USB-DVD: "Can't find the openSUSE Repository", can't install.

English Install/Boot/Login
1

Greetings,

A happy openSUSE user on my laptop, I want to use it on a new desktop computer / home server. It doesn’t have an optical drive, so I’ve created a bootable USB stick out of a DVD ISO, based on the instructions at SDB:Live USB stick - openSUSE

I can boot without problem from the USB stick, but I’m getting the error “Could not find the openSUSE Repository. Activating manual setup program”. It then leads me to a basic, text-only interface, but I can’t continue the install.

A helpful soul in #suse suggested that I try the console version of the guide, using dd_rescue to dump the content of the bootable ISO onto the USB stick (instead of ImageWriter), but no luck: I encounter the exact same issue.

I have followed the specific instructions about booting from a USB DVD ( SDB:Live USB stick - openSUSE ), i.e. the F4 thing and the “namescheme=by-label” boot option.

I’m running out of ideas. Is this a known issue? (and is there a way to fix it?)

Thank you for your assistance :slight_smile:

2

A few questions:

  • Type of computer and chip-set? Version of openSUSE?
  • Is it a 32 or 64 bit install? Did you allow for the USB to be boot device in the BIOS?
  • Did you change the “boot device priority order” in the BIOS accordingly?
  • Did you allow for "support USB legacy in the BIOS?

Thanks.

3

Thank you for your response! I appreciate your help.

Yes, I did.

Yes, it was enabled by default.

I can boot, so I assume there is no problem with the boot itself. The setup starts, I see the installer’s splash screen, and then the installer’s boot screen ( http://en.opensuse.org/images/c/cd/Boot_by-label.png ). I proceed to the installation, the linux kernel is loaded, as well as the drivers. The problem seems to arise later, when looking for the repository.

4

For what I understand it is because the installation media is set to /dev/media/cd (or dvd) but does not find it because you changed the media to usb. I will have a look here on the dvd if I find the file where the installation sources are stored and that has to be altered.
To be clear, it boots from the installation media because you do so via the BIOS but softwarewise it does not understand the change in installation medium.

5

Thank you! I thought the procedure listed at SDB:Live USB stick - openSUSE did precisely that: tell the software to install “from hard disk”, and use namescheme=by-label (although I don’t know the details of the last part), but if you have any more information, I’m happy to try and see if it works.

Note: I also tried using “namescheme=by-uuid” after reading this comment: Access Denied but the result was the same.

6

O.K. now I get it. You boot into the life system, after you wish to install the life system to the hdd. But it tells you it does not find the installation media. You have to go (prior to the install procedure) into yast and define in installation sources the usbdrive as installation media. The it should do.
I never tried the install from a live CD. So I cannot know if this will help for certain. But the media is defined in the installation sources in yast. See whether it points to your usb device or to a wrong one.

Edit: you could also try to do a net-instal as an alternative.

7

Actually, not exactly. The page I linked to is a bit misleading, because it’s named “Live USB” but also contains instructions to create a USB stick with the content of the install DVD. So, in my case, there’s no live system. I don’t have the opportunity to open yast before the installation.

Yes, I just figured that out. I chose the DVD over the live CDs because I preferred to install the whole system from the start, instead of installing a desktop and adding all the server stuff later. And I just recently realized the Net install worked pretty much like the DVD, except the repository was remote.

Thank you for confirming that it’s an alternative. I’m going to try that now, and hopefully it’ll work. I’ll keep you posted.

8

I got in! Net install is working. I don’t know if I should mark this “Resolved” since we haven’t fixed the underlying problem, but at least there’s a good workaround.

Thank you so much for your help. I was stuck, and now I’m not. Thanks!

9

Well I have done very little. Happy that you got it done. As for solved, no, there has been a longstanding issue with solve or non solved. It is good and very positive that you reported your success. This is far more than enough.
When you have questions, please come back here and ask. And sometimes look if someone needs your new expertise with 12.1. As you, he will be happy to get a hand, I am sure. Have fun.