Unable to boot from USB

Hi,

I spend two nights trying to install Squeeze to my Dockstar. I followed the tutorial provided by Jeff with no errors but my dockstar refuses to boot my debian. Pogoplug OS is always loaded

I tried a lot google tricks :
* Boot pogoplug OS, plug my flashdrive, issue a reboot (/sbin/reboot)
* cold boot with my flashdrive plugged
* Tried with a USB Hard disk

I checked and rechecked with fdisk : /dev/sda1 is bootable in both my flashdrive and hard disk. I tried to mount this partition on another Debian box and everything seems fine.

I begin to feel lost.

For information here is my fw_printenv :

bootcmd=run bootcmd_usb; usb stop; run bootcmd_pogo; reset
bootdelay=3
baudrate=115200
preboot=
arcNumber=2097
mainlineLinux=yes
console=ttyS0,115200
usb_init=usb start
usb_device=0:1
usb_root=/dev/sda1
usb_rootfstype=ext2
usb_rootdelay=10
mtdparts=mtdparts=orion_nand:1M(u-boot),4M(uImage),32M(rootfs),-(data)
mtdids=nand0=orion_nand
partition=nand0,2
bootcmd_pogo=fsload uboot-original-mtd0.kwb; go 0x800200
usb_load_uimage=ext2load usb $usb_device 0x800000 /boot/uImage
usb_boot=if ext2load usb $usb_device 0x1100000 /boot/uInitrd; then bootm 0x800000 0x1100000;else bootm 0x800000;fi;
set_bootargs_usb=setenv bootargs console=$console root=$usb_root rootdelay=$usb_rootdelay rootfstype=$usb_rootfstype $mtdparts
bootcmd_usb=run usb_init; run usb_load_uimage; run set_bootargs_usb; run usb_boot;
stdin=serial
stdout=serial
stderr=serial
ethact=egiga0
ethaddr=00:10:75:1A:1A:DD

I don't know if I should post another log/file/dump ?

Unless someone has a better idea, I think my only hope is to use netconsole to see what is going wrong (I'll post back here). From the doc provided by Jeff, it seems you have to give a fixed IP to the Dockstar to get it working, that's not complicated but how do I do afterwards to make it use DHCP again ?

Thanks in advance.

Vlad

post the u-boot log and maybe you also need the bleeding edge test-version from jeff. this fixes my usb-boot problems.

Run the mtd0 uBoot installer again. It's been updated to a newer version with better USB support.

If the new version doesn't work for you, then netconsole is the next step.

-- Jeff

@crunshy : Thanks I saw your post about the new fixing USB detection.

@Jeff : Will do tonight. Thanks for your answer.

It works. Thanks a lot Jeff, this new uBoot perfectly boot my USB flashdrive.

FYI, not really important for me but my USB HDD is still not recognized. I think it's because it takes a lot of time (at least 4~5 seconds) to spin up. I had the problem with a laptop for which I had to slow the bios boot (by making it check the RAM) to boot from it.

Anyway thanks again and keep up the good work.

Hi,

I've very similar problem, I've just used installation method from http://jeff.doozan.com/debian/ everything went fine, the only issue which I've is that cold boot starts original pogo operating system and only the warm boot allows me to start Debian from USB pendrive.

To be able to start Debian from cold boot do I've have to:
- have USB pendrive plugged in certain socket ?
- install "Run the mtd0 uBoot installer again" after installing Debian once again even though I've used latest script from http://jeff.doozan.com/debian/ ? - where is instruction how to install that uBoot installer ?

Is it possible after cold boot (and starting original pogo system) to check in some (?) log what went wrong and why boot loader decided NOT to start Debian ?

Hi,

i got same problem here, first boot after dc plugin is alwayes pogoplug,after rebooting it boots Debian from USB.
I installed Debian yesterday so uboot schould be up to date. Any suggestions?

I think the general consensus is that it's likely an issue with the flash drive you have selected. If you search some of the other posts here you'll see more info. My flash has the opposite problem. It seems to prefer cold boots.

Thank you for your reply, maybe i'll try another falsh drive.

