Thread: V7.0.3 LiveDVD-Flash_Installer Error

knoppix@Microknoppix:~$ sfdisk -l /dev/sdh Disk /dev/sdh: 4294967295 cylinders, 255 heads, 63 sectors/track lseek: Invalid argument sfdisk: seek error on /dev/sdh - cannot seek to 0 /dev/sdh: unrecognized partition table type No partitions found

knoppix@Microknoppix:~$ gedit /etc/fstab
See attached /etc/fstab-ORIGINAL and fstab after inserting USB drive

As I understand it the system recognizes the USB drive correctly (Because it is 32GB, I created two FAT32 partitions to have a partition for multi purpose use).
Why do I get this seek error on /dev/sdh?
Is it a badly burned DVD?
What can I do?

On my machine, V7.0.3-DVD can NOT do what V7.0.2-DVD can,
i.e. do install KNOPPIX on flash disk!

I used the same USB to install V7.0.2 DVD without any difficulty...
that means no "sfdisk: seek error on /dev/sdh" as mentioned above.

I would appreciate any idea or advice how to get V7.0.3 on an USB drive!

I checked the fstab in both - V7.0.3 and V7.0.2 and they are identical...

#V7.0.3
# Added by KNOPPIX
/dev/sdh1 /media/sdh1 vfat noauto,users,exec,umask=000,shortname=winnt,uid=kn oppix,gid=knoppix 0 0
# Added by KNOPPIX
/dev/sdh2 /media/sdh2 vfat noauto,users,exec,umask=000,shortname=winnt,uid=kn oppix,gid=knoppix 0 0

#V7.0.2
# Added by KNOPPIX
/dev/sdh1 /media/sdh1 vfat noauto,users,exec,umask=000,shortname=winnt,uid=kn oppix,gid=knoppix 0 0
# Added by KNOPPIX
/dev/sdh2 /media/sdh2 vfat noauto,users,exec,umask=000,shortname=winnt,uid=kn oppix,gid=knoppix 0 0

Hello
I wonder if somebody could help me with this issue (Installing V7.0.3 on 32GB HP USB drive)
a) I downloaded V7.0.3 again and burned a new DVD from the .iso file.
b) I used a different USB flash disk (16GB no-name brand) and could succeed!
c) I tried it again on the HP flash which I cleared with 'gparted' and got the following message:

Checking that no-one is using this disk right now ...
OK
lseek: Invalid argument

sfdisk: seek error on /dev/sdh - cannot seek to 0
/dev/sdh: unrecognized partition table type
No partitions found
lseek: Invalid argument

sfdisk: seek error on /dev/sdh - cannot seek to 0
BLKRRPART: Device or resource busy
The command to re-read the partition table failed.
Run partprobe(, kpartx( or reboot your system now,
before using mkfs
If you created or changed a DOS partition, /dev/foo7, say, then use dd(1)
to zero the first 512 bytes: dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/foo7 bs=512 count=1
(See fdisk(

Has anybody an idea what could be wrong with this flash drive?
As I already mentioned, the V7.0.2 could be installed on the same flash drive.

Greetings Karibu!

I have no idea what went wrong but I would suggest that you issue the command

Code:

fdisk -l /dev/sdh

and post the output. /dev/sdh is the device name of your 32 GB HP USB drive.

Hello Klaus and thank you for the response....Here is the terminal output of fdisk...

knoppix@Microknoppix:~$ fdisk -l /dev/sdh1

Disk /dev/sdh1: 32.5 GB, 32462864384 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 3946 cylinders, total 63404032 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
knoppix@Microknoppix:~$

You issued "fdisk -l /dev/sdh1" but I suggested "fdisk -l /dev/sdh". The comand I suggested would give information about the whole drive /dev/sdh and not only about the partition /dev/sdh1. I thought it would be helpful to see the full description of that drive including the partition table.

Code:

fdisk -l /dev/sdh

gives no output at all.

knoppix@Microknoppix:~$ fdisk -l /dev/sdh
knoppix@Microknoppix:~$ fdisk -l /dev/sdh
knoppix@Microknoppix:~$ fdisk -l /dev/sdh
knoppix@Microknoppix:~$ fdisk -l /dev/sdh

I thought, because the Filesystem manager finds the flash drive under "/media/sdh1". I had to use sdh1!

For better understanding what I mean:
Screenshot shows Filemanager/Installer identifying USB
flash drive as sdh1/sdh and 'fdisk' shows different size than Installer.