Installing on a USB stick

furry · 2011-02-12 04:13:07

Hi. I want to install Archbang on the flash drive (I have no intention at all to use the hard drive). Is this possible? Yesterday I tried a few times, but each time the plant started up and finally jumped on the failure of communication. I think this is a problem with the improper selection of a partition on USB .Any ideas how to solve this?: |
Ps. Sorry for my poor English.

Last edited by furry (2011-02-12 04:22:18)

amayatheworld · 2011-02-12 06:22:33

Hi there,
If your USB is partitioned hopefully someone else may be of help.
However, if its improper selection of the drive as in using incorrect paths as /dev/sdx1 where as it is suppose to be /dev/sdx and x is the variable like a, b, c that's all there is to it.

Here's a link to alternative ways of install Arch and in no way is this an RTFM response! lol I've gotten that alot myself, but again hopefully someone else will come and help.
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Pu … _a_USB_key

Also if your looking to boot multiple distros multiboot is worth a look.
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/boot-multi … iboot-usb/

Best of luck.

furry · 2011-02-12 07:35:10

Thank you for your reply, but I already read those articles. But it did not help in the installation: |

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/In … stallation it is possible to do that with archbang?

Last edited by furry (2011-02-12 08:02:13)

haikuhacker · 2011-02-12 13:11:53

Amayatheworld's world's first link has instructions for downloading an Archbang image then dumping it onto an unmounted usb drive with the command:

dd if=image.iso of=/dev/sd[x]

This is the best way to get a bootable usb Archbang live OS. Archbang's images are hybrid with a syslinux signature. Making this method optimal.

If you want a persistent portable OS, the link you last posted should work for you. I would format the usb drive with non-journaling ext2 to extend the life of the flash drive.

gone · 2011-02-13 01:30:58

don't bother it can't be done, you can dd the image over to a USB or SD card, you may even make it persistent, but it cannot be installed.

haikuhacker · 2011-02-13 11:05:02

This guy says he made it work

gone · 2011-02-13 13:06:55

haikuhacker wrote:

This guy says he made it work

tried that exact procedure many times, did not work for me

haikuhacker · 2011-02-13 13:12:59

kerios wrote:

haikuhacker wrote:
This guy says he made it work
tried that exact procedure many times, did not work for me

But it worked for him, so it can be done.

pablokal · 2011-02-13 13:25:19

It depends on your bios if that is capable of booting from usb.
The guy in the linked post has a bios that can do that.
Pc's older than 5 or 6 years often can't, but younger ones have a bios that can be set to boot from usb.

I have two pc's that cannot do tit and I made a solution taken from pendrive:
make a bootcd that boots the usbimage as a workaround.
I have done so for crunchbang and madbox, so it should be possible for Arch too but I never tried it.

See this old post of mine: http://stillstup.blogspot.com/2010/01/c … x-910.html

Kruppt · 2011-02-13 14:52:07

pablokal wrote:

It depends on your bios if that is capable of booting from usb.
The guy in the linked post has a bios that can do that.
Pc's older than 5 or 6 years often can't, but younger ones have a bios that can be set to boot from usb.
I have two pc's that cannot do tit and I made a solution taken from pendrive:
make a bootcd that boots the usbimage as a workaround.
I have done so for crunchbang and madbox, so it should be possible for Arch too but I never tried it.
See this old post of mine: http://stillstup.blogspot.com/2010/01/c … x-910.html

Booting usb devices on older machines that do not have usb boot capability via bios (flash drives, usb sticks, etc.)
can be done using Plop Bootmanager. There are several methods, check site for more methods.
I am showing one method of doing so by chain loading/booting via GRUB to PloP Bootmanager.

http://www.plop.at/en/bootmanager.html

Copy plbt.bin to /boot and edit menu.lst as below.
Take note that in the below example /boot and grub are on sda5,
So edit BIOS device spec to reflect your /boot partition device location. (if /dev/sda1 (hd0,0), if /dev/sda2 (hd0,1) etc.)
Take note also that the bootable usb device should be the only usb device plugged in when booting machine.
After you have booted from the USB device using PloP BootManager, you can then plug in USB devices you may need.
(USB device is sometimes not seen otherwise)

