We believe that your issue has been closed by the upload of
Version 0.9.19 of grml2usb from Michael Prokop <mika@grml.org>.
The explanation is attached below

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

Format: 1.8
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:34:56 +0100
Source: grml2usb
Binary: grml2usb
Architecture: source all
Version: 0.9.19
Distribution: unstable
Urgency: low
Maintainer: Michael Prokop <mika@grml.org>
Changed-By: Michael Prokop <mika@grml.org>
Description: 
 grml2usb   - install grml system / ISO to usb device
Changes: 
 grml2usb (0.9.19) unstable; urgency=low
 .
   [ Ulrich Dangel ]
   * check_for_fat always check for fat device.
   * Unset option.syslinux if grub option is set.
   * Mount vfat devices with explicit iocharset option.
     [Closes: issue735]
Checksums-Sha1: 
 208214f8f2d81de7dc8edb419c3068f2019db550 875 grml2usb_0.9.19.dsc
 6ca3a0e0fb15fdbda9e5d25e995961e72f4eb26a 1241835 grml2usb_0.9.19.tar.gz
 18182054c7abaf78e8f5a3ab9501fae2a9a28f00 862022 grml2usb_0.9.19_all.deb
Checksums-Sha256: 
 2d4c930717100512994c86fc16a0bc25a8d2ee1bfdb61a064f2b42b19f488d0d 875 grml2usb_0.9.19.dsc
 08262a183747794ec8064f7496dcf4c4da36b3eb3e830f27f756109a757e6d93 1241835 grml2usb_0.9.19.tar.gz
 3eea57f5728ff444958689512db3e3b9e08b3e6ed6d5b4a9ac92c2bd1ce15db6 862022 grml2usb_0.9.19_all.deb
Files: 
 e5dcbbec6e04f7a5e2809469b6998a2b 875 grml optional grml2usb_0.9.19.dsc
 130101e4cf2b7de3fac86b8d913c2a27 1241835 grml optional grml2usb_0.9.19.tar.gz
 ea6b0473974420830f68e0b050391846 862022 grml optional grml2usb_0.9.19_all.deb

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I got a similar bugreport via mail by Mario 'BitKoenig' Holbe who thanksfully 
debugged this issue. It's related to the case-sensitivity with Debian's 
iocharset=utf-8:

# mount -o loop,ro /home/ftp/pub/Software/Linux/grml/grml.deb.at/
grml64_2009.05.iso /mnt
# mount /media/stick0
# mkdir -p /media/stick0/boot/addons 
# rsync -rlptDH --inplace /mnt/boot/addons/bsd4grml /media/stick0/boot/addons//
# rsync -rlptDH --inplace /mnt/boot/addons/bsd4grml /media/stick0/boot/addons//
# umount /media/stick0
# mount /media/stick0
# rsync -rlptDH --inplace /mnt/boot/addons/bsd4grml /media/stick0/boot/addons//
rsync: open "/media/stick0/boot/addons/bsd4grml/LICENCE.TXT" failed: File 
exists (17)
rsync error: some files/attrs were not transferred (see previous errors) (code 
23) at main.c(1057) [sender=3.0.6]
# ll /media/stick0/boot/addons/bsd4grml | grep -i licen  
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root   23098 Apr 11 12:36 licence.txt

Without iocharset=utf-8 it works:

