Howto make USB boot drives

[sudodus]

mkusb-plug 2.2

I made an option to create a live (live-only) drive with a 'usbdata' partition for storage. You can select three file systems

1. NTFS - compatible with Windows 10, not earlier versions because it is not partition #1, It you want earlier versions to manage a usbdata partition, you should use good old mkusb-dus.

2. exFAT - compatible with Windows 10 and newer versions of MacOS (at least read only in MacOS).

3. FAT32 - compatible with most operating systems (except earlier versions of Windows because it is not partition #1), but the file size is limited to 4 GiB as we both know.

Please try and look for bugs in mkusb-plug 2.2

See this link: help.ubuntu.com/community/mkusb/plug

[sudodus]

mkusb-xscl uses xorriso-dd-target

mkusb-xscl is a wrapper script that helps the user to identify the target device with all the options and methods of xorriso-dd-target.

mkusb-xorr was renamed to mkusb-xscl, where 'xscl' is an acronym for eXtra Safe CLoner.

- The wrapper script calls xorriso-dd-target.

- There is a main menu, where you can select the options to be used. These options are saved in a file.

- I tried to make it reasonably user friendly.

You can find an experimental version of mkusb-xscl at

help.ubuntu.com/community/mkusb/xscl

0. Download the tarball mkusb-xscl-plus-tools.tar.gz and extract xscl-dir with its files.

1. There is a GUI (using zenity like mkusb-dus). (For example the final checkpoint is a modified copy of that for mkusb-dus).

2. There is an installer in xscl-dir,

3. There are checks for necessary programs, that you may have to install into your version or flavour of Ubuntu or Debian.

4. How should I make mkusb-xscl avallable, when ready for regular users?

- via PPA: ppa:mkusb/ppa
- as a tarball (like this experimental version)
- some other way?

5. Some bugs are found and squashed but there are probably more bugs to squash before mkusb-xscl can get rid of the label 'experimental'


Please have a look at mkusb-xscl and tell me what you think.

[C.S.Cameron]

I had no problem with mkusb-plug, until yesterdays version, It started warning that mkfs.exfat was not in path and exited.
Returning to the last version, it started working again.

I did find mkusb-xscl too complex.
A good set of instructions might help but probably would not be followed by a lot of people.

[sudodus]

I had no problem with mkusb-plug, until yesterdays version, It started warning that mkfs.exfat was not in path and exited.
Returning to the last version, it started working again.

I see the problem. Did you upgrade by installing mkusb-plug manually or by running the updated installer from the new tarball?

This new version of the installer should look for mkfs.exfat and some other tools, that should be available in order to run all the possible actions by mkusb-plug. And if necessary help you install them.

Please try the new version of the installer and let me know if it works (helps you make mkfs.exfat and some other tools available).

Edit 1: Or do you think that the user should not be forced to install exfat-utils and exfat-fuse (that bring mkfs.exfat and other exfat tools). That the issue would be raised only if/when trying to create an exFAT partition? I could modify mkusb-plug to work like that.

Edit 2: I decided that I should modify mkusb-plug to work like that: mkfs.exfat need not be available (there will only be a warning), but of course, if the user tries to create an exfat file system, mkusb-plug will fail. Anyway, a new tarball is uploaded now. It contains also a new version of xorriso-dd-target. Please try it

I did find mkusb-xscl too complex.
A good set of instructions might help but probably would not be followed by a lot of people.

Yes, I understand and I must agree with you. If you find it difficult I am sure that it will be too difficult for a lot of people [to use without reading detailed instructions which is the typical way people use such tools]. I am thinking about methods to help people get things set more or less automatically rather than having such a wide set of options.

Maybe it will be difficult to make a GUI for xorriso-dd-target that is better than mkusb-plug, and at the same time, maybe it is enough with mkusb-plug. What do you think about that?

[C.S.Cameron]

I tried today's version of mkusb-plug.
If it would put a shortcut on my desktop, there are times I would use it instead of guidus.
(There would still be times I require mkusb's usbboot though).
Wondering if there is anyway to split available space between persistence and data.
I am impressed with how much you have done in a short time.

[sudodus]

I tried today's version of mkusb-plug.
If it would put a shortcut on my desktop, there are times I would use it instead of guidus.
(There would still be times I require mkusb's usbboot though).

I am thinking of integrating mkusb-plug into the mkusb PPA and I am also thinking of making a desktop file to add to the menu and possibility to put it onto the desktop. But I will probably wait with that until the tool itself is in a stable phase (when it is reliable and needs no major improvemnets).

Wondering if there is anyway to split available space between persistence and data.
I am impressed with how much you have done in a short time.

It is possible, but maybe the plug-in tool can be a front-end to dus-persistent too. That way mkusb-minp (which is the engine in mkusb-plug) can be kept simple, and the advanced partitioning stuff is made with dus-persistent, this time called from mkusb-plug (as an alternative alongside called from mkusb-dus).

[sudodus]

Revamping the old help page help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/FromUSBStick

Please have a look at the following web page,

help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/FromUSBStick/tmp

'tmp' because I am in the process of revamping the old help page to make it easier to use.

Any feedback is welcome - Is the tmp page

- easy or difficult to understand?
- good or bad that there are sub-pages instead of one big page?
- what should be added?
- what might be modified?
- what should be left as in the original page?
...

[beritabola]

Thank you

[C.S.Cameron]

Attached quick review of Installation/FromUSBStick/tmp for discussion. (I hope)
Some items may be unpractical.

[C.S.Cameron]

Some minor details for discussion, otherwise looks ready to post.