Installing from USB Drive issues

Hi ... Today I copied (via dd) the Proxmox installer is 5.3.1 iso to a hard drive like /dev/vdb. I rebooted from that device and the Proxmox installer booted up. However, then I hit this issue where the installer is looking for a particular device /dev/sr0 and sr1 as others have mentioned. Clearly, the data is available to the installer which has booted, but I guess not at /dev/sr0. It would be nice if the installer logic could be re-written so that it looks for other places for the files in question.

My reason to do it this way on this occasion is unusual -- I have a hosted KVM machine (which happens to be running under Proxmox as hypervisor!) and I wanted to try a nested virtualization setup. The provider does not have the latest Proxmox iso in their list, so I was trying to use the installer I downloaded and copied over to a secondary (virtual) drive. It would have worked I think except for this issue. I guess next step is to ask the provider to make the iso available so it will be mounted as a normal virtual CD-Rom device.

Anyone figure out a work-around yet? Thanks.
 
New here, so it's possible I'm just missing something. Downloaded 5.3.1 today, and initially threw it on an Easy2Boot stick. Got the "searching for cd-rom" message and started googleing. Stumbled upon this thread after reading several others. Looks like there are quite a few folks not familiar with multi-boot sticks as far back as two years ago...which is surprising.

Regardless I've followed the instructions on the Proxmox "Install from a USB" page and still no love. Here are the steps taken so far:

-Copied .iso onto Easy2Boot stick, booted to Grub menu, selected, booted to install menu, proceeded until "searching for cd-rom" /"unable to continue" message

-Imaged different USB using Win32Diskimager, freshly downloaded 5.3-1 iso, booted to install menu, proceeded until "searching for cd-rom" /"unable to continue" message

-Downloaded Etcher per "install from USB page", imaged, booted to install menu, proceeded until "searching for cd-rom" /"unable to continue" message

-Downloaded imageUSB per "install from USB page" (the link on the page is out of date BTW) imaged, booted to install menu, proceeded until "searching for cd-rom" /"unable to continue" message

-Renamed file to .img extension and reimaged using Win32Diskimager, booted to install menu, proceeded until "searching for cd-rom" /"unable to continue" message

-Fired up Linux Mint laptop (downloaded fresh copy of iso), wiped stick in Gparted. Followed DD instructions on "Install from USB page" booted to install menu, proceeded until "searching for cd-rom" /"unable to continue" message:confused:

That's the end of my testing. I've got a USB DVD-Rom drive, just no burnable media on hand. I'll grab some from work tomorrow and check back.

I have 6 or 8 other Debian/Ubuntu based .isos on my 32GB and 64GB E2B sticks that all boot fine. That's not counting PFSense, OpenSense, Untangle, OMV, and a half dozen Turnkey Linux .isos. All of them just work. Fact is this is my second try with Proxmox. Ran into this exact same scenario a couple of years back and had to move on with a different option. Hopefully burning it the old fashioned way works. Last time it didn't.
 
Easy2Boot has instructions for ProxMox - see the List of Tested ISOs page and follow the link to the blog post.
 
Ditto this -- Have decided to bail on Xen Server and switch to PM .. I was having a terrible time getting a new build to start using a usb stick created with Rufus ... I have always relied on Rufus (in Windows 10) for making bootable USB sticks... before giving up on setup, I did searching on this forum --

I changed the program to imageUSB, created bootable USB on same Cruzer stick, and 20 minutes later, I have a running Promox host...

Thank You PM forum !

Bill Clark, Windham, VT
 
@SteveSi I followed those instructions with the same results as above. I never did get it working on a USB with out the "searching for cd-rom" /"unable to continue" error. I bit the bullet and made the trip to Walmart to buy some fresh DVD's. ISO burned perfectly, and I had the system up in a few minutes with a USB DVD Rom. Bottom line; There is a large group of people who say USB "works fine" and a large group complaining that USB "does not work at all" (on this forum and elsewhere). Might be worth a closer look by the devs.
 
I just tried it again using the latest version and the instructions in the 2nd part of the blog for v5 definitely work.
I got to the ProxMox desktop with no issues after using the lvm2root extra text on an NTFS E2B USB drive.
 
