Installing to external hard drive.
Posts: 5
Hello, I am a proud MEPIS user (since 6.0), and a not-so-proud (Intel) Mac user. I have an external 80GB hard drive that I want to boot MEPIS from. However, after I partition the drive (using a combination of GParted and fdisk), the install works fine up until the part where I install the bootloader. For reasons unknown, when I reboot (option-reboot, that is), the drive doesn't appear.
Basically, here's what I want to do, highest-priority first.
1) I want to have a Linux system to boot into via the external drive.
2) I don't want to have GRUB take over my bootloader on the Mac (which means that I would have to option-boot to get into Linux).
3) I want to be able to take my external hard drive with me, so that I can perform hostile takeovers of their PCs.
4) I don't want my original Mac desktop to be affected.
If anyone can give me any advice, that would be appreciated.
Thank you for your support.
I tried that, but when GRUB
Posts: 5
I tried that, but when GRUB is set to install, it had itself automatically checked to install to the root of /dev/sda (my internal drive), instead of the MBR of /dev/sdb (the external drive).
Obviously there must be some way to partition this to let the installer know to put it on the external drive.
Use the MEPIS System Assistant
Posts: 1109
If you boot into a Live CD and use the repair tab in the MEPIS System Assistant, you'll see a drop down list of drives that will allow you to select where to install GRUB.
Jim C.
When I go into there, there
Posts: 5
When I go into there, there is a checkbox asking whether I should install to the MBR or to the root (of the drive, I guess). There is also a drop list asking where I want them to go.
The problem is, they're both greyed out. They're both stuck on root and /dev/sda (which is NOT where I want it to go.
I've been booting into the live cd. There's obviously some hidden feature...
Let's start with some basics...
Posts: 1109
Let's start with some basics....
What version of SimplyMEPIS are you running?
Have you already installed it to your external drive?
If not, you'll need to partition the drive and install SimplyMEPIS, because it will need a root partition with SimplyMEPIS on it to store the menu.lst file needed by GRUB that contains your boot choices.
Part of the installation procedure will ask if you want to install GRUB. You should be able to select the external drive at that point and install it to that drive's MBR.
If you want to use a Live CD with the MEPIS System Assistant to reinstall GRUB (or if you skipped the GRUB install while installing SimplyMEPIS), use the repair tab, select MBR and the drop down lists should be there if you have drives and partitions available for it to install to.
If you're seeing greyed out choices, it probably doesn't see anyplace it can install to.
Jim C.
You did not say..
Posts: 516
When I go into there, there is a checkbox asking whether I should install to the MBR or to the root (of the drive, I guess). There is also a drop list asking where I want them to go.The problem is, they're both greyed out. They're both stuck on root and /dev/sda (which is NOT where I want it to go.
I've been booting into the live cd. There's obviously some hidden feature...
You did not say how you have the drive setup.
I'm pretty sure the problem is that the drive is not "active".
This is the way I would set it up, I would make 3 partitions, root=5GB, swap=500MB and home using what is left of the drive and make sure that root is set active.
Another way to set it up is use all but say 500MB for root and use the 500MB for swap, again you will need to make root active.
So before the install use GParted to setup the drive.
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In the latest trend of
Posts: 5
In the latest trend of freakish inbootability....
I partitioned the drive for 50GB root, 29GB home and 1 GB swap, and set everything to install to their respective areas. When the installer went to install GRUB on the disk, I was able to choose to install GRUB onto the MBR of sdb.
However, when I booted into Open Firmware, the device still did not appear. It didn't even work on another (PC) computer.
I'm considering just installing it on my hard drive.
I'm not sure what that is
Posts: 1109
I'm not sure what you mean by "Open Firmware". Sorry, I'm not a Mac user.
Is that the BIOS firmware that you set boot order in? IOW, is it not recognizing a USB attached drive or something (or won't let you select it as a boot device)?
You may want to make sure one of the partitions is bootable on the external drive. It may be looking for something like that.
If you right click on your root partition with GParted, you'll see a "Manage Flags" menu choice. Select Bootable and Apply.
If you have problems using GRUB from the MBR, you may also want to try installing it in the root partition instead. If that's the partition that's flagged bootable, that should work. I've had better luck using it from the MBR on my PCs. But, I don't usually install it to an external drive that way.
Jim C.
Okay, I am using SimplyMEPIS
Posts: 5
Okay, I am using SimplyMEPIS 6.5 on an Intel iMac (the "old" model). I am installing it on a DIY external hard drive (WD 80GB) partitioned like this:
sdb1: 50GB ext3 (as root, but I install much)
sdb2: 29GB ext3 (as /home)
sdb3: 1GB linux-swap (as...well...)
I also tried installing GRUB to the root of sdb1, making sdb1 bootable, and going into the System Assistant.
As I speak, I am backing up my home drive just to install linux to the internal drive...
I like your attitude
Posts: 1109
I like your attitude (persistance). 
I'm sorry if I couldn't be of more help figuring out the problem. But, it sounds like you'll find a way to make it work, one way or another.
Hopefully, having it on an internal drive will solve it.
Jim C.
The machine you are using
Posts: 29
The machine you are using must have its BIOS set to boot to USB-HDD before the main internal hard drive.
The bootloader must be installed to the MBR of the EXTERNAL drive. You may or may not be able to do that with the installer. If not, you can boot to the Live CD and do it manually.