X30 boot from usbstick failed

[y0shi]

The other day I realized that the thinkpad X30 is capable to boot of usbhdd. That is interesting for installing, so I tried to boot a usbstick with a slackware linux installer on it. The BIOS recognizes it and tries to boot from it, but than it says "Boot failed" or something like that.

Is this just working with a special BIOS version or do I have to enable something special?

Much Thanks in advance!

y0shi

[j-dawg]

Your USB stick needs to have a boot sector written to it.

[Harryc]

Try pendrive linux as a test. Make sure boot from USB is first in boot order in BIOS.
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/

[y0shi]

First - thank you for replying!

Your USB stick needs to have a boot sector written to it.

Yes I was thinking of something like that and did

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lilo -M /dev/sda

he than responds with

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The Master Boot Record of  /dev/sda  has been updated.

Isn't this creating a boot sector? If not how can I create one?

It sounds silly but my usbstick has only 128 MB thats why I didn't try pendrivelinux.
I'm not aware of a so small usblinux fitting on a 128 MB stick.

I made sure the usbstick is first in the BIOS bootmenu, but it is some how sometimes there and sometimes not. I was wondering whether my BIOS is buggy?

y0shi

[solitude]

Are you planning to install windows this way?

[y0shi]

Are you planning to install windows this way?

no I'm trying to install Slackware Linux 12.0 according to this:
http://www.slackware.com/~alien/slackboot/usb/

[Harryc]

To add to this old thread, I came into an X30 recently and Pendrive Linux boots right up on it. Just go into BIOS and make sure that the USB stick is ahead of the hard drive in boot order.