How to install Linux Arch from USB on a computer with old hardware?

Question

USB flash drives

Hello. I am new to using Linux systems, having about 3 months of experience using Linux Ubuntu 12.04. I set myself the task of mastering Linux at a high level sufficient for administration, so I decided to choose the Arch distribution.
The task, it would seem, is not so difficult - install Arch on USB, install it on a PC. However, I ran into an unexpected problem.
I have the latest distribution (archlinux-2013.12.01-dual.iso), I have a 4 Gb flash drive, I have an old (1 Gb DDR 400, AMD 64 3200+, K8) PC and PC with W8.1 and Linux Ubuntu 12.04, on which all dances with a tambourine take place.
On the Arch wiki on the official Arch site, everything is done with a single dd command. I did it too - but not for this computer, it just ignores such a USB.
Attempts to create a bootable flash drive using LiLi-style auto-do-it-for-you programs, various magick-supper-duper-USB-all-linux-creator did not end in success. Programs are either not friends with Arch, which is basically predictable, or they are not detected by the PC.
The tricky way with setting the "boot" flag, and copying the image from the image with the cp command also helped, but not for my PC. But there is progress - the PC now sees the USB when booting, but reports that it is not bootable (although the other computer loads this image perfectly).
The method of renaming the folder and files from isolinux to syslinux, which are present in the distribution, did not help.
The last thing I managed to try today is an article on Habré ( habrahabr.ru/post/135637). Here, I see that the essence of the method is revealed in more detail, however, for me, as a native Windows user, the part of the article starting with
For any Linux distribution on a separate partition is completely incomprehensible:
menuentry 'BackTrack 5 R1' --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
set gfxpayload=$linux_gfx_mode
insmod gzio
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
insmod fat
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root BC1B-344D
linux /casper/vmlinuz file=/preseed/custom .seed boot=casper text splash vga=791 --
initrd /casper/initrd.gz
}
What is it? Should this be done under a terminal? Should I fix any Grub file? Should I create a text file on each section with a similar description? Should Grub be expected to load and should this be entered on its command line?
Alas, as a regular reader of Habr, I cannot comment and ask a question directly under the article, however, this method, in the end, may not help either.
Well, actually, the essence of the question is how to start the installation of Arch from a flash drive, on a computer that ignores EFI, isolinux, syslinyx. Or tell me, maybe I'm making mistakes, maybe I'm doing something wrong. This would be the most likely, given that after reading each article, you have to translate it from Linuxoid to human.
And another little complication. Boot priority has been given to a flash drive since time immemorial. At the moment, the keyboard is turned on in USB and this deprives me even of the right to view the BIOS settings, however, rare attempts that end in boot errors when the flash drive is installed prove that the flash drive has boot priority.
I would be very grateful for the explanation.

Answer 1

1. syslinux is the same bootloader as GRUB and so on. It just needs to be launched. EFI is already a new BIOS architecture, in short.
2. The above piece (which should be hidden under the cut) is a piece from the GRUB configs. I don't think it will be useful
3. There is a USB to PS/2 adapter that I think you can find in any market where there is a hint of a PC. Useful for BIOS control.
And now to the point. Something seems to me that the problem is in the BIOS, because if the flash drive works (as I understand it) on one PC, but does not work on another, this is already a problem on another PC.
What is the problem with writing to disk and starting from it?
I haven't used it myself, but I've only heard good things about UNetbootin.

Answer 2

Hello.

Programs are either not friends with Arch, which is basically predictable, or they are not detected by the PC.

Everything should be friends, who told you that? Use UNetbootin and don't mess with your brain. Probably old bios (that's why it won't load), try updating or using plop manager.

on a computer that ignores EFI...

EFI / UEFI is a bios replacement, in general, if you have a percentage of Sandy Bridge and a new mother, then it's understandable. But AMD 3200+ , I don't think it has EFI on that computer.
Take an adapter, as advised above, or borrow another keyboard. I always said "Take ps / 2, what if you have to do something under dos, but there are no drivers!"
https://wiki.archlinux.org/ is a rather complex resource, there is a lot of information there. Use Russian *nix portals.
Tip: learn how loaders work.
PS: I often don’t understand the choice of distributions such as arch or genta by beginners. Why not debian or slack?

Answer 3

For study, you can install it in a VirtualBox/Qemu etc virtual machine

Answer 4

I faced a similar problem, and it was not possible by any means to make a bootable gentoo flash drive (I decided for myself that flash drives are cursed) that would be readable on old hardware. I made it a little easier, connected the hard drive directly and with help and did the installation already on hdd directly and configured it via chroot, the main thing here is not to confuse /dev/sda which in this case will most likely be the system drive with the drive on which you are going to install. In Arch, there is such an installation option in the documentation.

Answer 5

I was also tormented... Find no instal image, unpack and add
"Internet" menuentry to rough {
set root=(hd0,1)
linux vmlinuz # Path to kernel
initrd /initrd.lz # Path to ramdisk
}
And update Grub