Clonezilla-SysRescCD
Installing on USB
08/02/2009 - v 3.1.0

Copyright: © 2007-2009, Spiros Georgaras <sng@hellug.gr>	Single page
Last update: 23/12/2009	Printable version

Intro [^]

Until recently installing Clonezilla-SysRescCD on a USB disk would not be such a great idea, because of its size. But since USB devices become cheaper and cheaper, it is an interesting alternative.

In order to install it to a USB disk, you will use the Clonezilla-SysRescCD ISO file (or CD). You will copy and modify a couple of files on the USB disk, and finally make it bootable, using syslinux and its configuration file syslinux.cfg.

Incorrect use of syslinux could cause your operating system (GNU/Linux / Windows) not to boot. Confirm the command before you run it.

The only thing that's important is that your USB disk must contain a VFAT (Windows 98 or DOS) file system. If this is not the case, refer to the section "Troubleshooting", to find out how you can format it, before copying files to it.

The bootable USB disk creation procedure can be performed either from Linux or Windows.

If you want to create a bootable USB flash drive for this version or later, remember to use the syslinux command from syslinux 3.71 or later. Otherwise the boot menu won't work.

Installation from Linux [^]

There are two ways you can proceed, if you are going to use Linux to perform the USB installation, either using a running linux box, or using Clonezilla-SysRescCD.

I will assume that you have saved clonezilla-sysresccd-full-mod-3.1.0.iso in your home directory (~).

Using a linux box [^]

If you already have a linux box up and running, you can use it to create your Clonezilla-SysRescCD USB, without even having to burn it to CD beforehand. The only thing here is that you have to have syslinux installed.

I will assume that your CD drive is /dev/sr0 and that your USB device is /dev/sdc4. You may have to change any of them to reflect your system configuration.

Boot into linux, connect your USB device and execute the following commands:

mkdir /mnt/mycd
mount ~/clonezilla-sysresccd-full-mod-3.1.0.iso /mnt/mycd -o loop
mkdir /mnt/usbdevice
mount /dev/sdc4 /mnt/usbdevice
cp -r /mnt/mycd/* /mnt/usbdevice
umount /mnt/mycd; rmdir /mnt/mycd
cd /mnt/usbdevice
rm isolinux/*.cfg
mv isolinux/* .
rmdir isolinux
cd; umount /dev/sdc4
rmdir /mnt/usbdevice

Finally make your USB device bootable, by executing

syslinux /dev/sdc4

and you are done.

Using Clonezilla-SysRescCD [^]

If you already burnt Clonezilla-SysRescCD to CD, you can use it to create your Clonezilla-SysRescCD USB.

I will assume that your CD drive is /dev/sr0 and that your USB device is /dev/sdc4. You may have to change any of them to reflect your system configuration.

Boot SystemRescueCD using the option To RAM, and when it is fully loaded, execute the following commands:

mkdir /mnt/mycd
mount /dev/sr0 /mnt/mycd
mkdir /mnt/usbdevice
mount /dev/sdc4 /mnt/usbdevice
cp -r /mnt/mycd/* /mnt/usbdevice
umount /mnt/mycd
cd /mnt/usbdevice
rm isolinux/*.cfg
mv isolinux/* .
rmdir isolinux
cd; umount /dev/sdc4

Finally make your USB device bootable, by executing

syslinux /dev/sdc4

and you are done.

Installation from Windows [^]

Installing Clonezilla-SysRescCD from Windows is as easy as it is in Linux. You have to burn Clonezilla-SysRescCD to CD or use a CD/DVD ROM emulator software like Daemon Tools to mount the ISO file.

I will assume that your USB device is drive K:\ and your CD drive or mounted ISO file is drive D:\. You may have to change any of them, in order to reflect your system configuration.

You will have to

• Copy all files from drive D:\ (CD or mounted ISO file) to drive K:\ (USB disk)
• Delete all cfg files from K:\isolinux
• Move all files from K:\isolinux to K:\
• Delete folder K:\isolinux

Now all you have to do is make your USB disk bootable. In order to do that you have to open a DOS window (in Windows XP press "Start / Run " and type cmd). Then type at DOS prompt:

K:
cd bootprog
syslinux -ma K:

Booting from USB [^]

Before trying to boot from your USB device, you have to set your boot device at your BIOS. This means you have to reboot having your USB device connected, get into your BIOS (usually pressing DEL) and make the appropriate settings in the BOOT section.

Booting Clonezilla Live should not be a problem. Just select the desired option and press ENTER to boot.

Booting SystemRescueCD has been made equally simple with SystemRescueCD v 1.0.0, so you shouldn't have any problem (option cdroot is not required any more).

If you have any problems here, you may try adding any of these boot parameters:

usbstick
doscsi

Troubleshooting [^]

Whether you can successfully boot from a USB disk or not, depends mainly on your BIOS. Chances are that you will not be able to boot on an old computer, with an old (and possibly buggy) BIOS. So I would recommend testing your Clonezilla-SysRescCD USB on a new computer.

