SR 2.2.0 ./usb_inst.sh fails to write

[purslow]

I tried to use your recommended method of installing SR 2.2.0 on a USB stick on Gentoo. I've tried several times, but run into the same problem each time:

root:547 sr> bash ./usb_inst.sh /dev/sdb1
rmdir: failed to remove `/var/tmp/usb_inst.tmp': Directory not empty
./usb_inst.sh: SystemRescueCd installation script for USB-sticks
Syntax: ./usb_inst.sh <command> ...

Please, read the manual for help about how to use this script.
http://www.sysresccd.org/Online-Manual-EN

[ I have done that ]

You can either run all sub-commands in the appropriate order, or you can just use the semi-graphical menu which requires less effort:

A) Semi-graphical installation (easy to use):
Just run "./usb_inst.sh dialog" and select the USB device

B) Sub-commands for manual installation (execute in that order):
1) listdev Show the list of removable media
2) writembr <devname> Recreate the MBR + partition table on the stick
3) format <partname> Format the USB-stick device (overwrites its data)
4) copyfiles <partname> Copy all the files from the cdrom to the USB-stick
5) syslinux <partname> Make the device bootable

C) Extra sub-commands:
-h|--help Display these instructions

[ I try 'A']

root:548 sr> bash ./usb_inst.sh dialog /dev/sdb1
rmdir: failed to remove `/var/tmp/usb_inst.tmp': Directory not empty
Device [/dev/sdb] detected as [Kingston DataTraveler 2.0] is removable and size=1968MB

[Graphic comes up, I hit OK, it exits with message ... ]

rmdir: failed to remove `/var/tmp/usb_inst.tmp': Directory not empty

[Nothing has been written on the stick, so I try 'B']

root:554 sr> bash ./usb_inst.sh writembr /dev/sdb
rmdir: failed to remove `/var/tmp/usb_inst.tmp': Directory not empty
The device [/dev/sdb] seems to be big enough: 1968 MB.
usb_inst.sh: error: install-mbr and parted must be installed, check these programs first.
rmdir: failed to remove `/var/tmp/usb_inst.tmp': Directory not empty

[Still nothing written on stick & I have 'parted' installed ... ]

root:555 sr> eix parted
[D] sys-block/parted
Available versions: 2.3 ~2.3-r1 ~2.3-r2 ~2.4 [M]~3.0 {+debug device-mapper nls readline selinux static-libs}
Installed versions: 2.3-r1([2011-03-07 05:41:43])(device-mapper readline -debug -nls -selinux)
Homepage: http://www.gnu.org/software/parted
Description: Create, destroy, resize, check, copy partitions and file systems

['install-mbr' is not a Gentoo pkg]

If I use Unetbootin, the stick is written promptly & easily, but I run into the problem described in Forum Topic 3143 :
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=3143

The solution offered there -- to copy 'syslinux.cfg' from a version < 1.5.2 -- works for me (I used 1.3.1).
That topic ended more than 1 year ago & I am surprised that the problem hasn't been fully resolved yet.

Otherwise I'm very pleased with SR 2.2.0 , once I've got it to work (smile).

[gernot]

The key to the problem ist that /var/tmp/usb_inst.tmp
is not removable.
As root this shold not happen.

Check the result of "ls -la /var/tmp"
In my system it points to /tmp:
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 4 May 15 2007 /var/tmp -> /tmp
In this case check /tmp
Is there a entry "usb_inst.tmp" ?
Try to remove it.
Look for special flags or run fsck if removing fails.
dmesg shows hardwareproblems.

Gernot

[purslow]

Thanks for your prompt reply. The problem seems to be that /var/tmp is sticky :
drwxrwxrwt 6 root root 816 Jun 19 01:41 tmp
It's not a symlink to /tmp nor would I want it to be.
I will unstick /var/tmp & see if I can test the script again with another USB stick.

