Creating a Bootable USB Drive w/CentOS 6.x

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KrazyBob

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I have several older servers that have Teac CD-224e IDE CD-ROMs. Some places say that are also DVD readers (it's written on the quote when I bought the servers new.) But when I place a DVD in it doesn't seem to read it as a bootable DVD. I need to reinstall the new operating and CentOS 6 has gotten so big that it has to be done with a DVD ort Netinstall where it fetches the files.

1) Can anyone tell me if the Teac CD-224e is a CD/DVD? If a DVD do I need to do something to make it read as a DVD? I can't really mount the drive if it is a bootable DVD.

2) How can I create a bootable USB drive and transfer the CentOS ISO to it with my ISO writer software? Then I can boot from the USB. My hard drives are RAID 1 and are seen as /sda1 and /sda3.

I am so confused!!!

Thank you in advance for your help. Here is some code that another poster tried and wasn't impressed:

Code:
This is not pratical the OP wrote:

"I followed this instructions:
http://lists.centos.org/pipermail/centos/2012-January/122140.html
>From blank USB stick to bootable install:"

yum install livecd-tools syslinux
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdb bs=512 count=1000
parted /dev/sdb mklabel msdos
parted /dev/sdb mkpartfs p ext2 0% 100%
tune2fs -m0 /dev/sdb1

parted /dev/sdb toggle 1 boot
umount /dev/sdb1
livecd-iso-to-disk <path to>/DVD.iso /dev/sdb1

mkdir /mnt/iso
mount -o loop <path to>/DVD.iso /mnt/iso
mkdir /media/<usb stick>/images
cp /mnt/iso/images/install.img /media/<usb stick>/images/
cp <path to>/DVD.iso /media/<usb stick>/
 


1) The Teac CD-224e is a CD-Rom. There is NOTHING you can do to make a CD-Rom read a DVD. An external DVD-Rom?

2) "How can I create a bootable USB drive and transfer the CentOS ISO to it with my ISO writer software?" You don't just transfer an ISO to a USB stick. It will not work. You need to use a program like unetbootin to change the iso into bootable programs. http://wiki.centos.org/HowTos/InstallFromUSBkey

3) What operating system do you have now? Precisely what version? Is upgrade not a possiblility?
 
I am sure that you intended to be helpful but Wow. I am fully aware that a CD-ROM cannot be forced to read DVD's. I am equally aware that one doesn't just transfer an ISO to the drive -- that's why I asked HOW! No, an upgrade is not possible because Virtuozzo 4.7 must be installed. It cannot be upgraded. It requires a fresh install. The Centos 6 instructions that you linked to are marked obsolete, and, require a PC with Linux installed to perform the steps. Otheres have marked the instructions as "impractical." The servers are over 100 miles away. If I understand you I need to first build a PC here with Linux on it in order to format and make bootable a USB drive? Surely there's a way on a Windows XP Pro Sp3 PC to accomplish this. With all this hassle I may as well just do a netinstall and get on with life.
 
I am sure that you intended to be helpful but Wow. I am fully aware that a CD-ROM cannot be forced to read DVD's. I am equally aware that one doesn't just transfer an ISO to the drive -- that's why I asked HOW! No, an upgrade is not possible because Virtuozzo 4.7 must be installed. It cannot be upgraded. It requires a fresh install. The Centos 6 instructions that you linked to are marked obsolete, and, require a PC with Linux installed to perform the steps. Otheres have marked the instructions as "impractical." The servers are over 100 miles away. If I understand you I need to first build a PC here with Linux on it in order to format and make bootable a USB drive? Surely there's a way on a Windows XP Pro Sp3 PC to accomplish this. With all this hassle I may as well just do a netinstall and get on with life.

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If you have an ISO you wish to use, then try this. I have heard that it works, but I have not tried it myself, so this may not work. Get an empty USB memory card (otherwise the contained will be lost) and plug it into an active Linux system (Windows directions are next). Use the command below in a shell.

Code:
dd if=YOUR_ISO.iso of=/dev/ONE_OF_THE_USB_CARDS bs=512k

This takes the bootable files out of the ISO you would normally put on the DVD and places them directly on the chosen memory card just like burning an ISO to a disc. The ISO is not on the card, only the contained files. You can then boot off of the USB memory card as if it were a DVD. By the way, the "bs" sets the block size. This should not need to be changed.

If you can only access a Windows system, download this program (http://sourceforge.net/projects/windd/). This is the #1 recommended Windows version of "dd". I do not own a Windows system, so I cannot give specific instructions of how to use WINdd.

As for the CD-ROM model being able to read DVDs, some companies make several similar models of CD/DVD readers/writers and sometimes hardware dealers get their information mixed up between similar models. For example, I purchased a 3 inch LCD screen and the manual included information for the next model up (the 4.5 inch screen).

If my idea does not work, you may be able to purchase a USB DVD-reader. I do not know what the average cost is, but the performance and convenience is nice.

I hope that helps.
 
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