[SOLVED] LL2.2 Running from a USB stick only?

[newtusmaximus]

Is there a way to run LL2.2 from a USB stick  instead of installing -  Not as a Live  presence , but as an alternative to installing on a hard Drive.  Purpose  to run totally independently from the PC/laptop/    With USB sticks now 64GB+, is there any need to install - i.e. just take  the pre-installed stick (with OS & work files etc.) around with you and assuming you can get boot priority to USB, work on any pc/laptop at hand.

I can do this with puppy linux, but puppy limited to PETS etc.  i.e not so convenient.
Thanks.

[gold_finger]

Not a problem. 

Boot from a live LL and plug in your target USB.  Use GParted to get rid of the FAT partition on the USB first.  Leave unpartitioned, or set up partitions for LL with GParted ahead of time.

Now run the installer.  Choose the "Something else" install type.  On partitioning page, select your USB stick and choose the free space to make your Root and Swap partitions (or select pre-made partitions and set their mount points);  point the boot loader to the USB (/dev/sdb, or sdc, etc.) instead of /dev/sda;  finish install.

Reboot into USB LL and run updates.  Do not install a proprietary graphics driver if planning to use on multiple computers -- it will fail on computers that don't use that same type of graphics.  Instead, leave with generic Linux drivers.  Each boot up will load which ever one is appropriate for the machine it's on.

P.s.  Assuming you won't be hibernating computer when using USB stick, don't bother wasting a lot of space for the Swap partition.  You should be fine with no more than 1GB for Swap.

[Wirezfree]

Hi,

I did more or less what gold_finger indicates, for me it was out of curiosity.
All I can say is, It worked, but was pretty slow.

If you have a number of USB sticks, find the the fastest one with:

Code:

sudo hdparm -t --direct /dev/sdX

where X is the USB device

[ukbrian]

@WirezfreeWas that USB 2 or USB 3?

[Wirezfree]

Hi,

It was on USB3, this is with my fastest USB3 stick, a PNY-32GB

Code:

dave@asus-mini-1:~$ sudo hdparm -t --direct /dev/sdc1
/dev/sdc1:
Timing O_DIRECT disk reads: 252 MB in  3.00 seconds =  83.87 MB/sec

Compared to my Primary disk, SSD:

Code:

dave@asus-mini-1:~$ sudo hdparm -t --direct /dev/sda
/dev/sda:
Timing O_DIRECT disk reads: 1520 MB in  3.00 seconds = 506.59 MB/sec

and my 2nd disk WD-Black:

Code:

dave@asus-mini-1:~$ sudo hdparm -t --direct /dev/sdb
/dev/sdb:
Timing O_DIRECT disk reads: 314 MB in  3.00 seconds = 104.56 MB/sec

I guess "very slow" is perception.?
This is on a PC that was a very high spec Windows PC

[ukbrian]

I read a conversation with Ikey Docherty on google+  a few weeks ago where he was finding his USB 3 sticks slow so he tested them all and an Integral stick was 10X faster than any other USB stick he had, Corsairs etc so that's what I'll be getting next time.

[rokytnji]

This netbook has no hard drive yet, <snip> I am running off of a persistent 8 gig pendrive made with unetbootin. One of those tiny PNY micro pen drives.
Sound, Tap on mousepad, Wireless, Sound, and wait for it , TOUCHSCREEN, all work.

https://www.135978621.xyz/forums/index...;start=525

It ran faster than a conventional install like gold_finger mentioned.
I have also done those.

http://yatsite.blogspot.com/2009/07/inst...e-900.html

[newtusmaximus]

Thanks. LL forum is a gold mine for newbies like myself.


Would an external usb ssd be better I wonder??  Faster??

[ukbrian]

Thanks. LL forum is a gold mine for newbies like myself.


Would an external usb ssd be better I wonder??  Faster??

We were all new comers to Linux once friend, what was the hardest part of moving over to Linux, was it the partitioning?

Sometimes it's better to learn to walk before you start trying to run.  ;D

[Wirezfree]

I guess it will be like SD-Cards.?, some are much better than others.
I did some testing on the ones I had, again out of curiosity:
https://www.135978621.xyz/forums/index...pic=1213.0