OK Here is what I do, more or less step by step
I have a USB stick with a version of Damn Small Linux on it. I happen to have
altered it with an additional partition to hold the late Astlinux geni-586 img
files ( unzipped ), but a second stick would also work if, after you boot you
insert the second USB stick
1:Set the bios on the HP to first boot from USB, then second from the flash. I
disable the network boot and set the box to boot after a power failure
2: Boot DSL - I prefer to use the command line so I boot with dsl 2 vga=normal
- this gives me a command line with somewhat larger characters than it's normal
boot for younger eyes!
3: I then run cfdisk - a more graphic version of fdisk - Make sure it sees the
flash disk - the HP's with Windows XPe have 2 partitions, delete them all,
write and exit cfdisk
4: Then you can dd the img file to the flash - dd if= < filename.img >
of=/dev/hda bs=64k
When dd completes, it should report so many blocks read and written.
If you then run cfdisk again and examine the partition table, you should see
the runnix partition with a label of ASTURW ( from memory )
Reboot the box, and when you see the bios screen again pull the usb stick(s)
You should then see a lot of stuff rolling by. If it halts somewhere at this
point then PERHAPS your flash isn't so healthy, or you picked the wrong image
file ( I don't use the serial version ) or perhaps you wrote the image file
with a windows program? I don't use windows to create these sticks. I have read
about too many problems that my old brain can't keep straight.
This basic procedure has worked for me for ( earlier versions ) 256 flash, 512
flash, 1 gig flash on HP 55xx series and 57xx series through at least the 5720.
Some of the other models may have issues with either DSL or AstLinux, and
solving those is above my paygrade!
512 is fine, 512 ram is also fine for many applications.
I have probably 30 of these units in service for members of the Collectors
Network. A network of people who collect old telephones and telephone switches
( www.ckts.info ) with AstLinux versions from 0.5 to current. All were
installed with the above method.
I am sure that really smart Linux users have more elegant methods, but this
works for me.
I do come across flash modules from time to time that worked in Windows, but
when rewritten have some issue.
Hope this helps. Sorry to ramble on.
John Novack
Adrian Hodgson wrote:
I have failed at every version I have tried. Now if this is because I have used
the 512 Meg flash one or that the flash is already configured for a file system
such as ext3 or ext 4 I am not sure.
runnix runs to a point but then I get a message in there of Astlinux media not
found. Then all stops, no web server to log on from another computer.
I must be missing something very basic.
Adrian
On Saturday 17 May 2014 21:36:37 John Novack wrote:
> Lonnie Abelbeck wrote:
> > Adrian,
> >
> > I'd follow John Novack's process, he is the AstLinux HP Thin client
> > expert !
> >
> > Though, if it boots off the USB with AstLinux installed, at the RUNNIX
> > boot prompt you could type "shell" and you should be able to (carefully)
> > erase and dd the AstLinux image to your HP.
> >
> > John prefers to use Damn Small Linux instead.
> >
> > Lonnie
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Accelerate Dev Cycles with Automated Cross-Browser Testing - For FREE
Instantly run your Selenium tests across 300+ browser/OS combos.
Get unparalleled scalability from the best Selenium testing platform available
Simple to use. Nothing to install. Get started now for free."
http://p.sf.net/sfu/SauceLabs
_______________________________________________
Astlinux-users mailing list
[email protected]
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/astlinux-users
Donations to support AstLinux are graciously accepted via PayPal to
[email protected].
--
Dog is my Co-pilot
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Accelerate Dev Cycles with Automated Cross-Browser Testing - For FREE
Instantly run your Selenium tests across 300+ browser/OS combos.
Get unparalleled scalability from the best Selenium testing platform available
Simple to use. Nothing to install. Get started now for free."
http://p.sf.net/sfu/SauceLabs
_______________________________________________
Astlinux-users mailing list
[email protected]
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/astlinux-users
Donations to support AstLinux are graciously accepted via PayPal to
[email protected].
