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Thread: HOW TO Install Lubuntu on USB Drive

  1. #1
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    Lightbulb HOW TO Install Lubuntu on USB Drive


    HOW TO Install Lubuntu on USB Drive




    Can I install Lubuntu on USB Drives?
    Yes, you can.


    What is the minimum size?
    4GB USB Drive.


    What do I need to know or learn in the process?
    Please have a look at:

    In General: Lubuntu One Stop Thread
    Specifically: Lubuntu Installation

    Just have a look at the above two links and you should be good to go.


    Any Preparations I need to start before installation to the USB Drive?
    Yes, you need to prepare your USB Drive for the installation Process. It's highly recommended to do that before the installation.

    Please have a look at: How to Use GParted

    GParted will help you to prepare your USB Drive so that you can easily install Lubuntu on.


    What release/version of Lubuntu do I have to use?
    This guide will explain that using Lubuntu 11.10 32-bit. However, the release doesn't really matter. You can follow the same steps with any other release, even other variant such us Ubuntu or Xubuntu. Same concept.


    Okay, how do I do that?

    1- Download Lubuntu

    2- Check MD5SUM

    3- Burn the image (iso) to a CD

    4- Plug your USB to your machine

    5- Turn your machine on and then Enter BIOS

    6- Make sure your CD-Drive is the FIRST DEVICE to boot from

    7- Make sure your USB Drive is the SECOND DEVICE to boot. Some
    BIOS detect/read USB Drive as HDD. In that case, please see this:







    In the above Screenshot, USB Drive got detected as USB-HDD0.
    In that case, just set your Hard Disk (as showed in the first Screenshot) as the SECOND DEVICE to boot from.

    8- In case your BIOS will detect your USB as something else rather than USB-HDD0 then you need to select the correct option and set that as the SECOND DEVICE to boot from and set your Hard Disk as the THIRD DEVICE to boot from.

    9- After you are done with BIOS, please Save and Exit.

    10- Your machine will start booting from your Live-CD. Please follow the same steps in Lubuntu Installation Guide. To summarize that:
    a- Choose your Language
    b- Choose Try Lubuntu without installation
    c- You should see the Live Desktop after a while
    d- If Try Lubuntu without installation didn't work then please check this.

    11- From the Live Desktop, please run GParted and Prepare your USB for the Installation. This guide will help you to do that step by step. I wrote it specially for this.

    12- Once you are done with GParted, please start the Installation.

    13- Please have a look at these Screenshots:

    a- In this example, there is /dev/sda and there is /dev/sdb which are Internal HDD and also there is /dev/sdc which is the 4GB USB Drive. Please make sure to select the correct drive - this is very important.




    b- Because you have previously prepared your USB for the installation, the next steps will be very easy. Now, you just need to select the mounting points and choose to format as EXT4.

    /dev/sdc1 will be your ROOT Partition. Note that, you don't really need /home partition here. Total Size is just 4GB so no need for that. After all, this is not meant for day-to-day use or long-run use.




    c- Device for Boot Loader Installation MUST be:




    /dev/sdc ImationFlashDrive (4.1 GB) is the MBR of your USB Drive.

    If you are going to install Lubuntu Boot Loader (GRUB2) to the MBR (sdc) of your USB Drive, then you are NOT going to mess with your Internal HDD and its Boot Loader no matter what OS you have there.

    This is the safest way to do it. Later, will explain in details how safe and good that is.



    d- Please, make sure this is the final screen that you'll see before you go on with the installation:




    e- Click on Install Now. The installation will start and once it's done, restart your machine.



    Now, what will happen?
    As long as your USB is plugged in AND as long as your BIOS has the same settings/configuration that you set at the beginning of this guide THEN ... your machine will BOOT FIRST from your USB Drive.


    What if I'll ignore what you explained and install Lubuntu GRUB2 to the MBR of my Internal HDD (sda in this example)?
    It's okay to install Lubuntu GRUB2 to the MBR of your internal HDD but that will replace and overwrite whatever is installed on the MBR of your internal HDD. Above all, your USB MUST BE Plugged in ALL THE TIME because GRUB2 files will be stored in your USB Drive since you have installed Lubuntu over there.



    This is NOT recommended AT ALL. Please avoid that.

    USB Devices are mobile devices that you can carry with you wherever you go. If you make sure to install GRUB2 during the above installation on the MBR of your USB Drive then you are basically creating a mobile OS that can work on any machine and you are not messing around with your internal boot loader.



    Note: As always, this guide will be updated on daily basis if needed

    Enjoy!


  2. #2

    Re: HOW TO Install Lubuntu on USB Drive

    Moved to Tips and Tutorials.
    Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence. Abigail Adams ( 1744 - 1818 ), 1780;

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  3. #3
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    Re: HOW TO Install Lubuntu on USB Drive

    This should really apply to ANY of the *buntu distros. I've used steps very similar to these to install Oneric to one of my larger USB drives, which I use for test-driving on my desktop. Thanks for the post
    Don't like Unity? Hate it? Not your cup of coffee? Ubuntu does provide choices. There's GNOME Shell, KDE Plasma, Xfce, LXDE, and now MATE and Cinnamon. Take your pick



  4. #4
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    Re: HOW TO Install Lubuntu on USB Drive

    Quote Originally Posted by viperdvman View Post
    This should really apply to ANY of the *buntu distros. I've used steps very similar to these to install Oneric to one of my larger USB drives, which I use for test-driving on my desktop. Thanks for the post
    Yes, it should be similar
    I do have actually a guide but it's old and it was talking about something else so this is more Lubuntu Specific

    Thank you!