After installing Jeff's new uboot-mtd0 (http://forum.doozan.com/read.php?3,435), I never had any problem to boot to usb drive. I have tried at least 6 different usb drives including microSD cards with adapters and never had any problem with either one.

Hi,

I have followed this instruction:

http://jeff.doozan.com/debian/uboot/

I tried few times and each time I had information that the installation was successful but still this same problem occurs (cold boot starts original pogo operating system and only the warm boot allows me to start Debian from USB pendrive).

If it is problem with the type of pendrive can you advice me what brands are you using, look like with my one:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kingston-DataTraveler-100-flash-Hi-Speed/dp/tech-data/B000TXEE14/ref=de_a_smtd/276-4643976-3279923

do now works correctly.

Regards,
Adam.

I have a bad DataTraveler, too. It's not just a uBoot thing, either. My laptop doesn't recognize it on a cold boot. I also have a 4GB Sandisk Cruzer that works great and a San Disk 4GB Micro Cruzer that works ok but is noticably slower than the normal Cruzer (they're both faster than the Kingston)

-- Jeff

Thanks, You right ! - now I remembered that this pendrive is also not recognized by my media centre on cold boot.
I will buy Sand Disk Cruzer.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/15/2010 10:35AM by bedek.

Hi,

I am having the same problem.
If I have read the posts above correctly, then I can't determine which install scripts had been used by all of you.
I used the lenny-version.

Now the problem is, that I can't boot to debian, neither warm nor cold boot I am ending up with pogoplug.

Are there any hints, why it doesn't work?
Are there any files I could check, if the script has really done everything?

I am wondering, because my fstab is really short - it contains only two lines.

Thx a lot.

@OldSchool
Where you able to boot to your debian ever ?
I was using http://jeff.doozan.com/debian/ script to install squeeze.
I'm not sure what happen but initially I was able to boot to debian (only from warm boot) but from few days I'm unable to boot to debian any more - probably my pen drive broke down or my dockstar was hacked ?

@bedek:
No, i haven't been able to boot debian ever.

The problem is that I am not convinced that the installation worked properly (even if the script told me so and wanted me to restart).
I have also mounted the stick with other machines and figured out, that there wasn't any data at the main partition at all.
So I have to determine the point where the script has started to do something strange.
That's why part-results of working script runs would be very helpful for me.

Could someone provide something like that?
Are there any boot logs on pogoplug?

Thx i. a.

@OldSchool

Re: Could someone provide something like that?
Are you think asking here about logs/console dump from script installation process ? If yes then sorry I don't have any.

Re: Are there any boot logs on pogoplug?
Are you thinking about logs which are stored in process of booting when you USB device with Debian is plugged in but it is not booting to Debian but instead to original pogoplug ? If yes then I don't think (I might be wrong) and as far as I understand the only way is to use 'netconsole' (again correct me if I'm wrong). Details how to do it are on http://ahsoftware.de/dockstar/ (I wasn't testing it but probably I will have to because my Debian stopped booting from USB)

P.S.
I wasn't using lenny but squeezy, although looks like some things are easier to configure in lenny (like Wifi)

@OldSchool

If you decide to use 'netconsole' could you please send on forum simple step-by-step instruction how to configure and use it - page which I've send you in previous post is not describing this process clearly for me.

@OldSchool

I think that the link which I've send you for using 'netconsole' might require some mechanical intervention - I would rather like to avoid it :) I think there must be better way for doing it.

@OldSchool

Just stupid question - I'm sure you did it but just to make sure - did you set your partition as bootable ?

@bedek:
Yeah, I set the partition bootable.

First of all i would like to avoid mechanical interactions. I am gonna try to get deeper to the single parts of the installation.
If I find something useful I will post back.

Thanks for your answers.

As promised I'll inform you about my results:

The solution for my issues where a defect usb device. Even if I had bought it right with the dockstar it was allready defect. By watching the reading and writing processes to the device on an other linux machine I realized, that not every write option was done correctly. That lead to reading issues as well.

I took an older dev and the installation and boot worked fine.

Never had seen something like that before.