Example below:

title Chain Load PLoP Boot Manager
root (hd0,4)
kernel (hd0,4)/boot/plpbt.bin

Kruppt

Last edited by Kruppt (2011-02-13 21:32:52)

pablokal · 2011-02-14 07:14:16

I have tried plop and had no success with it on mentioned pc.
Maybe because I use usb keyboard and mouse.
But it is a method you can try of course.

spacetekcrusaders · 2011-02-14 07:41:54

Well, can you just copy the iso file onto the flashdrive, and use it without installing it? Are there any problems with doing that? I do not think that reduces the functionability at all, but I am not sure. It seemed fine to me, but I did not try to save anything so there might be a problem with that. But you can probably run the computer off of one flashdrive and save any work onto a different flashdrive.

However, if you are going to use the iso file on a flashdrive, you have to copy the file to the computer first, then you can move the file to the flashdrive.

Kruppt · 2011-02-14 14:49:51

pablokal wrote:

I have tried plop and had no success with it on mentioned pc.
Maybe because I use usb keyboard and mouse.
But it is a method you can try of course.

Yeah, I have tried it on several, the method does work if no other usb device is attached.
(have not tried archbang yet, just systemresuecd)
On older machines there generally are PS/2 ports that can be utilized for mouse and keyboard.
So if someone wanted to be able to boot usb devices on older biosed machines that do not
have usb boot capability, they would have to use the PS/2 devices. (keyboard/mouse)
When I find the time I will dd archbang iso over to flash drive and see if I can boot it
from some older boxes. I have tried the Plop Bootmanager method described above
with systemrescue installed on Scandisk usb stick and it did work on them all
as long as the usb stick was the only device attached upon booting.
May be a helpful tool to some.

Kruppt

vrovas · 2011-02-28 10:25:13

Hi
I just finished installation on USB stick of 8Gb. It's took me a few oures but I did it . As mention above create 2 partition (7/1) (the best from live SD tools) and install ArchBang on first partition and 2-nd is Swap.It works OK and I am writing from running AB USB. If I did it without deep knowledge of AB everybody can DO

vrovas · 2011-02-28 10:27:42

I forgot to mention that I used AB 2011/02 new one

pablokal · 2011-02-28 13:46:33

. As mention above create 2 partition (7/1) (the best from live SD tools) and install ArchBang on first partition and 2-nd is Swap

Because of the limited number of write cycles of an usb stick (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_memory#Memory_wear) it is generally considered bad practice to create a swap file on it.
Also ext2 is advised against ext 4 because of the more writing of the newer journaling file system.

Kruppt · 2011-02-28 17:33:14

Kruppt wrote:

Booting usb devices on older machines that do not have usb boot capability via bios (flash drives, usb sticks, etc.)
can be done using Plop Bootmanager. There are several methods, check site for more methods.
I am showing one method of doing so by chain loading/booting via GRUB to PloP Bootmanager.
http://www.plop.at/en/bootmanager.html
Copy plbt.bin to /boot and edit menu.lst as below.
Take note that in the below example /boot and grub are on sda5,
So edit BIOS device spec to reflect your /boot partition device location. (if /dev/sda1 (hd0,0), if /dev/sda2 (hd0,1) etc.)
Take note also that the bootable usb device should be the only usb device plugged in when booting machine.
After you have booted from the USB device using PloP BootManager, you can then plug in USB devices you may need.
(USB device is sometimes not seen otherwise)
Example below:
title Chain Load PLoP Boot Manager
root (hd0,4)
kernel (hd0,4)/boot/plpbt.bin

pablokal wrote:

I have tried plop and had no success with it on mentioned pc.
Maybe because I use usb keyboard and mouse.
But it is a method you can try of course.

Kruppt wrote:

Yeah, I have tried it on several, the method does work if no other usb device is attached.
(have not tried archbang yet, just systemresuecd)
On older machines there generally are PS/2 ports that can be utilized for mouse and keyboard.
So if someone wanted to be able to boot usb devices on older biosed machines that do not
have usb boot capability, they would have to use the PS/2 devices. (keyboard/mouse)
When I find the time I will dd archbang iso over to flash drive and see if I can boot it
from some older boxes. I have tried the Plop Bootmanager method described above
with systemrescue installed on Scandisk usb stick and it did work on them all
as long as the usb stick was the only device attached upon booting.
May be a helpful tool to some.