  5. #5
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    Re: HOW TO Install Lubuntu on USB Drive

    At least it's easy to do.
    Registered Linux user,number 507113.02-01-2013: ASUS M4A785TD-V EVO 785G |Athlon 2 X4 640|4 GiB DDR|1 TiB SATA2|Radeon HD 6570(HDMI)|Realtek 7.1 HDMI audio|Gigabit Lan|Kubuntu 12.10 Quanzal AMD64

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    Re: HOW TO Install Lubuntu on USB Drive

    Than you for a nice how-to, amjjawad

    If we compare a
    1. 'regular' live USB drive made from a lubuntu iso file with Ubuntu's tool or Unetbootin
    2. persistent live USB drive made from a lubuntu iso file (with a casper-rw file)
    3. live USB drive made by installation with your method

    Is there any difference
    A. how the computer hardware is recognized - portability to other computers?
    B. how fast it boots and works?
    C. how much drive space is occupied by the system (and how much is free to use)?
    D. how it can be configured (installed programs and drivers) - stability and portability?

    I guess you suggest your method (3.) for a computer with a small internal drive. But what would you suggest to make a USB drive with high portability but also some tweaking? So that you can carry your computer environment in your pocket on a USB flash stick.

  7. #7
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    Re: HOW TO Install Lubuntu on USB Drive

    Quote Originally Posted by sudodus View Post
    Than you for a nice how-to, amjjawad
    Glad you like it

    Quote Originally Posted by sudodus View Post
    If we compare a
    1. 'regular' live USB drive made from a lubuntu iso file with Ubuntu's tool or Unetbootin
    2. persistent live USB drive made from a lubuntu iso file (with a casper-rw file)
    3. live USB drive made by installation with your method
    I haven't tried the 2nd method/approach so I can't answer anything related to that.

    A. how the computer hardware is recognized - portability to other computers?
    I have installed Lubuntu 11.10 on USB Drive (Imation 4GB) on P4 PC, tried it on two different machines. It worked perfectly on Lenovo G570 Core i5 2nd generation with 4GB RAM + Intel Graphics Card (built-in) and it did not work perfectly on HP Pavilion DV6 Core i5 with 4GB RAM + 1GB ATI Graphics Card.

    If I'll get more free time, I might try that on more different machines and see what will happen.


    B. how fast it boots and works?
    Faster than LiveUSB and slower than Internal HDD installation. It's a very good choice (install to USB - this guide) because it's a middle choice with nice speed.

    C. how much drive space is occupied by the system (and how much is free to use)?
    LiveUSB if I'm not wrong must take LESS space than USB Installation. As for FREE SPACE, that totally depends on the size of the USB Drive that you will use


    D. how it can be configured (installed programs and drivers) - stability and portability?
    I haven't tried to update/upgrade the Kernel (USB Installation) but everything else, it should be the same (installing programs and updates).


    I guess you suggest your method (3.) for a computer with a small internal drive. But what would you suggest to make a USB drive with high portability but also some tweaking? So that you can carry your computer environment in your pocket on a USB flash stick.
    Sorry, not sure what do you mean?

  8. #8
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    Re: HOW TO Install Lubuntu on USB Drive

    Quote:
    I guess you suggest your method (3.) for a computer with a small internal drive. But what would you suggest to make a USB drive with high portability but also some tweaking? So that you can carry your computer environment in your pocket on a USB flash stick.
    Sorry, not sure what do you mean?
    Well, I meant to compare persistent USB boot with your installation method, but since you have not tried persistent USB boot, I can't expect you to answer. I might test that myself, and come back to share the result (but it will take some days until I'm there).

    Anyway, thank you again, amjjawad

  9. #9
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    Re: HOW TO Install Lubuntu on USB Drive

    Quote Originally Posted by sudodus View Post
    Well, I meant to compare persistent USB boot with your installation method, but since you have not tried persistent USB boot, I can't expect you to answer. I might test that myself, and come back to share the result (but it will take some days until I'm there).

    Anyway, thank you again, amjjawad
    You welcome and please feel free to share anything related to the topic with us

  10. #10
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    Re: HOW TO Install Lubuntu on USB Drive

    Quote Originally Posted by amjjawad
    11- From the Live Desktop, please run GParted and Prepare your USB for the Installation. This guide will help you to do that step by step. I wrote it specially for this.
    Is it just me, or is forum.lxde.org down?

    I'm loving Lubuntu, though. Personally, I'm running Ubuntu 11.10 on my laptop, but Lubuntu + remote desktop has allowed me to not only resurrect my parents old and outdated laptops, but allowed me to easily keep them maintained while I'm at school.

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