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I downloaded Minix 3 from here and wrote it on a USB flash drive using Rufus (in Windows os). When it boots it says :

->NETBSD MBR boot
->Errror No active partition

I searched for "active partition" in google and found 2 ways to solve this problem using a live Linux. One of which is this:

->sudo fdisk /dev/sdxy 
->use the "a" option
->and then "w" it

The other way is using Gparted in Ubuntu (in "Ubuntu live") and then:

->Right-click the Primary partition you wish to make Active and select Manage Flags.
->In Manage Flags on ..., tick (to enable) the boot check box to make the

partition Active.

but none of this ways worked and I still have the problem. My laptop is LGX13.

(However, this does not make any difference because I booted Minix on my other laptops and still problem was there).

Have anyone else had this problem?

How did you solve it?

Is there any other way to activate a partition?

David
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2 Answers2

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I solved the problem by using a CD/DVD instead of a USB flash drive. As it is written in minix3 official website, it can't be booted through a USB flash drive.

David
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I actually encountered this error today, too. Any Linux distribution usually supports installation from a USB drive so I assumed Minix3 would do so, too. But that is not the case! This link provides a detailed description of a workaround, though. Taken from that source:

First step: make a bootable USB of your favorite Linux or *BSD flavor, in which you > can install Qemu. USB persistency is recommended, though normal USB without persistency can also be used if Qemu can be installed on RAM, as Qemu isn't necessary after a successful installation.

Second step: boot the target machine with your live USB, set up the network, then download and install Qemu. Alternatively, if there are network issues with the live USB, Qemu can be installed by downloading its packages or sources separately, along with the Minix ISO (see below), and then copied to the bootable USB disk. Don't worry, an Internet connection won't be necessary during the MINIX install.

Third step: download the Minix ISO and save it in your persistent USB or any normal FAT USB. If there are network issues, download it before the second step (as mentioned above). Save it as normal ISO file. You're now ready to perform the installation.

Issue the following command: You will have to customize the command for your bootable USB platform. Be patient, as it may be very slow if not used in conjunction with KVM:

qemu-system-i386 -m 512 -drive file=/dev/wd0c,format=raw,media=disk -cdrom /tmp/minix_R3.3.0.iso -boot d &

Again, refer to the link for a more detailed explanation. I just included this long quote in case the link might be dead in the future.

Community
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Daniel Schütte
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