I finally got around to using dd to image
an ISO file of ArchBang onto a SanDisk USB Stick.
The ArchBang USB flash drive booted on all the
older computers I tried it on, using PloP BM.
(that lacked USB Bios Boot capabilities)

Kruppt

vrovas · 2011-02-28 17:39:17

Yes I read about that. My partition are ext3. But most important as that guy who did it, it works the only deference is that grub install on usb and no changes needed.

pablokal · 2011-03-01 05:56:54

I finally got around to using dd to image
an ISO file of ArchBang onto a SanDisk USB Stick.
The ArchBang USB flash drive booted on all the
older computers I tried it on, using PloP BM.
(that lacked USB Bios Boot capabilities)
Kruppt

I understand that you did this with no other usb devices attached.
My problem is that mouse and keyboard are usb only on my older pc.

Kruppt · 2011-03-01 19:20:25

pablokal wrote:

I finally got around to using dd to image
an ISO file of ArchBang onto a SanDisk USB Stick.
The ArchBang USB flash drive booted on all the
older computers I tried it on, using PloP BM.
(that lacked USB Bios Boot capabilities)
Kruppt
I understand that you did this with no other usb devices attached.
My problem is that mouse and keyboard are usb only on my older pc.

Yeah Pablokal, I was just confirming it works with ArchBang.
PloP Bootmanager is a good tool to have on hand.

Kruppt

vrovas · 2011-03-02 19:55:05

Hi
I took moderators advice to svae USBstick and I install AB to USB HD using procedure above. And it works OK just using it now. The deference is when edit hooks need to add usb(word) on the end and when installing grub install on USB HD and no changes needed unless you running Windows from main HD .It works perfekt

vrovas · 2011-03-02 19:57:19

Btw Furry u can install now to USB and Kerio try again and U can make it

gone · 2011-03-03 02:18:05

ty vrovas will be trying again this weekend

vrovas · 2011-03-13 09:00:38

Hi kerios
Ilost my 40 GB HD (droped) and install CB on onother HD 30 GB the same procedure. No problem. What about You any lack ???

Arch Linux

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#1 2011-02-12 04:13:07

Installing on a USB stick

#2 2011-02-12 06:22:33

Re: Installing on a USB stick

#3 2011-02-12 07:35:10

Re: Installing on a USB stick

#4 2011-02-12 13:11:53

Re: Installing on a USB stick

#5 2011-02-13 01:30:58

Re: Installing on a USB stick

#6 2011-02-13 11:05:02

Re: Installing on a USB stick

#7 2011-02-13 13:06:55

Re: Installing on a USB stick

#8 2011-02-13 13:12:59

Re: Installing on a USB stick

#9 2011-02-13 13:25:19

Re: Installing on a USB stick

#10 2011-02-13 14:52:07

Re: Installing on a USB stick

#11 2011-02-14 07:14:16

Re: Installing on a USB stick

#12 2011-02-14 07:41:54

Re: Installing on a USB stick

#13 2011-02-14 14:49:51

Re: Installing on a USB stick

#14 2011-02-28 10:25:13

Re: Installing on a USB stick

#15 2011-02-28 10:27:42

Re: Installing on a USB stick

#16 2011-02-28 13:46:33

Re: Installing on a USB stick

#17 2011-02-28 17:33:14

Re: Installing on a USB stick

#18 2011-02-28 17:39:17

Re: Installing on a USB stick

#19 2011-03-01 05:56:54

Re: Installing on a USB stick

#20 2011-03-01 19:20:25

Re: Installing on a USB stick

#21 2011-03-02 19:55:05

Re: Installing on a USB stick

#22 2011-03-02 19:57:19

Re: Installing on a USB stick

#23 2011-03-03 02:18:05

Re: Installing on a USB stick

#24 2011-03-13 09:00:38

Re: Installing on a USB stick

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