A question about Linux on USB

AWBbox · 22 Nov 2007 at 21:50

A question: If I were to say, install a distro of linux like xubuntu to a large usb pen (talking 8Gb) would I be able to boot and use it off any computer I put it in? I'm thinking of drivers etc here. Thanks for your input!

LeperousDust · 23 Nov 2007 at 01:42

No but there are ways to set up bootable distros on linux pens, they work slightly different more akin to the LiveCD's you find...

DRZ · 23 Nov 2007 at 03:53

You cannot simply install an OS to a USB pendrive but you can make a USB pendrive bootable. As said above, it works more like a LiveCD, ie a compressed volume is expanded into RAM to create the environment and you go from there.

I have done it myself a while ago from a Slax-based LiveCD ISO and a special tool to format the USB pendrive (which was from HP) which can be found here:

http://h18000.www1.hp.com/support/files/serveroptions/us/download/23839.html

Google will show you plenty of results if you search

AWBbox · 23 Nov 2007 at 07:54

aha, thanks. I found http://pendrivelinux.com/ and that has some interesting tutorials! Now all I have to do is wait for this to come out and i'll be laughing :cool:

thelonecrouton · 23 Nov 2007 at 16:45

Download PuppyLinux. Burn to cd. Boot from cd. Use menu option to create bootable USB image. Job done. And it runs blazingly fast as well.