• I can't boot (I don't even see the splash screen)
  or Clonezilla Live does not boot
  The first thing you should do is double check your BIOS settings. Reboot having your USB device connected, get into your BIOS (usually pressing DEL) and make the appropriate settings in the BOOT section.
  
  If you are on linux, check that the partition on the USB disk is active (bootable), executing:

  fdisk -l /dev/sdc

  You should get something similar to this:

  Disk /dev/sdc: 1031 MB, 1031798272 bytes
  64 heads, 32 sectors/track, 983 cylinders
  Units = cylinders of 2048 * 512 = 1048576 bytes
  Device	Boot	Start	End	Blocks	Id	System
  /dev/sdc4	*	1	983	1006576	6	FAT16

  
  If the partition is not active (no astrisk), execute:

  fdisk /dev/sdc

  and issue "Command: " a (toggle a bootable flag) and "Partition number:" 4 (for /dev/sdc4).
  
  If you are on Windows, this is taken care of by syslinux (parameters -ma).
  
  If you still have problems booting, you should try to execute

  syslinux -s /dev/sdc4

  from Linux, or

  syslinux -sma K:

  from Windows (from folder K:\syslinux).
  
  syslinux man page reads:

  (Option) -s
  Install a "safe, slow and stupid" version of syslinux. This version may work
  on some very buggy BIOSes on which syslinux would otherwise fail. If you find
  a machine on which the -s option is required to make it boot reliably, please
  send as much info about your machine as you can, and include the failure mode.

• I still can't boot
  In this case you will have to format your USB disk.
  
  If you are using linux to perform the installation, execute the command:

  mkdosfs -F 16 /dev/sdc4

  to create a FAT16 file system, or

  mkdosfs -F 32 /dev/sdc4

  to create a FAT32 file system.
  
  When you are done go back to section "Installation from Linux".
  
  If you are on Windows, you should download the HP-USB Format tool, install it and format your USB drive using the Fat or Fat32 option. This program can be used to format USB devices that won't boot properly when formatted with Windows format tool.
  
  When you are done go back to section "Installation from Windows".

• I still can't boot (after formating)
  Things are getting tough!!! Try to format your USB disk using the option you did not use previously. So, if you have created a FAT32 file system, create a FAT16 file system this time, and recreate Clonezilla-SysRescCD on USB.
  
  If nothing works, you are out of luck; you will not be able to use Clonezilla-SysRescCD USB on this computer... If you do manage to boot it, please send me a message.
• SystemRescueCD does not boot
  Ok, you have managed to get to the splash screen and successfully booted Clonezilla Live. But you still can't boot SystemRescueCD.
  
  Refer to section Booting from USB to find out the boot parameters you can you with SystemRescueCD.

Customizing sysresc.cfg [^]

As stated previously, Clonezilla-SysRescCD USB is booted by syslinux through its configuration file syslinux.cfg. This file loads sysresc.cfg in order to boot SystemRescueCD.

If you have to specify any additional boot parameters for SystemRescueCD, you may want to write these changes to the configuration file, so that you don't have to insert them by hand every time.

The procedure to do that is the following:

Boot SystemRescueCD (or if that's not possible yet, bot Clonezilla Linux and get to the command line) using the option To RAM, and when it is fully loaded, execute the following commands:

mkdir /mnt/usbdevice
mount /dev/[device] /mnt/usbdevice
cd /mnt/usbdevice
cp sysresc.cfg sysresc.bak
sed 's|scandelay=5|scandelay=x [additional params]|' \
sysresc.cfg > sys.cfg
mv sys.cfg sysresc.cfg
cd; umount /dev/[device]
syslinux /dev/[device]
reboot

where x is a number from 1 to 10.

After executing these commands, you will have a new sysresc.cfg file, and a backup file called sysresc.bak (in case things go wrong).

If, for example, you want to increase the device scan delay to maximum, the above commands would become:

mkdir /mnt/usbdevice
mount /dev/sdc4 /mnt/usbdevice
cd /mnt/usbdevice
cp sysresc.cfg sysresc.bak
sed 's|scandelay=5|scandelay=10|' sysresc.cfg > sys.cfg
mv sys.cfg sysresc.cfg
cd; umount /dev/sdc4
syslinux /dev/sdc4
reboot

If, in addition to that, you had to use the boot parameter usbstick, then it would be:

mkdir /mnt/usbdevice
mount /dev/sdc4 /mnt/usbdevice
cd /mnt/usbdevice
cp sysresc.cfg sysresc.bak
sed 's|scandelay=5|scandelay=10 usbstick|' sysresc.cfg > sys.cfg
mv sys.cfg sysresc.cfg
cd; umount /dev/sdc4
syslinux /dev/sdc4
reboot

In case something goes wrong with your new settings, you can always rename sysresc.bak to sysresc.cfg, either from linux or Windows.