Hands-Off install Mint to USB request

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BakUp
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Hands-Off install Mint to USB request

Post by BakUp »

I was running a Sidux 2007-4 install/live cd today and noticed in the Sidux menu an entry titled "install to USB". which got my attention quickly. Below are the simple steps to achieve this:

Count my left clicks:
1. install to USB
2. confirm USB drive to install on

That is it, it brings up a terminal showing the progress of the install.

This to me is one of the greatest features I have ever seen on a Linux distro. Now I can have this LiveUSB with me at all times, just waiting for me to show off Linux to all my family, friends, or any other computer user's I run onto. Of course I would rather have my favorite Linux Distro Mint 4.0 on the USB instead. Just think of the impact of this tool, all Mint users, including the new users which have been growing and growing since LM 4.0 has been released, could easily have a Mint LiveUSB in their possession.

I know one can install Mint to a USB flash/pen drive now manually, but that is not one of the easiest things to do.

I am begging the Mint developers to please consider this option in the future.

regards,
BakUp
Last edited by BakUp on Tue Jan 22, 2008 6:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
My Linux Distros:
sidux - Parsix - DreamLinux - Mint
smash102

Re: Hands-Off install Mint to USB request

Post by smash102 »

I agree, too bad we few have an interest in this. But then again, think of how many people have an interest and instead of posting on the forum would rather just look elsewhere. It kind of goes along the lines of for every 1 person that speaks up there are at least 10 more thinking the same thing.

Oh and not JUST a LIVE-USB a PERSISTENT one with a user prompt like a normal OS!
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merlwiz79
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Re: Hands-Off install Mint to USB request

Post by merlwiz79 »

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smash102

Re: Hands-Off install Mint to USB request

Post by smash102 »

With the method listed here:
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/2007/10/31 ... m-windows/
Linux Mint loads relatively fast. Less than 2 min off a 4Gig USB2 Pen drive. Some might think that’s slow, but I am testing it on a 400MHz Dell Desktop. So for that beast it’s pretty fast!
Only bad things is its not persistent.
yamawho
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Re: Hands-Off install Mint to USB request

Post by yamawho »

This would be good.

An option for LiveUSB and another option if you want it persistent.
mark0610

Re: Hands-Off install Mint to USB request

Post by mark0610 »

I would be very interested in a USB Mint version. I'm a newbie and I have tried the Pendrive install method and it just doesn't work for me, I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but I would love to take Mint around with me because I have been telling everyone about it.
Please please please...hhmmm no hands clasp together emoticom on here
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BakUp
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Re: Hands-Off install Mint to USB request

Post by BakUp »

Thank you all for your support of a Mint Live USB, I for one really appreciate that.
My Linux Distros:
sidux - Parsix - DreamLinux - Mint
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merlwiz79
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Re: Hands-Off install Mint to USB request

Post by merlwiz79 »

mark0610 wrote:I would be very interested in a USB Mint version. I'm a newbie and I have tried the Pendrive install method and it just doesn't work for me, I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but I would love to take Mint around with me because I have been telling everyone about it.
Please please please...hhmmm no hands clasp together emoticom on here
This one should work for you.
http://linuxmint.com/forum/viewtopic.ph ... &sk=t&sd=a
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belovedmonster
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Re: Hands-Off install Mint to USB request

Post by belovedmonster »

I'd love a simple way of installing Linux to a USB drive.
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BakUp
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Re: Hands-Off install Mint to USB request

Post by BakUp »

I have discovered another Linux distro that has this option of what we are looking for:
Jeremiah Cheatham has announced the availability of the first beta release of Myah OS 3.0, a desktop Linux distribution with custom build scripts and advanced package management utilities: "Myah OS 3.0 Beta 1 is now available, debutting many many long-awaited features. New to Beta 1 is a graphical front-end that allows the user to install, update and remove packages. Myah OS will also check against the myah.org server for updates; if updates are found, a blinking icon with appear in the system tray. Another new feature is the Myah live installer, with a choice of ext3, XFS or ReiserFS file system formats. For those who have a PC that can boot from a USB drive, there is also an option to create a USB flash drive that will run just like a live CD. As always, Myah OS comes with the light-weight and very powerful Xfce desktop and full multimedia and DVD support." Read the rest of the release announcement for more information. Download: Myah-OS-3.0-Beta-1.iso (631MB, MD5).
I believe the newly released PCLOS Gnome 2.21.2 has this option also now, someone may correct me please if I am wrong.

