The slitaz cd knows where it's kernel image is located.

This sounds like the USB key has a bootloader in it's MBR, there is no kernel image on the usbkey hence the error.

If you have another USB key that you know doesn't have a bootloader try it.

Then use Menu/System Tools/Gparted Partition Editor to reformat the usbkey ext3.

OR

You'll have to delete the bootloader of the USB key by filling the MBR with zeros.

Disconnect all your hard drives,boot into slitaz cd and insert USB key.

WARNING THIS WILL DESTROY ALL CONTENTS !!!

1. From the command line, use the command dd. Replace sdx with the path to your USB drive:

dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdx bs=446 count=1

Then use Menu/System Tools/Gparted Partition Editor to reformat the usbkey ext3.

Use

home=sdb2

first,if it works try the UUID method which is more tempermental.

Thanks mojo for your help.

I've tried using another usb stick, it had also the "Boot" flag, but I formated the entire device using tazusb. Tazusb told me it was ready to use as home=usb, and also after formatting it doesn't have the "Boot" flag anymore, so I guess it has no bootloader.

Again, at boot I've get the error "could not find the kernel image", using home=usb, home=dev/sdb, home=/dev/sdb1, home=uuid, etc.

I was trying to mount the usb using mountbox, but it's not listed on the device list.

I was going to format the usb stick again with gparted, it says it will create a new partition table on the usb. Is this ok? Is "msdos" partition table type ok?

Thanks againg

I'm glad to help but this is not a "guessing" game.

It's important that you carefully read what I tell you to do.

Please do it exactly as I say or I can't help you.

Don't use tazusb it could be the source of the problem.

The "boot flag" should be off.

You can still have the bootloader on the USB key with bootflag off.

The only way to guarantee the bootloader is deleted is to use DD to zero it out.

Disconnect all drives from the computer except cdrom so you don't delete them by accident.

After you disconnect the drives boot into the live cd.

Plug in the usbkey

Open xterm type

fdisk -l

enter to find the /dev/sd(a,b,c,)

YES:sda or sdb or sdc NO:sda1,sdb1,sdc1

Put this in of=/dev/sd below

type

dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sd(a,b,c) bs=446 count=1

enter

Then delete and recreate the partition and format with linux-ext3 using Gparted

Do each of 3 steps separately then click apply.

Bootflag off

Shutdown

Reconnect any drives disconnected and reboot with usbkey unplugged then plugin and

fdisk -l

again to get usbkey /dev/sdXX

Shutdown leave usbkey in,bootup and enter at bootscreen as corrected below

YES:home=sdXX NO:home=/dev/sdXX

If you still have error post results from below:

Open xterm

type

cat   /proc/cmdline

Enter

Thanks, I didn't want to disconect (unplug?) the HHD, the CPU is under guarantee and I was too scared to use the dd command. Anyway, I tried again using a brand new Kingston usbkey and it's working fine now. The other two USBkeys are unusable, (i've tried to recover them with gparted, fdisk, cfdisk, acronis, etc.).

This issue is solved.

Thanks for the reply,have fun with slitaz!