From mboxrd@z Thu Jan  1 00:00:00 1970
Message-ID: <696e20eae298f65ce9c11d87a8907672@rei2.9hal>
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2013 21:58:39 +0100
From: cinap_lenrek@gmx.de
To: 9fans@9fans.net
In-Reply-To: <878c2d8b1d1c8be79c1f22e2843f30d9@kw.quanstro.net>
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Subject: Re: [9fans] 9atom on Dell Inspiron Mini 9
Topicbox-Message-UUID: 05b3a656-ead8-11e9-9d60-3106f5b1d025

we didnt modify the installer specially for usb keys. instead, we just
made the boot process able to use a .iso file stored on a usb key as
its root filesystem. that way, theres no need to maintain another
install media. all one needs todo to get a bootable usb key with 9front
is just copying the iso to the fat on the usb key and make they usb key
bootable by adding a kernel, 9bootfat, pbs and mbr to it. the usb key
prparation can be done from any operating system.

also note, that this is not limited to usb keys. you can use a iso (or
paq) file on *any* drive with a fat partition on it. like one might have
no removable media on a machine at all, but still can prepare a fat
partition on the internal harddrive using linux or whatever to get the
installation started.

the biggest challange with usb boot is the usb itself. over a long time,
many problems have been found and resolved:

- broken bios
- broken mp tables preventing usb interrupts to work
- broken hci bios handover causing system freezes as soon as we
  touch the hci controller
- some usb cdrom drives freezing up if you send it scsi inquiry with
  allocation length different from 36 byte

--
cinap