Please do not misunderstand this post, promoting myah, Sidux, or PCLOS Gnome is not my intentions, trying to have an easy way of making a Live USB in Mint is though.
My Linux Distros:
sidux - Parsix - DreamLinux - Mint
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BakUp
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Re: Hands-Off install Mint to USB request

Post by BakUp »

I found another distro that supports installing to a USB device, this is very interesting indeed. I am downloading it now and will be testing it soon.
the TAR format (labelled as 'SLAX for USB') is for all who need to run SLAX directly from USB media or from a disk. Simply unzip the tar archive directly to your device (to its root directory, it will create 'boot' and 'slax' subdirectories). That's almost all; you only need to make it bootable. For that purpose, navigate to the 'boot' directory and find bootinst.sh and run it. Linux users will need to use root account for that. The script will setup the device to be bootable.
My Linux Distros:
sidux - Parsix - DreamLinux - Mint
k_2150

Re: Hands-Off install Mint to USB request

Post by k_2150 »

I have to agree with the original poster, there seem to be plenty of people looking for an easy way to install Linux Mint on a USB stick and then run it with the ability to save any changes made during a session back onto the USB stick (persistence). I've tried various suggestions and how to's with no success but I have found a disto that works extremely well, PendriveLinux 2008 gives me a bootable USB installation with persistence in just a few clicks. Running Linux Mint from the live CD is a slow & laggy experience for me with too much slow/fast spinning of the CD, I'm aware that live CD's are meant for evaluation purposes, but running Mint from a USB sick is both faster & smoother, I have tried both and with the price of a USB stick being quite affordable I hope to see a Linux mint option to install to a
USB stick with persistence, soon!
k_2150

Re: Hands-Off install Mint to USB request

Post by k_2150 »

1. personally I prefer to work with a USB stick over a CD, there's no deterioration due to finger prints, scratches, dirt etc. I've produced far too many "coasters" lying around as a reminder of how flakey CD media can be, I actually ruined a Live Mint CD recently simply by re-booting it, when it reached the remove CD stage, the damn CD was still spinning in the tray as it opened and was badly scratched as a result rendering it useless, in terms of handling, everyday wear and tear, the USB stick is superior to any CD plus USB removes the need for CD burning software & burning related errors ....

2. I'm using Linux Mint 4.0 live CD installed on a USB stick and it's so much faster than running from the Live CD, the difference is like night & day so surely this is the best way to evaluate the product and show it in it's best light, I defy anyone who has tried both methods, live CD v live USB stick, to say that CD is better! The only thing missing for me is "persistence" that would be the finishing touch, .... it can be easily done as illustrated by the PendriveLinux 2008 distro based on Mandriva, 3 clicks and you have a bootable USB stick with persistence, so I'm hoping that some clever person will do the same thing for Linux Mint, I really don't understand why it hasn't been done already it's obviously the way to go regarding evaluating a new distro. If I had persistance I would now be typing this on a Linux Mint box rather than a Windows XP box.

3. regarding price, I paid £3:50p (GBP) for a 1GB Kingston USB stick, it came with a 5 year warranty, even if it only lasts a year or two ... it's a no-brainer, £3:50p is less than a pack of cigarettes!
k_2150

Re: Hands-Off install Mint to USB request

Post by k_2150 »

"I'm using Linux Mint 4.0 live CD installed on a USB stick and it's so much faster than running from the Live CD, the difference is like night & day so surely this is the best way to evaluate the product and show it in it's best light, I defy anyone who has tried both methods, live CD v live USB stick, to say that CD is better! "

I was comparing the speed of a live CD v live USB stick, I was not sugesting that a USB stick was the best medium for distributing a distro.

1. I'm looking for a USB type install as an option, in windows it could be done with a few bat files, in linux from the live CD via command line.
2. Even if you have enough memory "copy to ram" is not a viable option for day to day use, anything saved, or any changes made will be lost on the next re-boot.
3. £3:50 GBP = British Pounds. If I can get 2 years service out of my current USB stick at that price then I'm more than happy I won't do the math but it's cheap enough for me.
4. You say you're carrying around a USB stick to save your changes on .... that's my whole point, it make sense to have the live distro loaded on the same stick.

