NASLite Network Attached Storage

I can not get my computer to boot from usb. I have tried super floppy and partition setting on SanDisk Kruzer 512MB and a Kingston Data Traveler 512MB. Neither work. I disabled all IDE devices in the BIOS, and booted from the USB drive. I keep getting an error message telling to insert boot media. Any ideas or help would be greatly appreciated.

BTW, I am using an e-machines T3882 with a celeron d processor

NASLite+ for USB Flash v1.1, available now, uses a modified MBR so compatibility should be greatly improved.

I am getting the same problem after attempting the same solutions using v1.4 (downloaded 11/5/05).

I am using a 256Mb Lexar Jumpdrive on a machine with an AMD Athlon (custom built).

Would it be easier to just break down and buy the CD version? I'm not concerned with not having the extra IDE connector.

I went through every suitable motherboard I own, and none of them will boot from a USB device (either format). Would it be possible to construct a "kicker disk" boot floppy to mount and boot from USB for systems without bios support?

I tried to make a boot floppy for nasllite+usb, but I'm stuck on an out of memory error.

Basically, it's a dos boot floppy with a usb driver and loadlin. It starts decompressing the kernal, outputs a couple naslite messages and an out of memory error, system halted.

config.sys:


autoexec.bat


Terminal Error:



My objective is to get the naslite+ feature set without sacrificing an IDE port on a motherboard without USB-Boot support.

I'm not sure that what you are attempting to do will work. I don’t know if loadlin can boot the NASLite kernel due to it's size. There are a number of things to consider before giving up though.

I’d disable everything in the BIOS that is not necessary for NASlite to run. Most importantly, power management. Some boards need DOS mode USB enabled and also USB keyboard enabled. I don’t know why, but they do. I’d try adding more RAM and using different RAM. With some boards, increasing the RAM wait state will allow inferior RAM to function properly.

Other than that, if the kernel boots properly, the rest should follow through as necessary. Let me know how it goes and if you are successful in booting using the kicker floppy.

Success!

The magic pixie dust turned out to be linld.com version 0.97.

Autoexec.bat


Config.sys


lincmd.txt


The OS is FreeDos, the USB driver is from panasonic, and the aspi driver is from adaptec.

I can now confirm that lusid's approach does in fact work. We'll take a closer look at it in the next few days.

Hello lusid,

Any chance of putting together a howto on this subject. I have been fiddling with what you have posted here but havent got it going yet.

How do you setup the usb drive. How do you get your NAS+ image on there?

Can it be done with a normal DOS boot disk created by windows?

This would be a very useful thing if I can replicate what you have done.

Tony...did you get a chance to take a closer look?

Thanks

We'll be releasing a USB kicker floppy shortly, you'll be notified by email when it's available.

Thats great.

Mine was based on boot2pup (http://www.goosee.com/puppy/boot2pup.htm), with the changes I posted above. Boot2pup has the drivers on a bootable floppy image. linld.com can be hard to track down. the official download site is usually down. Nothing special setting up the usb drive. Just make it with the boot cd.

Hi,

I'm searching for a floppy that lets me boot from a USB drive. Can I download your floppy somewhere?

I don't use youre NAS solution, I just wanna use it on my pc for a special OS, GeeXboX

Thanks!

I am sure this has been commented on the GeeXboX forums. you can always follow lusids instructions and build a floppy that will boot a usb device.