On Sun 03 Mar 2013 at 12:29:44 -0500, Mark Filipak wrote:
> On 2013/3/3 6:25 AM, Brian wrote:
> >
> >Ok. You are using USB flash/USB flash drive/USB hard disc/USB drive
> >interchangeably to refer to the same device? Its good to have that
> >clarified.
[Snip]
> Prior to attempting to install to the USB hard drive, I tried to install to
> an 8-GB USB flash drive - that's right: initially there were 2 USB flash
> drives. I differentiated between them this way: source: 1-GB USB flash drive
> booting Debian Live, target: 8-GB USB flash drive. The reason I switched the
> target from an 8-GB USB flash drive to a USB hard drive is that someone said
> I couldn't install to a USB flash drive because of the flash structures and
> that I should switch to a hard drive because the MBR will be easier to deal
> with. I thought that suggestion was bogus, but I went along with it because I
> had a spare USB hard drive and because I wanted to move past that roadblock,
> even if bogus.
In a previous mail I said:
> You may not realise it but substituting the USB stick you
> initially used for a USB hard disc is the crux of the matter.
You replied:
> I did not make a substitution.
So I attempted to accomodate this information by thinking in terms of a
lack of understanding on my part. It turns out I was correct to begin
with.
> >Case1 (Unsuccessful)
> >--------------------
> >
> > The 8GB drive had previously had Debian Live installed to it. (This is
> > clearly described in your first post). The target drive would contain
> > information about an iso9660 filesystem. GRUB is designed not to
> > install to a drive when it detects an iso9660 filesystem is present on
> > it. [1]
>
> What you have written above is not correct. I *had* installed Debian
> Live+Gnome on the 8-GB USB flash drive *but* I didn't use it. I
> installed Debian Live+LXDE on the 1-GB USB flash drive and *used*
> *that* as the source. The target *was* going to be the 8-GB USB flash
> drive (overwriting the existing Debian Live installed on it), but,
> when that didn't work, I switched the target to the USB hard drive as
> suggested by someone.
It is 100% correct. From your first post
> 1.1 - Copied the Debian-Gnome Live ISO to an 8-GB USB.
> 6 - Booted Debian-LXDE on 1-GB USB.
> 6.1 - Attempted install to 8-GB USB (overwrite Debian-Gnome already on it).
> 6.2 - Install failed!
Had the USB hard drive been used instead of the 8-GB USB and *exactly*
the same install attempted it too would have failed. The nature or size
of the device being installed to is immaterial, as is whether it is a
text mode or GUI install. The only thing that matters is that the device
has previously had an isohybrid ISO written to it.
I even provide a way of seeing how GRUB reacts to being put on a device
which has held an isohybrid ISO. You now have a functioning Debian
machine so could follow the procedure given. I cannot say if it will
involve more or less effort than posting a syslog excerpt. :)
[A largish snip. The content appears to be a distraction from the main
issue]
> >You have told us as much above. The state of the 8GB drive for the text
> >mode install is different from its initial state.
>
> I was not using the 8-GB USB flash drive.
The state of the USB hard drive for the text mode install was different
from the state of the 8-GB USB flash drive.
> >Incidentally, it is never a good idea to change more than one variable
> >at a time in an experiment. It can (as it has in your case) lead to
> >an invalid or erroneous conclusion.
>
> I did not change variables. Source: 1-GB USB flash drive. Target: USB hard
> drive.
Initially - Source: 1-GB USB flash drive. Target: 8-GB USB flash drive
with an isohybrid ISO written to it.
At a later time - Source: 1-GB USB flash drive. Target: USB hard drive
which had never had an isohybrid ISO written to it.
A second variable is the install mode. You altered this at the same time
you replaced the 8-GB USB flash drive with a USB hard drive.
For those who wish to reproduce the bug.
----------------------------------------
Write a netinst image to two USB devices. Boot from one device and
install to the second one. Try text and GUI modes. It's about an hour's
work at most.
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