I have a pair of 32 GB USB drives. One is bootable the other is blank. Next?

[Boyntonstu]

Using Universal-USB-Installer-1.9.6.1, I installed lubuntu-14.04.3-desktop-amd64.iso to USB stick #1 with a FAT32 format.

Next, I want to install Lubuntu on the blank 32 GB stick.

I want the format, the boot and the swap files to be correct.

My goal is to run this USB as an independent OS.

Before I press Continue:

Do I remove USB #1 and insert USB 2?

What is my next step with regards to formatting, positioning the root, sizing the swap, etc.

I wish that I could call someone, to walk me through it.

Many thanks,

BoyntonStu

[yancek]

Using Universal-USB-Installer-1.9.6.1, I installed lubuntu-14.04.3-desktop-amd64.iso to USB stick #1 with a FAT32 format.


The first thing I would suggest if you have not done so, is boot the flash drive to test it to verify that you can boot to the Desktop.



Do I remove USB #1 and insert USB 2?

No. After verifying that the first usb you created does boot, you need to ascertain how it is seen. You can run the command: sudo fdisk -l(Lower Case Letter L in the command) while booted to the Lubuntu flash drive. You should be able to determine which device it is based on the size which should show in the output which will show drives and partitions. Once you determine that, put the second flash drive in and repeat the command. You should show a new device in the output. If you have one hard drive, it should show as sda, the second drive (your usb) probably sdb and the third sdc. Without this information you may end up trying to install to the device you are installing from which won't work.

When you start the install, you will get to an Installation Type window. Before that select the Manual option which may be called Something Else. Make sure you select the correct device here and you can create partitions, select a filesystem type to format (default is ext4) and a Mount point of /, the symbol for root. Use 2GB for swap if you want and the rest for the root of the filesystem. If you want, you can create other partitions for data later but not much point on a small drive.

You might take a close look at the link below. It's a very detailed tutorial on installing Ubuntu 14.04 but I believe Lubuntu uses the same installer so everything should be very similar.
http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/ubuntu-14-04-install-guide.html

[oldfred]

First is system newer UEFI or older BIOS?
But either way generally better to partition in advance.

A BIOS install requires Something Else and most importantly selecting the flash drive that you are installing to as the drive's MBR of the grub2 boot loader.
Flash drive, external drive or second drive in a system all install the same way.
Link from yancek is one of the good ones.
several others, essentially the same. Review several so it may make more sense.

Any install with Something Else which is required with external drives or any second drive or any install with separate /home
Also shows combo box with location of grub2 boot loader
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2/Installing
Does not hightlight changing boot loader to sdb, if external drive, but shows other install screenshots:
http://askubuntu.com/questions/312782/how-to-install-ubuntu-on-separate-hard-drive-in-a-dual-boot
http://askubuntu.com/questions/274371/install-on-second-hard-drive-with-startup-boot-optiond
Install 14.04 Something Else explanation and screenshots (note boot load to VM, most may install to MBR of drive sda, or sdb)
http://www.tecmint.com/ubuntu-14-04-installation-guide/
And you want this screen to choose where to install the grub2 boot loader which is only available with Something Else or manual install
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2/Installing#Installing_Ubuntu_to_a_Specific_Partiti on_.28.22Something_Else.22.29:

If you and UEFI boot come back with more questions, as a bit more complicated. Gpt partitioning and you must partition in advance with the ESP partition, but grub will not use it like it should.

[Boyntonstu]

[QUOTE=yancek;13351459]The first thing I would suggest if you have not done so, is boot the flash drive to test it to verify that you can boot to the Desktop.


Yes it boots and I can browse the web with it.

If you want, you can create other partitions for data later but not much point on a small drive.

Is 32 GB a small drive?

(default is ext4) I read that ext3 is a better choice. Has time changed that opinion?


Thanks!

[ubfan1]

ext4 without journaling is what I use these days for USB sticks. Never used swap on them. Take a look at some of the optimizations to increase the longevity of the stick (limited number of writes) in places like http://ghanima.net/doku.php?id=wiki:linuxtips:runningfromusb With the availability of "guest sessions" in ram, using them will also help reduce disk writes. Basically, try to move any heavily written location into a ramdisk mounted there. The "toram" kernel line option works now, and gives a really good performance boost, but at the expense of a longer boot time.

[yancek]

Is 32 GB a small drive?

Relative to the size of hard drives which are in the multiples of thousands of GB it is. As far as a flash drive no. ext2 or ext3 should be alright, I was just saying ext4 is the default so use what you want.

[Boyntonstu]

[QUOTE=yancek;13351459]The first thing I would suggest if you have not done so, is boot the flash drive to test it to Make sure you select the correct device here and you can create partitions, select a filesystem type to format (default is ext4) and a Mount point of /, the symbol for root. Use 2GB for swap if you want and the rest for the root of the filesystem. If you want, you can create other partitions for data later but not much point on a small drive.

Install USB boots and works.

I could not get sudo fdisk-l to work from Command.

Using Terminal on he install USB and sudo fdisk-l I could see the install USB but not the blank USB.

When I plug it in it mounts fine.

I used files instead.

I determined that the OS drive will be /dev/sdg1.


The choices to mount are / and /root.

I quit there.

Which one?

[Dennis N]

Greetings;

Could be, but sdg does not seem right, because sda would be your first drive, sdb your second, and so on. How many physical drives (hard drives + flash drives) do you have connected? Also, sdg1 would not designate a drive in Linux, but a partition.

I suggest you run


sudo parted -l

to survey the system. Here is what I get on this computer, for example:


dmn@Sydney:~$ sudo parted -l
[sudo] password for dmn:
Model: ATA WDC WD5000AAKX-0 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 500GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: gpt

Number Start End Size File system Name Flags
1 1049kB 538MB 537MB fat32 boot
2 538MB 42.5GB 41.9GB ext4
3 42.5GB 46.7GB 4194MB linux-swap(v1)
4 46.7GB 90.7GB 44.0GB ext4


Model: ATA WDC WD10EZEX-22B (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdb: 1000GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/4096B
Partition Table: gpt

Number Start End Size File system Name Flags
1 1049kB 211MB 210MB fat32 boot
2 211MB 33.8GB 33.6GB ext4
3 33.8GB 38.0GB 4194MB linux-swap(v1)
4 38.0GB 58.9GB 21.0GB ext4
5 58.9GB 86.2GB 27.3GB ext4
6 86.2GB 113GB 27.3GB ext4
7 113GB 141GB 27.3GB ext4


Model: Kingston DataTraveler G3 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdc: 8010MB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 1049kB 8010MB 8009MB primary fat32




You can see two disk drives (sda and sdb) here, and a flash drive (sdc) I plugged in. In Linux, partition #4 of sdb would be designated sdb4

Could you post your results in code tags?

[Boyntonstu]

Have a HD and 2 external USB HD's, also an SD card, and the pair of 32 GB USB's.

Should the mount be / or /root?

[Dennis N]

OK, I trust you have the right partition. You select / as the mount point.

Good luck. Let us know how it works out.

[Boyntonstu]

Installed. Need to add headset. See new post. Thanks again.