Booting Linux from Simpletech Portable hd

[C:\Saw]

Hey everyone,

I have a question about a kernel panic in linux when trying to boot from a portable hd (see title). Now, I have no problem booting this distro (PCLOS) from my internal hd, but for some reason it will not boot from the portable hd.
The os installs fine (everything is on the drive), the bootloader installs fine (grub--the boot selection screen comes up), but when I choose to boot and turn silent splash off, i read kernel panic and it refuses to boot. The only two things i can think of is that the hd for some reason wont support running os's off it (maybe just for backup?), or the configuration for booting the kernel image is wrong, although I've tried different initdr settings and image settings.
Help?

[C:\Saw]

oh well, somebody close this thread

[nihil]

Well, I am not familiar with either your hardware or your OS, but I am pretty certain that it is not a hardware issue.

Your drive should support booting operating systems, however, make sure that the external power supply is connected and working.

Try creating a partition and loading something like Ubuntu............... if that doesn't panic then it is something to do with your settings.

but when I choose to boot and turn silent splash off

what is "silent splash" and why do you turn it off?

[C:\Saw]

the silent splash function in Linux is usually a default boot command that displays only the distro's logo and not the usual string of lines that shows the system starting up and all the processes beginning to run, basically so I could see what was going on at startup.

PCLinuxOS is just an offshoot of Mandriva (Mandrake)

I'm almost certain that the problem has to do with the system trying to call the kernel image from the wrong place, i.e. wrong location in grub for kernel image...i'll just try messing around with it later, no big deal (got a good deal on that hd)

oh, and it is powered through usb-- i know for sure it is not a hardware issue

[nihil]

Ah! I understand, the "silent splash" is a bit like "quick boot" in Windows. Yeah, I turn that off so I can see what is going on............ I have silent splash running on my Ubuntu at the moment though

I think that you are probably right about the cause. Just have a look at the USB drive and see if it does have a power input socket. Also try it in another USB socket and without anything else USB attached.

It is a very remote chance, but I have seen instances where a slightly weak USB supply coupled with a rather demanding device has produced strange results. I have never encountered it on a Linux box though so I don't know what might happen...................although I would say that a kernel panic would have been right at the bottom of my list of possibilities

Good luck, and please let us know how you get on.

[C:\Saw]

thanks nihil!