# mount -o iocharset=iso8859-1 /media/stick0
# mkdir -p /media/stick0/boot/addons
# rsync -rlptDH --inplace /mnt/boot/addons/bsd4grml /media/stick0/boot/addons//
# rsync -rlptDH --inplace /mnt/boot/addons/bsd4grml /media/stick0/boot/addons//
# rsync -rlptDH --inplace /mnt/boot/addons/bsd4grml /media/stick0/boot/addons//
# ll /media/stick0/boot/addons/bsd4grml | grep -i licen
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root   23098 Apr 11 12:36 licence.txt
# rsync -rlptDH --inplace /mnt/boot/addons/bsd4grml /media/stick0/boot/addons//
# umount /media/stick0
# mount -o iocharset=iso8859-1 /media/stick0
# rsync -rlptDH --inplace /mnt/boot/addons/bsd4grml /media/stick0/boot/addons//
# 

regards,
-mika-

Tried it myself and can't reproduce it. :(

Just got another example:
> sudo grml2usb --grub --skip-syslinux-config --fat16 grml_2009.10.iso
grml64_2009.10.iso /dev/sdb3
Executing grml2usb version 0.9.17
Are you sure you want to format the specified partition with fat16? y/N y
Note: you can skip this question using the option --force
Formating partition with fat16 filesystem
mkfs.vfat 3.0.6 (04 Oct 2009)
Using ISO grml_2009.10.iso
Identified grml flavour "grml".
Copying files. This might take a while....
Skipping generation of syslinux configuration as requested.
Using ISO grml64_2009.10.iso
Identified grml flavour "grml64".
Copying files. This might take a while....
rsync: open "/tmp/grml2usbTHcmFb/boot/addons/bsd4grml/LICENCE.TXT" failed: File
exists (17)
rsync error: some files/attrs were not transferred (see previous errors) (code
23) at main.c(1057) [sender=3.0.6]
Fatal: could not install /tmp/grml2usbpyyn-r/boot/addons/bsd4grml
Cleaning up before exiting...
sudo grml2usb --grub --skip-syslinux-config --fat16 grml_2009.10.iso    11.43s
user 9.24s system 6% cpu 5:15.69 total

* Jörg Sommer <bts@bts.grml.org> [20090912 14:52]:

> I want to install two grml flavors (i386 and amd64) on a usb device. But
> I get these messages and the installation aborts.

> # grml2usb --bootloader-only admin/Software/grml* /dev/sda1
> Executing grml2usb version 0.9.11
> Using ISO admin/Software/grml_2009.05.iso
> Identified grml flavour "grml".
> rsync: open "/tmp/grml2usbdE9wbN/boot/addons/bsd4grml/LICENCE.TXT" failed: File exists (17)
> rsync error: some files/attrs were not transferred (see previous errors) (code 23) at main.c(1057) [sender=3.0.6]
> Fatal: could not install /tmp/grml2usbthcgMF/boot/addons/bsd4grml
> Cleaning up before exiting...

> After altering grml2usb to ignore the return value of rsync, the
> installation goes on and I only get the messages from rsync.

Sorry, can't reproduce here.

Which rsync version do you have?
Here it's:

# rsync --version
rsync  version 3.0.5  protocol version 30

> BTW: Is it possible to send bug reports with reportbug? If not, you
> should set the Bugs: field in the package header.

No, sadly no support for reportbug. I've adjusted the headers, thanks.

regards,
-mika-

Hello,

I want to install two grml flavors (i386 and amd64) on a usb device. But
I get these messages and the installation aborts.

# grml2usb --bootloader-only admin/Software/grml* /dev/sda1
Executing grml2usb version 0.9.11
Using ISO admin/Software/grml_2009.05.iso
Identified grml flavour "grml".
rsync: open "/tmp/grml2usbdE9wbN/boot/addons/bsd4grml/LICENCE.TXT" failed: File exists (17)
rsync error: some files/attrs were not transferred (see previous errors) (code 23) at main.c(1057) [sender=3.0.6]
Fatal: could not install /tmp/grml2usbthcgMF/boot/addons/bsd4grml
Cleaning up before exiting...

After altering grml2usb to ignore the return value of rsync, the
installation goes on and I only get the messages from rsync.

BTW: Is it possible to send bug reports with reportbug? If not, you
should set the Bugs: field in the package header.

Bye, Jörg.
-- 
Dein Gesicht wird dir geschenkt. Lächeln musst du selber! (Inga Hermann)