Can I install Ubuntu/Mint without burning to a cd?

prashanthnbhat · 15-04-2010, 09:46 AM

Hi,
I have an old Acer travelmate laptop on which I intend to install Ubuntu or Linux mint.
I downloaded the iso, burnt them to a cd and tried installing them. I can boot from the live cd without any problems. I can start the install process without any problems. However, when the process reaches 42%-45%, I get a i/o error saying that cd may be corrupted, or the the cd rom may be corrupt of there might be an error in the hdd. I tried this multiple times using freshly burnt cd's. I think the cd drive itself may be spoilt. Unfortunately, I don't have any external drives which I can use.
I read on the internet that I can install without burning to a cd using unetbootin or grub4dos.
The unetbootin is not adding an entry to c:\boot.ini file, so I'm not able to install using it. I don't know how to use grub4dos.
Please help me install linux to the laptop.
Thanks

lywyre · 15-04-2010, 10:38 AM

Try installing Mint 8 from USB. Download fixmint (Google for it)
1. Extract it to a folder preferably to root of D or E, say LinuxMint
2. Copy the Mint 8 iso to that folder
3. Run fixmint.bat and follow instructions
4. Boot from USB (change the boot sequence in BIOS giving USB Boot higher preference)

Hope this helps.

prashanthnbhat · 15-04-2010, 01:22 PM

Thanks..
Does it boot through a USB Flash drive? I don't think my laptop could do that. I have booted from a external dvd writer that was connected through USB, but I tried the same using a pen drive, the laptop just hung, it didn't boot at all. Is there any fix for that?

khmadhu · 15-04-2010, 04:08 PM

check u r bios settings and enable boot from usb/removable device option

try with this..software

it supports most varieties of distributions
http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

prashanthnbhat · 15-04-2010, 04:39 PM

The BIOS doesn't have such a setting(Oddly, it can boot through a USB external DVD drive, but not from a USB pen drive). Should I try updating the BIOS?

I tried using Unetbootin. I followed the procedure mentioned on the website. It did everything but didn't add a boot entry to the C:\boot.ini file. Can I add it manually? If yes, how do I do it?

khmadhu · 15-04-2010, 10:30 PM

which acer travelmate u r using.. ? try googling around for usb boot support.

if the bios is too old and recommended by acer then u should update(be careful, during flashing bios if there is a power failure then some of the hardware may not work properly).

unetbootin should automatically add entry to boot.ini file. try changing the type to "Hard disk".

celldweller1591 · 16-04-2010, 05:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by prashanthnbhat

I tried using Unetbootin. I followed the procedure mentioned on the website. It did everything but didn't add a boot entry to the C:\boot.ini file. Can I add it manually? If yes, how do I do it?

Yes , you can .
First Test if your PC is Booting from USB-stick:

1. Use 2 GB USB-stick with High Read/Write Speed

2. Format USB-stick with PeToUSB.exe http://gocoding.com/page.php?al=petousb
to Make Bootable USB-stick with FAT FileSystem, FAT = Faster
such that USB-stick has NTLDR Logical Drive Bootsector(mostly sector 0x3F=63)
and is seen by BIOS as Harddisk (MBR is at sector 0).
Use PeToUSB.exe with Settings: Enable Disk Format with LBA FAT16X

3. Copy XP BootFiles ntldr, NTDETECT.COM, Bootfont.bin and boot.ini from your XP C-drive to USB-stick
For this purpose in Windows Explorer Extra>Folder Options, Set Hidden and System Files to be Visible.

4. Change in boot.ini on stick rdisk(0) in rdisk(1) and add a second entry
so that on Booting from USB-stick you will be able to see the boot.ini Menu.
Before you Edit boot.ini, Remove first via Right-click and Properties the Read Only property.

boot.ini
CODE
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOW S
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Micro soft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Boot Test Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

5. Reboot your PC with USB-stick plugged in and Enter BIOS Setup by pressing [Delete] or F2
and change Boot settings more permanent so that Harddisk is used as first Boot device type
and USB-Drive is seen as first Harddisk. Save BIOS Settings with F10.

6. Test if your PC is Booting from USB-stick with boot.ini Menu. If you can see the Menu, it is OK
If USB-stick is not bootable:
Check BIOS bootsequence settings or use different USB-stick / computer combination,
OR Instead of PeToUSB use HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool Version 2.0.6 and use FAT filesystem
http://download.chip.eu/en/USB-Disk-....6_176935.html

If you did prepare your USB-stick with USB_MultiBoot.cmd so that it can be used for Install of Windows XP,
than you had already a stick with boot.ini Menu and the required bootfiles, and you don't need to do steps 1-4

Instead of an USB-stick one can also make a Bootable USB-Harddisk using the steps 2-6 given above.

FOR USB-Harddisk make 1900 MB partition at beginning of the USB-Harddisk using e.g. Partition Magic.
Use FAT Format and Set Active OR use PeToUSB to Format such partition.
Without Set Active you will get DISK BOOT FAILURE.

For details see