I been trying to install the Mandriva 2009.0 dvd to a 8gig USB Key.
Each time takes 3 hours and each time starts saying "No operating system found" When I load a live Linux cd and mount the key all the files are there.


IS there a way to make Mandriva install to my USB key as it would a hard drive and have it boot correctly?
Yes the drive was partitioned as bootable, im quite confused as why this isn't working.

You can do it with Unetbootin. About Unetbootin Download Unetbootin

This website has a tutorial on installing different linux distributions (including mandriva) on flash drives:

www.pendrivelinux.com

maybe the bios isn't set up to boot from usb
i installed debian on a 2GB card just like on an hdd, and it works as long as i open a boot menu each time i want to boot from it
some bioses (esp. older ones) can't boot from usb at all

Hi

Thanks for teh info on unetbootin but its not doing what i want but it is a neat program and will use it in the future. It took my iso and put it on my usb drive and made my usbdrive an install drive insted of installing it to my drive. Which im sure i'll use at a later point so thank you for bringing this to light.


I have been to pendrivelinux and been over the info there with no luck.

And my bios does boot from usb, as noted Knoppix LIVE is the only one ive gotten to work, but im not interested in a LIVE version at the moment, I got teh kids on a live distro im looking to install Mandriva on this USB 8gb ThumbDrive as I would a HDD.

Thanks again for the help please keep the ideas coming

princeshoko,
Can you please post the steps you took to install mandriva?
Maybe you didn't make the usb drive bootable correctly!

Frist Time

Insert USB Stick & DVD 2009.0
Reboot from DVD
Follow on screen prompts
wait 3.5 hours.
Install Grub on Sticks MBR
Reboot
No Operating system found

TIME #2
Same as above expect do not install grub.
No operating system found

TIME #3
With linux use FDISK to create the partitions and set boot flag to on.
then follow stepts in Time #1 with no boot loader.
NO operating system found

Time #4
do steps in Time #3 and install syslinux from within linux
No Operating system found.


The only things ive gotten to work are live distros.... ive yet to get any distro of stright install to work. Id like to have mandriva but im missing somthing and not understanding what the issue is, its not syslinux, its not all.img very conused as ive spent 2 weekends now trying to get this to work.

Guess what! Its a known bug :
https://qa.mandriva.com/show_bug.cgi?id=46344

But you can find the workarround in the bugzilla, do the w-a and let me know if it worked.

Cheers.