Installing linux to an external HDD

hargi · 10 Feb 2012 at 10:34

Im assuming that if i follow this tutorial
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/installing-ubuntu-to-a-usb-hard-drive/

and install to an external HDD when i reattach my internal HDD so have both external and internal HDD plugged in at boot I can use the bios or f12?? to select which device to boot from? and they will be to different enteritis ?

masterluke · 10 Feb 2012 at 13:03

Yes that is one way of doing it. You want to check that your bios supports usb booting ( I guess the hard disk is connected to usb).

I like to do it this way myself as there is no danger of having problems with the original disk.

You can also install to a different partition on the main hard disk, or install linux to the external disk and use a boot loader on the main disk (like GRUB) to select which drive to boot.

hargi · 10 Feb 2012 at 13:15

Thanks masterluke,

Yeah I want it totally separate so that nothing can go wrong

, and I guess that way I can take it around with me and use it at any computer

masterluke · 10 Feb 2012 at 14:10

No worries - You *might* be able to use it on any computer depending on which distribution you choose and how you install it.

hargi · 10 Feb 2012 at 14:20

ohhh? which do you think will work?

masterluke · 10 Feb 2012 at 14:40

Personally I would use an ubuntu persistent livecd. This will give you excellent hardware support and persistence of data.

See here
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LiveCD/Persistence