[Novalug] running linux from bootable thumbdrive

Bonnie Dalzell bdalzell@qis.net
Mon Dec 15 20:58:13 EST 2014


On Mon, 15 Dec 2014, John Franklin wrote:

> I would forego the Microcenter thumb drives for bootable systems. 
> They, like most thumb drives, are way too slow for constant read/write 
> operations.  Splurge a bit and pick up a Sandisk Extreme, instead. 
> Yes, they're two to three times the cost of other "USB 3.0" thumb 
> drives, but the Extreme's performance is closer to a SSD on a stick than 
> a thumb drive.

a very good idea once one gets the technique perfected, but for 
experimentation the cheapo ones are good for learning.

thanks for pointing that out.

one of the suggested techniques - using mintstick - appeared to brick the 
thumb drive (unrecognized file format as far as either gparted or the drive 
manager was concerned). i was able to unbrick it eventually but I prefer 
to do the experimenting with the cheapos. will invest in a good ones for 
final use.


> jf
>
> On Dec 14, 2014, at 9:13 PM, Bonnie Dalzell via Novalug <novalug@firemountain.net> wrote:
>
>> i am learning about this now.
>>
>> Microcenter has really cheap thumb drives and my suggestion is, if you do not have some old small ones around - pick up several of the 8 GB or smaller Microcenter thumbdrives to experiment with.
>>
>> You need at least 2 GB for the boot and run but not save type installation and 4 GB for the installation where you can save stuff you do to the thumbdrive. The process of making the thumbdrive into a bootable linux OS completely wipes out anything previosuly on the thumb drive.
>>
>> *******
>> First: I have successfully set up a bootable thumb drive that you can use to install Ubuntu on a computer. You can run the OS while booted but you cannot save and work or changes made to the OS running from the thumb-drive.
>>
>> You can do this on a thumb drive of only 2 GB so if you have old ones you can experiment with them.
>>
>> For example I can add gnome commander to the OS while it is booted but on reboot gnome-commander is gone. This was a 2GB thumb drive.
>>
>> There are several techniques for doing this. The one using MintStick from a linux Mint boot created a thumbdrive that can be booted but the file system on the thumb drive is unrecognized by gparted so I cannot undo the experimental install yet. I do not reccommend MintStick.
>>
>> I did use this technique using UNetbootin which under Ubuntu and Mint is available through the Synaptic Software Manager.
>>
>> http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/linux/create-a-bootable-ubuntu-usb-flash-drive-the-easy-way/
>>
>>
>> *******
>> Second: Setting up a bootable thumb drive where you can save your work or changes to the thumb drive OS is called setting up a "persistant install" to the thumb drive. In case you are trying to google the process.
>>
>> For the persistant thumb drive you need more than 2 GB. I succsessfully set one up on an old 4 GB thumb drive. It also uses UNetbootin and you can set persistance from within the program.
>>
>> This was the clearest description I found to doing a persistant install.
>>
>> I did it with Linux Mint Cinnamon 16
>> http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=189&t=105155
>>
>>
>> Next I am going to try doing it with Xubuntu 12.04
>>
>> Third: Questions
>>
>> (1) is to find out how these bootable thumb drives interact with a system with Windows 8 or higher that has secure boot installed.
>>
>> (2) Are some versions of linux .iso files better for this than other versions. I suspect the standard desktop versions are best.
>>
>> (3) I have not figured out how to set up a user password. The persistant install I have seems to treat me as something between user and superuser. I can install programs without using sudo, but I have to open gnome-commander in root mode to change file permissions for files on the computer's harddrive. I can open a text file from my computer harddrive (after mounting the harddrive) and then save it to the home directory of the thumbdrive and it will acquire the thumbdrive user permissions. Then I can edit it. To get a copy back on the system harddrive in home I have to use gnome commander in root mode.
>>
>> Does anyone have any ideas.
>>
>>
>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>                       Bonnie Dalzell, MA
>> mail:PO box 9767 Baldwin, MD, USA 21013  |  EMAIL:bdalzell@qis.net
>> shipping address:5100 Hydes Rd 21082 (Hydes Post Office closed Jan 2012)
>> Freelance anatomist, vertebrate paleontologist, writer, illustrator, dog
>> breeder, computer nerd & iconoclast... Borzoi info at www.borzois.com.
>> HOME www.batw.net    ART bdalzellart.batw.net  BUSINESS www.boardingatwedge.com
>>
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>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                        Bonnie Dalzell, MA
mail:PO box 9767 Baldwin, MD, USA 21013  |  EMAIL:bdalzell@qis.net
shipping address:5100 Hydes Rd 21082 (Hydes Post Office closed Jan 2012)
Freelance anatomist, vertebrate paleontologist, writer, illustrator, dog
breeder, computer nerd & iconoclast... Borzoi info at www.borzois.com.
HOME www.batw.net    ART bdalzellart.batw.net  BUSINESS www.boardingatwedge.com




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