Plop Boot Manager on Floppy / CD cannot boot from USB 1.1 motherboard

liukuohao · February 01, 2014, 10:52:30 AM

Hi all,

I am facing the problem on the plop boot manager on Floppy /CD.
It suppose to run and then transfer the boot process to USB 1.1 port.
A 4GB/8GB USB thumb is inserted on the old motherboards' USB 1.1 ports
and the system will run the OS installed on dumb drive.

So far I have tested 2 motherboards (Gigabyte GA-6BXC + ASUS A7N8X-E)
and both has the same problem......

I can get Plop Boot Manager to start up from floppy drive or from CD-ROM, but
it will get stuck while it transfers the system control to the motherboards' USB 1.1 ports.
As the result will not work with the motherboards's USB 1.1 ports and therefore,
I cannot boot up OS if I insert a thumb drive into the motherboard's USB 1.1 ports.

However, unless I installed the PCI to USB host adapter on the old motherboard
then plop boot manager will run without any problem.

Any idea why it is behaving this way? Is it only me having this problem?

Does it means the USB drivers in the plop boot manager is not compatible
to the motherboards' USB ports.

Appreciated if someone can assist

Thank you.

liukuohao · February 01, 2014, 10:55:08 AM

Please see the picture here, it shows the system is stuck or hung (no response):

It seems like the drivers for Intel chipset controlling the USB 1.1 port is not compatible.

liukuohao · February 01, 2014, 10:59:37 AM

However, unless I installed the PCI-to-USB host adapter (shown below) on the old motherboard
then plop boot manager will run without any problem, meaning it will pass the control to the
USB thumb drive (OS installed) and the OS installation will begin, please see the picture below:

Does this means that Plop Boot Manager is only works with PCI-to-USB host adapter?

Elmar · February 01, 2014, 13:12:14 PM

Quote from: liukuohao on February 01, 2014, 10:59:37 AM
Does this means that Plop Boot Manager is only works with PCI-to-USB host adapter?

no, it should work with the built in usb controller too. try the usb option when no usb device is connected. does the boot manager hang too?

liukuohao · February 01, 2014, 17:24:40 PM

I will try again, as much as I love to get it working, is there any possible chance that there is a
programming error here?

I post screenshot on the configuration of the plop boot manager later, just to make sure
that I did not screw up anything.

Elmar · February 01, 2014, 20:42:43 PM

Quote from: liukuohao on February 01, 2014, 17:24:40 PM
... is there any possible chance that there is a programming error here?

yes, absolutely.

liukuohao · February 02, 2014, 05:50:47 AM

Elmar, just for the record of troubleshooting the problem.....

I have remove PCI-to-USB adapater from the motherboard's PCI slot.

And...let it boot up normally, using Plop Boot Manager on CD and Floppy Diskette.

The result is the same, on the monitor, the screen will show the following message:

Loading EHCI driver
Searching on host
Driver removed
Loading UHCI driver
Searching on host
Host 1
Port 2: device connected.

And....after waiting about more than 1 sec or 2 sec, system will hang forever....
because starfield simulation running on background will just stop $:-\$
device connected - this could be that Plop has found a thumb drive
inserted on Port 2 of the USB 1.1 host (of the motherboard)

So basically the programming is actually work here!!!
But somehow, may be it cannot see or recognize the content in the thumb drive.

In contrast, if I stick a usb-to-PCI adapter and insert the thumb drive into
the adapter usb port, everything will work fine, Plop boot manager has no
problem in transferring the control and the OS installed on thumb drive will
load up successfully. Very strange right?

liukuohao · February 02, 2014, 05:57:41 AM

Ok, these are the steps that I have taken to create a Plop Boot Manager on Floppy Diskette.
May be I have messed up somewhere along the line?

Here is the picture attached:

STEP 1

Continue to the next thread.....

liukuohao · February 02, 2014, 05:58:55 AM

Here is step 2....

STEP 2

Continue to the next thread....

liukuohao · February 02, 2014, 06:02:30 AM

Finally here is step 3

STEP 3

liukuohao · February 02, 2014, 06:06:42 AM

May be STEP 3 attached picture's wording is too small to read....

Elmar · February 02, 2014, 10:27:42 AM

in your case, there is no setting that will change anything.

either its a problem with the combination

plop boot manager - usb host controller - usb device

or only with

plop boot manager - usb host controller

try another usb drive. when it hangs too, then there is currently no workaround.

vesalocal · February 02, 2014, 16:30:46 PM

Maybe there is a problem with the USB-device: I have a thumb drive _only_ working on USB2.0 or higher ports, not on USB1.1.
The logged message is "usb 1-1.1: rejected 1 configuration due to insufficient available bus power".

Can you use your drive on the built-in USB1.1 port as a storage medium (that means _not_ for booting purposes)?
You may have a similar useless drive like the one I own...

liukuohao · February 03, 2014, 10:37:23 AM

Quote from: Elmar on February 02, 2014, 10:27:42 AM
in your case, there is no setting that will change anything.

either its a problem with the combination

plop boot manager - usb host controller - usb device

or only with

plop boot manager - usb host controller

try another usb drive. when it hangs too, then there is currently no workaround.

YES, you are absolutely right!

I went and follow your advice.

I got another USB thumb drive, Kingston brand,
same as the last one I tried, same size 8GB,
except the 1st one has smaller form factor
(I think is the slim version, I cannot remember what model no.)
the other one with a larger form factor, is
called Kingston DT101 G2 works flawlessly
on my Gigabyte GA-6XBC motherboard with USB 1.1 ports.

liukuohao · February 03, 2014, 10:39:48 AM

What a relieve!!!........

Finally I got it loading my OS running, see the picture below:

liukuohao · February 03, 2014, 10:46:25 AM

Ok, here is I what have learned from experience.

When I inserted slim type version of the Kingston 8GB USB thumb drive
Plop boot Manager will not work- it will get hung when passing system to boot off
from the slim USB thumb drive.

REASON for it unknow. Please don't ask me. May be someone who has the
technical expertise can shed a light to this problem.

See the picture below:

liukuohao · February 03, 2014, 10:53:41 AM

OK, now the solution is to change a larger form factor of the
Kingston 8GB USB thumb drive DT101 G2 (shown below)

Everything will work, the system can boot off from
the Gigabyte GA-6BXC motherboad's built-in USB 1.1 ports,
if only when you can accept a longer time to boot since running off
slower speed and hence slower response.

liukuohao · February 03, 2014, 11:02:40 AM

Alternatively, another solution is.....
buy a PCI-to-USB adapter card, don't care it is USB 1.1 or USB 2.0 speed.
But preferably, a USB 2.0 speed, since it will load faster and cut down booting time.

If I insert the slim version of the Kingston 8GB USB thumb drive
into the port, Plop Boot Manager will pick up the USB device connected, and
load the sytem to boot off from the slim USB thumb drive.

I found a spare Firelink OTI chipset USB 1.1 PCI-to-USB host adapter card
installed into the motherboard's PCI slot and it work flawlessly, see below:

You may wonder why it works compare to the earlier method
(using motherboards' built-in USB 1.1 ports)?

Sorry, I could not answer you this question.
May be someone from the forum can answer this question.

I suspect that there is a hardware design compatibility problem
or something that prevent the communication between the motherboard's
build-in USB 1.1 ports and the slim USB 2.0 thumb drive.