[purslow]

I tested it again (see previous msg) & it still fails as before. 'ls -l /var/tmp' now gives
drwxrwxrwx 6 root root 816 Jun 19 02:05 tmp
but the script exits with the same 'nocando' msg.
I tried removing /var/tmp/usb_inst.tmp/install_mbr by hand & checked it had gone with 'ls -l',
but the script still complains as before & has in fact re-created the dir & the file.
Why is the script doing that, if it in fact wants to delete it ?

[gernot]

Now i understand your problem. Its not the directory, but the file install_mbr in it that makes the problem.

are you sure with install_mbr because the file in usb_inst is install-mbr.
This file with - is also the removed.

---snip----
rm -rf ${TMPDIR}/{parted,install-mbr,mkfs.vfat,syslinux,dialog,mtools,mcopy,mattrib,mmove}
rmdir ${TMPDIR}
------

please post the output from mount and
ls -la /var/tmp/usb_inst.tmp

Gernot

[purslow]

Here is the requested output.
I use /z/sysres/sr-2.2.0/ to mount the ISO : /z/ is a large space I use for temporary stuff.
The dir /var/tmp/usb_inst.tmp/ did not exist before I ran the script usb_inst.sh .
It looks as if the problem is a typo in the script, confusing '-' with '_' : I'll also try editing the script & report what happens.

root:516 sr-2.2.0> mount
rootfs on / type rootfs (rw)
/dev/root on / type reiserfs (rw,noatime,notail)
none on /proc type proc (rw,relatime)
rc-svcdir on /lib64/rc/init.d type tmpfs (rw,nosuid,nodev,noexec,relatime,size=1024k,mode=755)
sysfs on /sys type sysfs (rw,nosuid,nodev,noexec,relatime)
udev on /dev type tmpfs (rw,nosuid,relatime,size=10240k,mode=755)
fusectl on /sys/fs/fuse/connections type fusectl (rw,relatime)
devpts on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,nosuid,noexec,relatime,gid=5,mode=620)
none on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw,relatime)
/dev/mapper/lvm-home on /home type reiserfs (rw,noatime,notail)
/dev/mapper/lvm-usr on /usr type reiserfs (rw,noatime,notail)
/dev/mapper/lvm-local on /usr/local type reiserfs (rw,noatime,notail)
/dev/mapper/lvm-opt on /opt type reiserfs (rw,noatime,notail)
/dev/mapper/lvm-pix on /home/purslow/pix type reiserfs (rw,noatime,notail)
/dev/mapper/lvm-portage on /usr/portage type reiserfs (rw,noatime,notail)
/dev/mapper/lvm-src on /usr/src type reiserfs (rw,noatime,notail)
/dev/mapper/lvm-tmp on /tmp type reiserfs (rw,noatime,notail)
/dev/mapper/lvm-var on /var type reiserfs (rw,noatime,notail)
/dev/mapper/lvm-z on /z type reiserfs (rw,noatime,notail)
usbfs on /proc/bus/usb type usbfs (rw,noexec,nosuid,devmode=0664,devgid=85)
binfmt_misc on /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc type binfmt_misc (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
/usr/local/src/systemrescuecd-x86-2.2.0.iso on /z/sysres/sr-2.2.0 type iso9660 (ro)
root:517 sr-2.2.0> ls -la /var/tmp/usb_inst.tmp/
total 228
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 80 Jun 20 00:07 .
drwxrwxrwt 5 root root 464 Jun 20 00:07 ..
-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root 231088 Jun 20 00:07 install_mbr
root:518 sr-2.2.0>

[purslow]

I edited the script to remove the file as named with '_' & the error msgs disappeared, but there was no further result
(of course, I copied the content of the ISO to another writable dir & ran everything from there).
I then ran the script adding 'writembr /dev/sdb' & got the error msg re missing pgms described in my OP.
So perhaps we should note that there's a typo in the script & now shift attention to the latter problem (smile).

