Re: [gentoo-amd64] Re: boot Gentoo from USB key

[Drake Donahue]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Duncan" <1i5t5.duncan@×××.net>
To: <gentoo-amd64@l.g.o>
Sent: Friday, May 02, 2008 7:22 AM
Subject: [gentoo-amd64] Re: boot Gentoo from USB key


> Raffaele BELARDI <raffaele.belardi@××.com> posted
> 1209537833.6170.62.camel@×××××××××××××.com, excerpted below, on  Wed, 30
> Apr 2008 08:43:53 +0200:
>
>> In the process of building an amd64 diskless box, I am trying to make a
>> bootable USB key with no success up to now.
>>
>> The first problem I encountered was related to ext2/vfat. I initially
>> tried to format the key as ext2, but grub refuses to install on it. Even
>> though I copied the /boot/grub/* directory into the key, and I see it is
>> there, grub does not see it. The problem does not happen with vfat

Still betting pen drive maker (or card reader maker) did some kind of 
equivalent to 'low level formatting'.
.
>
> I think I might have come across the problem you experienced here.  I'd
> put the chances at pretty good the below covers the problem here, but I
> believe the "invisible USBkey @ boot" issue is different, so you'll
> likely have to address it separately (but luckily there are plenty of
> posts with suggestions).
>
> If I'm correct you're running into the ext3 large inode issue.  Briefly,
> old versions used 128 byte inodes, while newer versions use 256 byte
> inodes by default, in ordered to be ready for the improvements coming in
> ext4.  The problem is that legacy grub doesn't support the larger inodes,
> and isn't being developed any longer so that isn't going to change, while
> new grub isn't even scheduled for format compatibility stability until
> late this year!
>
> One solution is a command line option to mke2fs as detailed in the
> article below.  Or...
>
> There's a Gentoo patched grub-0.97-r5 that'll handle the new inodes hard
> masked for testing, but I don't believe it's even ~arch yet (I'm on the
> no-multilib profile here, where grub is masked and grub-static is used,
> so wouldn't see it go to ~arch and thus can't say for sure).
>
> Here's the article I just found detailing the issue in general.  It's
> well worth reading but a word of warning.  LinuxPlanet tends to be a bit
> ad-heavy... and weirdly formatted if you are using an ad-blocker (unless
> you use a custom filter to cut out the weirdness, as I do with privoxy).
> Still, for those using both grub and an ext3 /boot, it's DEFINITELY worth
> the read, as it may prevent (or in your case fix) some serious issues
> later (now, for you).
>
> http://www.linuxplanet.com/linuxplanet/tutorials/6480/1/
>
> Meanwhile, here's the developer list thread (via gmane) asking for
> testing of the new version with the large-inode patch, among other fixes.
>
> http://comments.gmane.org/gmane.linux.gentoo.devel/55463
>
> Finally, the Gentoo-grub ext3 large inodes bug:
>
> http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=214563
>

An interesting find. Were the inodes for ext2 also defaulted to 256 or only 
those for ext3? This question relevant as Raffaele only talked about using 
ext2 and vfat partitions on the pen drive. In a quick search I found no 
indications. If ext2 inode structure was also changed much more should be 
heard about this.

> --
> Duncan - List replies preferred.   No HTML msgs.
> "Every nonfree program has a lord, a master --
> and if you use the program, he is your master."  Richard Stallman
>
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