Last edited:
Hi

For those of you who had issues creating an bootable USB whit proxmox on it, here my Tip use the BalenaEtcher.
Hope this could finally help you

Kind regards
 
Using BalenaEtcher/imgburn/dd will work for single bootable USB, for multiboot USB, there has to be a workaround to mount CD/DVD drive with this ISO?, or when it gives # prompt can we mount or create links to /mnt so that the proxmox can look into it?. any idea let me know.
 
Finally found the temporary solution for multiboot and the porxmox team should look into this to correct the path or some script to auto load iso from the USB.

My findings
When the proxmox installation stops at below boot error
unable to continue (type exit or CTRL-D to reboot)
/ #

Mount the USB to /mnt with below command
Note: AFIK it will mount FAT/EXT partitions, and not NTFS/ExFAT/HPFS etc.. and your disk number could change (/dev/sd*) depending upon the number of disks attached to the system.

Code:
mount -t vfat  /dev/sdb1  /mnt
Then locate the proxmox iso file under /mnt which you just mounted, for me it was in "/etc/iso/proxmox.iso"

Then edit "init" file which is in /
Code:
cd /
vi init
Look for "cdrom" word and just below that you will find the path for ISO file is /proxmox.iso as shown in the attachment, just replace that path with "/etc/iso/proxmox.iso" then save the file.

proxmox-init-code-new.jpg

Now you just execute the init script as below

Code:
./init

That's it now you can continue with installation.


PS: Not sure in what intention they wrote this path in the init script!, perhaps proxmox team could explain this.
 
Same error - Dell T7610, Legacy & UEFI, both 5.4-1 & 5.3-2, can't mount sdb1 (my one is different) - tells invalid argument, can only mount entire disk (sdb) however in disk editors it shows 3 partitions. Here there are pve-installer.squashfs & pve-base.squashfs, mount pve-installer.squashfs - there is sbin/unconfigured.sh - try run - tells /bin/sh: ./unconfigured.sh: not found.
 
I think the init script may contain a clue as to why it works for some people but not others.
The script only searches for the ISO on Removable drives (such as most but not all Flash drives). So it won't find a named ISO if you are booting from a USB HDD or non-Removable type of USB Flash drive.
 
There is a screenshot of some of it in the post #29
https://forum.proxmox.com/threads/installing-from-usb-drive-issues.18115/page-2#post-250726

Also, if you use Easy2Boot, this should work...
1. Copy the .ISO file to \_ISO\LINUX on your E2B drive
2. Boot to the proxmox boot menu from the ISO
3. Select the first install option in the menu and press e for edit
4. Add the string lvm2root=/dev/sdX4 where X is the drive letter for your USB drive.
5. Press Ctrl+X to run it

Tested with proxmox-ve_5.4-1.iso on an NTFS USB HDD.

Strangely, on a laptop which contained an internal hard disk, /dev/sda4 worked but not /dev/sdb4 !!!
 
Yeah finally started the installer. Init script was in initrd image. What I did:
1. Format USB as MBR with main partition UNTITLED.
2. Copy iso files to USB via unetbootin to first USB partition.
3. Copy ISO to USB as proxmox.iso.
4. Boot into legacy.
5. Mkdir /mnt2 & mount /dev/sde1 /mnt2 (not /mnt important!)
6. Edit /init - replace /proxmox.iso as /mnt2/proxmox.iso
7. Run /init
 
However it didn't boot. So I found out a better way that works with UEFI: raw dd iso to usb, then replace in "/init" /proxmox.iso by /dev/sde (put here your device), then lower replace check "-f" (file) with "-b" (block device) - and it runs.
 
You should simply be able the edit the \boot\grub\grub.cfg file and add in a lvm2root=/dev/sde string.
???
 
I know this is a bit old, but just registered to say this has worked for me as well.
I was able to edit the iso file using the solutions proposed here, and make it work properly with a multiboot USB.

