[OmniBook] can I use a usb drive as external boot device?

[Matt Taggart]

"Pareti, Joseph" writes...

> I have been failing to use an IDE disk "wrapped" in an USB type
> enclosure as boot and root device for an HP omni 6k.
>
> Using the same disk I can however boot from another HP laptop (nc6000),
> which tells me that all drivers are there.
>
> So I suspect the problem is in the firmware. My question is if this is
> at all possible, and if it is, where can I get the right fw release.

I know the ob500 (of the same release of machines, just smaller) didn't 
support booting from usb at first and a later firmware upgrade fixed it for 
me, so I suspect you are right about the ob6000.

I found the ob6000 firmware on hp.com,

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareIndex.jsp?lang=en&c
c=us&prodNameId=20053&prodTypeId=321957&prodSeriesId=31762&swLang=13&taskId=
135&swEnvOID=54

If that horrible url doesn't work you can get there by going to 
"Support&Drivers), search for "omnibook 6000" which will take you to the 
ob6000 support page, then click on "Download drivers and software", then 
"Cross operating system" and you'll get a link to the firmware. It says 
it's the same firmware as for the ob500, so I bet it will fix the USB 
booting issue (Version 4.31, 4 Nov 2002).

-- 
Matt Taggart        Open Source & Linux Organization R&D
taggart at fc.hp.com   Hewlett-Packard