Install 11.1 on external HD

English Install/Boot/Login
#1

Hi,
first of all, I am new here also new in using Linux.
I have downloaded and burned the Image and want to install Suse 11.1 on an external USB Harddrive (Iomega 500 GB)
The Laptop is a Dell Vostro 1700 with internal HD and Windows XP on drive C and a second partition for datas.
Linux should start from the USB device, so that when the external HD is not present the Laptop comes up with normal XP.
On Laptop start I can select a boot order and I want, selecting internal drive Windows to be booting, selecting USB device Linux start on external drive.

What have i done?
On Installation there are the drives
sda = internal HD
sdb = Usb device
sdb1 is set to swap (2 GB)
sdb2 = \root (20 GB ext3)
sdb3 = \home (150 GB ext3)

Booter was set to boot from root partition

but now the problem:
When booting, the startmenu comes up normally
choosing Open Suse and then an error occurs such as “\root not mounted”

What’s wrong? How to configurate the partitions and bootloader without changing boot on internal drive?
Is it necessary to boot from MBR?

Hope you understand all writen, I’m German and English practice is a long time ago.

Thanks,
Klaus

#2

I suspect that you have confused / (or the root partition) and /root (or root’s home folder).

sdb2 should have / mounted, not /root. The error message actually refers to / rather than /root.

P.S. Your slashes are the wrong way - that could also be the problem.

#3

Hello john_hudson,
thanks for your answer. Being used to Windows I turned the slash when writing the threat. I haven’t edited handly installation so the slash are set correctly. But that was not the error. I think my fault was not to enable boot from MBR.
Right now I done and it works! :smiley:
Now I can setup Network (WLAN) and Internet and read and try and read and try …
There is so much new, different to the Novell Netware and MS.
Do you have an idea why the grafic is so big. I have LCD 1440 x 900 activated in XServer (installation has set to 800x600) but it made no effects.

Happy New Year to all,
Klaus