[gernot]

I dont think its a Typo. Check the files in usb_inst. On my CD all is ok.
Mayby - is translated to _ while copying.
What filesystem use you for copy and tmp?

Gernot

[purslow]

Really, you're not making much sense: I've never heard of such a miscopying. FWIW I use ReiserFS for all my partitions except /boot .
Does anyone else have anything useful to say re this problem ?

[gernot]

Yes. It dont make much sense, but how get install-mbr to install_mbr
View the facts and check your usb stick:
Try to rename the file on the stick if it is wrong.

My usbstick:
g:~ > l /mntusb1/usb_inst
total 1596
-rwxr-xr-x 1 g users 330400 Jun 6 20:11 dialog
-rwxr-xr-x 1 g users 231088 Jun 6 20:11 install-mbr
-rwxr-xr-x 1 g users 237896 Jun 6 20:11 mkfs.vfat
-rwxr-xr-x 1 g users 306016 Jun 6 20:11 mtools
-rwxr-xr-x 1 g users 278072 Jun 6 20:11 parted
-rwxr-xr-x 1 g users 238920 Jun 6 20:11 syslinux

The code to copy:
-------------------------------
mkdir -p ${TMPDIR} || die "Cannot create temp directory: ${TMPDIR}"
if ! cp -r ${PROGLOC}/usb_inst/* ${TMPDIR}/
...
-----------------------------

The code to cleanup:
-----------------------------
cleanup_tmpdir()
{
if [ -d "${TMPDIR}" ]
then
rm -rf ${TMPDIR}/{parted,install-mbr,mkfs.vfat,syslinux,dialog,mtools,mcopy,mattrib,mmove}
rmdir ${TMPDIR}
fi
}
-----------------------------

[tjapko]

It looks as if I have the same problem. Running the script gives the message 'failed to remove /var/tmp/usb_stick as it is not empty. Inside is syslinux and when I remove it and subsequently remove usb_stick successfully I get the same message again when I run the script. This means that the script seems to generate usb_stick/syslinux.
This happens on a desktop as well as a netbook both with Ubuntu 12.04.

P.S. When I use dialog working with the CD and press OK nothing happens and I have to use the manual sequence to get a working usb stick. Yes I finally got one again.

Please comment

Hein van Dam

[gernot]

Which sysrcd version use you.
I have no ubutu installation but read a time ago that the Ubuntu USB automounter make problems with some install scripts.

Gernot

[killerrex]

Hi!

I just found the same problem of rmdir but fortunatelly the reason was easy: the usb_inst directory in the disk image (latest 3.0.0) contains:

Code: Select all

ls usb_inst
dialog  install-mbr  mkfs.vfat  mtools  parted  syslinux  syslinux.exe


But the script in the line 62 deletes:
{parted,install-mbr,mkfs.vfat,syslinux,dialog,mtools,mcopy,mattrib,mmove}

So the file syslinux.exe is not deleted and the line 63 fails as the directory is not empty.

The solutions are:
a) Remove the syslinux.exe from the usb_inst/ directory
b) Change the line 62 of the script to:

Code: Select all

      rm -rf ${TMPDIR}/{parted,install-mbr,mkfs.vfat,syslinux,syslinux.exe,dialog,mtools,mcopy,mattrib,mmove}


This second option is what I have tried and works well (but I suspect that the problem is the syslinux.exe in a script oriented to a linux environment)

I hope this helps!

[admin]

This bug should be fixed in the latest beta version

[stefh]

Hi killerrex, i think i have the same problem (you can find the thread i've open there: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4680&p=13822 ).

Can you explain to me how to properly create the new iso?

I've done that:

* uncompressed systemrescuecd-x86-3.0.0.iso
* edited usb_inst.sh
* used genisoimage to create an iso from the folder

The app start when launching usb_inst.sh, but stop after i enter ok when chosing the drive, bringing me back to the prompt.

I don't know if i'm using aright genisoimage.