ever, in contrast to the live image, that is correctly recognized and that can boot the computer.

Importantly, when booting with the live image of GhostBSD, the 16 GB USB drive, where GhostBSD is installed, is successfully mounted and open - I see all the folders and the content is ok.

Is there anything I can do to render this installation bootable? is this an issue that someone has also reported?

Thank you for this great desktop solution for BSD.

Best
Pedrito

[ericbsd]

I did not remember that someone as reported that.
Did you try to install in a different USB stick?

[pedrito]

Hello Eric
Unfortunately I do not have other USB drives available with such equivalent capacity. I do only have available 4 GB one.
I do find the situation rather strange. Is there any command line tool where I could do the same installation exercise and further control/report the procedure?
Thank for your great job.
Best
Pedrito

[ericbsd]

Are you using 4 gig to dd img in or you do it to your 16 gig?

[pedrito]

Hi Again.
Probably I was not clear enough.
I have booted my old Thinkpad using a 4GB usb drive using dd and using as source the img file that we can find in the web page of the project.
Upon booting, I use the desktop app ghostbsd installer to make a bootable 16GB USB drive (new device). To do that I insert the usb drive in the computer and then I unmounted using the file manager, before launching the installer and selecting the drive.
Best
Pedrito

[bsdkeith]

I remember having this sort of problem before, I think you will find that your 16gb drive is trying to boot from/as the second drive, as that is what it was when it was installed.
You will need to alter the boot code on the 16gb drive to make it the first drive to boot, use your 4gb drive in live mode to do this.
(Can't remember quite what, but something like changing da1 to da0, or da1s1 to da0s1, or da1p1 to da0p1.)

[pedrito]

Ufff. This looks complicated... I may need some more detailed help here.
Anyhow I find curious that if I try to boot with my 16GB USB drive, the drive itself is not even recognized as presented by the BIOS (after pressing F12 during boot procedure), in contrast to what happens to the Live image. Is any file missing in the 16 GB USB drive?
Pedrito

[pedrito]

Hello
Is this the information you were mentioning (alter the boot code).
http://www.wonkity.com/~wblock/docs/html/disksetup.html
Please advice.
Then the next question is, how to implement the installation on the USB...
Thanks for the suppport
Pedrito

[ericbsd]

I am working on finalizing 4.5 and it is the problem I want to tickle for the installer. when I release the first alpha I will advise you.

[qkru45]

Upon booting, I use the desktop app ghostbsd installer to make a bootable 16GB USB drive (new device). To do that I insert the usb drive in the computer and then I unmounted using the file manager, before launching the installer and selecting the drive.???