I'll just say this and finish, for me the benefits of running from a live USB stick are obvious ... everything runs faster, not just at boot-up but also on the desktop, opening applications, opening web pages, etc. So If anyone has the necessary skills to write a tutorial on how to install the Linux Mint Live CD to a USB stick with "saved changes", I'd be more than grateful. I can say that the tutorial to do this for the Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon) distro didn't work for me when I tried it on Linux Mint .... then again I'm not an expert in Linux so it's possible I did something wrong in one of those 20+ commands, but anyway thanks.


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BakUp
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Re: Hands-Off install Mint to USB request

Post by BakUp »

Some time ago I posted that I was going to test Myah 3.0 b1 install to Live USB.

I have completed that test and am posting this now from the Myah Live USB. The installation was easy and successful. From the Myah Menu > system > Myah Live Installer, it takes you to a window showing all your drives including the USB, the next window it then gives a choice of going back and choosing a different drive incase you chose the wrong one. If you did not choose the wrong one then select next and you are on your way......and watch the progress in a terminal.

Sidux was maybe a little easier, but Myah had an important option of double checking to make sure you were not installing it to one of your HD's. Both worked well, no errors, no hacking or tweaking, and easy.
My Linux Distros:
sidux - Parsix - DreamLinux - Mint
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clem
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Re: Hands-Off install Mint to USB request

Post by clem »

Hi,

I haven't tried that with Mint myself but it's feasible and you can install it to a USB stick and even make that stick installation persistent (acting as both a liveCD and modifiable,persistent environment).

There's information and tutorials here: http://www.pendrivelinux.com/

And if you don't have a stick or if you don't want to do it yourself we also sell pre-installed Mint-Sticks from here: http://linuxmint.com/store.php

Clem.
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interested passerby

Re: Hands-Off install Mint to USB request

Post by interested passerby »

Hi,
Just thought I'd add my voice to those seeking an easy USB with persistence install is a good idea. In my case I've tried to use the pendrive linux instructions for Ubuntu with Mint (a couple of times) and failed. It would be very good to have a simple and (importantly for fools like me) reasonably fool-proof method of installing Mint on a pendrive. The shop by the way says it is closed at present.

Anyway, thanks for Mint, Clem, and all those who have contributed to it. It does go a long way to making Linux usable for those of us who are less technically-minded. (I suspect we make up a lot of the people who are interested in seeing the process of creating a live usb with persistence made easier.)

Ian
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BakUp
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Re: Hands-Off install Mint to USB request

Post by BakUp »

I am still on a crusade to have a mint tool, "Install Live USB"

I have completed my testing of NimbleX slackware and concluded this is one heck of a amazing, tiny Linux Distro !

The main purpose of my test of course was the interest of the USB Installer which worked faultlessly for me. At the end of the install to USB, it ask you if you want it to save changes to a place on your 1st partition. It also makes a comment that it would be unbreakable if you do not choose to do so.

Here are some links:
http://www.nimblex.net/
http://freshmeat.net/projects/nimblex/? ... _id=274138
http://www.linuxlinks.com/portal/news/a ... 1132231672
http://alexboldea.blogspot.com/2008/03/ ... 08-rc.html

Besides the USB installer, other things that got my attention was it has 9 Desktop environments and a "one key hit" safe deployment to HDD, in other words you do not have to format a partition unless you have a reason to resize ect.

I am just testing USB installers, please draw your own conclusions on the rest of the distro, but any comments would be interesting to hear.
My Linux Distros:
sidux - Parsix - DreamLinux - Mint
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BakUp
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Re: Hands-Off install Mint to USB request

Post by BakUp »

And thank you Clem for stopping in and making your comments on this subject.

cheers,
BakUp
My Linux Distros:
sidux - Parsix - DreamLinux - Mint
EndlessLinux

Re: Hands-Off install Mint to USB request

Post by EndlessLinux »

Huh... 'sbeen a while since anyone thought of this?! I think it's a brilliant idea - ditto to many people who already posted, I have been spewing praise of Mint to many of my friends, including one Windows-user who is seriously debated to changing to Mint because of what I said - but I can't show it to her in any capable way (a LiveCD is a bit of a disappointment if you don't know exactly what it is).

So maybe in Mint 6 there will be an option? :P Please? (and thanks...?)

It would be a wonderful idea.
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