Persistent LinuxMint-8 LiveUSB key

[Bruce R]

I am posting this from a Persistent LinuxMint-8 (Helena) '8GB' USBkey which has retained all my Package additions, x121 Updates and a lot of mint Home files.
It was created from a downloaded 32-bit Main Edition ISO file by using LinuxLive (aka LiLi) Version 2.2, downloaded from http://www.linuxliveusb.com/, unpacked and run in WinXP because LiLi doesn't currently like Win7. Also see attached HelenaUSBCreation picture.
Benefiting from using this '8GB' key (http://www.misco.co.uk/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=270484&CatId=3458, its nominal 4000MB of Persistent File Space has been used up with x121 MintUpdates and the Package Manager addition of ubuntu-restricted-extras, promptly followed by Removal of ttf-mscorefonts-installer, leaving Flash, Java and LAME behind, for the addition of sound-juicer (aka Audio CD Extractor), then modified for 32-320K VBR MP3 ripping upon the insertion of an Audio CD into the host PC's optical drive. Other Package additions and capabilities can be deduced from the attached LinuxMintHelenaLiveUSBScreen picture, currently still leaving about 2GB of working space for further Updates etc.
Sadly the Brasero 2.28.2 doesn't include the automatic Checksum Verify of Gloria's version, but works quite well, as does Exaile (which I prefer to the more complex Rhythmbox), as does AcidRip's xvid 2-pass coding.
You should note that I'm using the more flexible, on-the-fly resolution changing default Preference, Display driver rather than a Restricted Driver, allowing quick yet also retained resolution matching to the host PC's graphics card.
I haven't yet tried Install from the stick, to see if its already added to and configured contents get installed, but it's a great Helena Live demonstration as well as a general Linux tool, when supplemented by Patrick Verner's PartEdMagic 4.6 plus Clonzilla !

[terrorblader]

Works really well with my Kingmax U-Drive pen , but only on my girlfriends' lappy (a HP nx7400 - some older model) . On my laptop it freezes my laptop for almost a minute before booting , and then it does not boot from the pen .Also , the green led in the pen goes "crazy" , blinking really really fast , not how it is supposed to.
On my PC it only boots when I set the USB 2.0 mode to FullSpeed instead of HighSpeed in BIOS , otherwise the same thing as on my laptop occurs..The stick is HighSpeed compatible (checked that on Kingmax's website) .
Any ideas ?

[Bruce R]

In investigating earlier USB creation tools and discovering that not all PCs are capable of booting from a USB stick, with that ability needing continual resetting in a Gigabyte BIOS, but not in an ASUS BIOS for example, I also found that the quality of USB keys can vary. One EMTEC key, supplied by Aria and advertised as USB 2.0 compliant was so power hungry that it refused to operate via header-connected ports. Aria 'techs' simply dismissed this claim, saying it was fit for use, but EMTEC replaced it, as being 'out of spec'. Your key, although advertised as satisfactory, may be similarly 'power hungry', presenting particular problems for a power-limited laptop. On the other hand. my old 'luggable' laptop doesn't even have an ability to boot from USB !
Edit PS - I hope that this reply helps you with your problem, where trying a different '8GB' USB stick, even from the same production batch may solve it. Sadly, USB sticks aren't yet graded for power consumption, only speed, and even that can vary quite a lot from specification.
Edit PPS - 'Value' USB sticks are notorious for being marginal performers, but high prices are no guarantee of better performance either.

[terrorblader]

Thing is that the USB stick works perfectly on the laptop when reading / writing from / to it .Only when trying to boot from it I encounter problems .. I will try with another one probably tommorow to see if it could be a problem with my laptop and not the stick ... One note : I am really amazed as how fast it boots on the HP laptop , almost the same as if it was installed on the HDD (reading speed is around 17 megs / sec).

And it was the stick indeed , running from a persistant install right now , already updated the packages!Thanks for the help!

[Bruce R]

The 'up-front' packages in RAM are indeed very fast, with perceptible pauses only when reading or writing to the stick, where it helps to have a fast, as well as a low power USB 2 stick.
Meanwhile, I have cracked the msttcorefonts refusal to install problem by simply copying /usr/share/fonts/truetype/msttcorefonts from Gloria into Helena (as root), setting folder/contained fonts permissions to Access, read only.
Whilst I was at it I added some Windows 3 series vintage fonts, like Bold Antiqua (a Palatino look-alike).
Using Gloria's APTonCD I also obtained brasero, libbrasero-media0 and sound-juicer 2.26.1 DEB files to replace 2.28.2 version packages, thus obtaining more reliable Checksum verify capability for Brasero etc, then setting Update Manager to ignore Updates for those packages. So, overall I now have a much more useable Helena USB stick.