Re: GRUB & usb-modeswitch.

[Nicolas de Pesloüan]

Le 01/11/2010 01:52, Goh Lip a écrit :
> On Monday 01,November,2010 05:43 AM, Nicolas de Pesloüan wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > First post here, but I checked the archive first, without success.
> >
> > On Linux, I use an USB device that provide a 3G "modem" and a slot for a
> > micro SD card.
> >
> > Because this device use the ZeroCD technology, I need to use
> > usb-modeswitch to switch the device from its native mode (being seen as
> > a CD reader) to its operational mode (being seen as a serial device + a
> > storage device).
> >
> > I would like to be able to use GRUB2 to boot from this device.
> >
> > Unfortunately, GRUB2 is unable to use it, as the device is not seen as a
> > storage device until switched.
> >
> > It would be really convenient to be able to switch the device from
> > inside GRUB2. Switching is done by sending a message into an USB bulk
> > endpoint. Having already most of the USB work done for normal GRUB2
> > operation, I assume this should not be a major work.
> >
> > Any comments ?
>
> Have not used or tried usb-modeswitch myself, but would comment #9 of
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/usb-modeswitch/+bug/477031
> help?

Unfortunately, not.

To clarify:

The device works perfectly if a boot from a hard disk and use usb_modeswitch. So I don't have any 
problem with the device, except the fact that I cannot boot from the micro SD integrated into the 
device.

Being able to boot from this device would provide a tiny but powerful portable environment, with 
full featured operating system, data storage and remote access using 3G connection.

As the device is seen as a virtual CD reader before switching, I imagine "virtually burning" an El 
Torito bootable ISO image into it. This ISO image would only include a GRUB2 image, that would 
switch the device from ZeroCD to storage+modem and boot (chainload ?) from the integrated micro SD.

Hence the need to be able to switch the device from inside GRUB2.

Anyway, thanks for your reply.

        Nicolas.