Using this package to create a bootable usb stick for openwrt.
The status of this package is currently 'it works for me', and it will
require more effort before it's generic across the board. Currently
only tested to be working on x86-2.6 using an initramfs image.
My development environment for this is a via epia with a
serial console (no monitors or keyboards attached).
To create the images that are bootable, configure your buildroot to include
the lilo package in the image, as well as e2fsprogs. Have it create an
ext2 file system as the target file system. Let it build the works.
When the build is finished, you will need to run the script 'mkbootable'
located in the lilo package directory, it requires root privileges to
loop mount the fs for installing lilo. When it's done, you have an
8 meg ext2fs root file system ready to run.
To use the image, dd it directly onto a usb stick. It should go onto
/dev/sda not /dev/sda1, it's assuming the stick is not partitioned.
When you boot the stick, you will get a lilo menu on the serial terminal.
The three options allow you to boot with the stick itself as the root file
system, or, to boot into a ramdisk, and not mount the stick at all. The
stick will likely show up at /dev/disc
Boot the unit, and select the ramdisk. Once up in the ramdisk, you can
use the e2fstools to expand the image to fill the stick and add a journal
to use it as ext3.
e2fsck -f /dev/disc
tune2fs -j /dev/disc
resize2fs /dev/disc
Reboot the box, and, have fun with openwrt on your x86 using the usb
stick to boot and run from.