Here's the step-by-step, in case it helps someone else:

0. Install xorriso if needed
sudo apt install xorriso

1. Extract ISO file data to local file system
sudo xorriso -osirrox on -indev proxmox-ve_8.0-2.iso -extract / <destination_folder>

2. Edit '\BOOT\GRUB\GRUB.CFG' file in the extracted data, to have it point to the correct device when looking for the installation media

Add "lvm2root=/dev/sdb4" string to all Installer menuentry items, like so:

Original lines (locate these lines in the file):
linux /boot/linux26 ro ramdisk_size=16777216 rw quiet splash=silent linux /boot/linux26 ro ramdisk_size=16777216 rw quiet splash=silent proxtui linux /boot/linux26 ro ramdisk_size=16777216 rw splash=verbose proxdebug linux /boot/linux26 ro ramdisk_size=16777216 rw splash=verbose proxdebug proxtui linux /boot/linux26 ro ramdisk_size=16777216 rw splash=verbose proxtui nomodeset

Modified lines (replace them with these):
linux /boot/linux26 ro ramdisk_size=16777216 rw lvm2root=/dev/sdb4 quiet splash=silent linux /boot/linux26 ro ramdisk_size=16777216 rw lvm2root=/dev/sdb4 quiet splash=silent proxtui linux /boot/linux26 ro ramdisk_size=16777216 rw lvm2root=/dev/sdb4 splash=verbose proxdebug linux /boot/linux26 ro ramdisk_size=16777216 rw lvm2root=/dev/sdb4 splash=verbose proxdebug proxtui linux /boot/linux26 ro ramdisk_size=16777216 rw lvm2root=/dev/sdb4 splash=verbose proxtui nomodeset

NOTE:
Actual device name may vary - it's typically sdb when there is one hard drive present (the hard drive would be sda)
It could be sda if no hard drives are present. Or sdc if there are two hard drives, etc.
For multiboot USB drives, installation media will usually be on the 4th partition (hence, sdb4) - but this could vary as well - adapt as needed

3. Repack the ISO file with the updated data
sudo xorriso -as mkisofs -r -V 'PVE' -o <resulting_iso_file_path_and_name> --modification-date='2023062214560300' --grub2-mbr --interval:local_fs:0s-15s:zero_mbrpt,zero_gpt,zero_apm:'proxmox-ve_8.0-2.iso' --protective-msdos-label -partition_cyl_align off -partition_offset 0 -partition_hd_cyl 72 -partition_sec_hd 32 -apm-block-size 2048 -hfsplus -efi-boot-part --efi-boot-image -c '/boot/boot.cat' -b '/boot/grub/i386-pc/eltorito.img' -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 -boot-info-table --grub2-boot-info -eltorito-alt-boot -e '/efi.img' -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 5760 <path_of_previously_extracted_iso_data>

4. Add the edited ISO file to your multiboot USB drive

Done!


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Extra data (not needed for this fix, but nice to know):

Required parameters for the repacking command can be obtained by executing
xorriso -indev proxmox-ve_8.0-2.iso -report_el_torito as_mkisofs

Other useful xorriso commands, to obtain data about the ISO file:
xorriso -indev proxmox-ve_8.0-2.iso xorriso -indev proxmox-ve_8.0-2.iso -toc xorriso -indev proxmox-ve_8.0-2.iso -report_el_torito plain xorriso -indev proxmox-ve_8.0-2.iso -report_el_torito help xorriso -indev proxmox-ve_8.0-2.iso -report_el_torito as_mkisofs xorriso --help xorriso -as mkisofs -help

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A simpler alternative, to avoid opening and repacking the ISO file:

1. Just burn the original, unmodified Proxmox installation ISO file to your multiboot USB drive
2. On the initial installation screen don't select any options (as they will fail)
Instead, press 'e', to edit the installation parameters
3. Add the "lvm2root=/dev/sdb4" string at the exact same location as described above, when editing the GRUB.CFG file
4. Hit F10 to boot with the modified parameters

This is also useful if using a modified ISO, but for some reason the installation media is not on sdb4 - just edit the parameters and select the correct device

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Credits:

Edits required to GRUB.CFG file in order to run from multiboot USB: https://rmprepusb.blogspot.com/2014/03/add-proxmox-isos-to-easy2boot.html
How to edit and repack a hybrid ISO: https://stackoverflow.com/a/75688552
 

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