Re: [tlug] Running from USB memory stick (hardware issues)

[Jim Blackson <blackson@example.com>]

On Mon, 8 Mar 2021 16:56:43 +0900
"Stephen J. Turnbull" <turnbull.stephen.fw@example.com> wrote:

> Lyle H Saxon writes:
> 
>  > It varies from machine to machine, but in one NEC machine I recently used,
>  > the BIOS has several USB options - specifically:
>  > - USB FDD
>  > - USB HDD
>  > - USB Memory
>  > - USB CC/DVD
>  > That in itself seems a little odd to me.  Why isn't there just one USB
>  > setting and then the machine can look for something bootable via whatever
>  > is plugged in?
> 
> Sorry I can't help with the question of what to do.
> 
> As for the NEC BIOS, well, at the lowest level, all of those devices
> speak USB, but then within the USB protocol they speak various
> different protocols.  Then there may be partitions and so on up the
> stack.

Perhaps the NEC BIOS is an earlier version without much detection logic.

The above devices belong under USB Mass Storage class, but use different
transport methods and block commands.  The USB FDD uses CBI transport
over USB, and SCSI2-like commands based on INF-8070i.  This combination
was also used in early USB digital cameras. 

Because the CBI transport is somewhat slow, the BBB transport was soon born,
and used by all USB HDD and later devices. Commands should be SCSI Block
commands, while USB CD/DVD are probably using Mt. Fuji-style commands. 
The standard for booting from USB storage came afterwards.

To boot, here are some things you could try.
1) Try USB HDD or USB Memory setting with a USB thumb drive.
2) Use a small USB thumb drive, capacity less than 2GB
3) Use a standard MBR+FAT16 or MBR+FAT32 image on the thumb drive.
4) Use a Super Floppy (no MBR: BPB+FAT12 or BPB+FAT16) image.

YMMV,
jimb.