Linux Mint on a USB Stick

[Boo]

I am going to start scripting this on the weekend.
sounds like fun.

[Boo]

well here i am running off my 1GB USB mint.
just initial testing of the install procedure.
so i generally followed the instructions from the above link.
1. used gparted to partition and format the USB stick (do not use fdisk!)
partition 1 750MB fat32 and boot flag, partition 2 ext2.
2. copied the files and folders that existed to the USB drive.
3. renamed isolinux.cft to syslinux.cfg and modified the parts that existed as per the instructions.
eg: looks like.
DEFAULT /casper/vmlinuz
GFXBOOT bootlogo
GFXBOOT-BACKGROUND 0x9bcf61
APPEND preseed/file=preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper initrd=initrd.gz ramdisk_size=1048576 root=/dev/ram rw quiet splash --
LABEL live
menu label ^Start Linux Mint
kernel vmlinuz
append freseed/file=preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper initrd=initrd.gz ramdisk_size=1048576 root=/dev/ram rw quiet splash --
LABEL xforcevesa
menu label Start Linux Mint in safe ^graphics mode
kernel vmlinuz
append file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper xforcevesa initrd=/casper/initrd.gz ramdisk_size=1048576 root=/dev/ram rw quiet splash --
LABEL hd
menu label ^Boot from first hard disk
localboot 0x80
append -
DISPLAY isolinux.txt
TIMEOUT 300
PROMPT 1
F1 f1.txt
F2 f2.txt
F3 f3.txt
F4 f4.txt
F5 f5.txt
F6 f6.txt
F7 f7.txt
F8 f8.txt
F9 f9.txt
F0 f10.txt

4. had to install syslinux and mtools
sudo apt-get install syslinux mtools
5. run syslinux on USB drive partition 1.
syslinux /dev/sda1
6. Reboot, set bios to boot off USB-HDD. For my machine I have to put USB dirve into a rear USB port and not a front one (it comes off a USB riser) to make it boot off it.
7. This is sweet.
8. work out the cfdisk commands so i can script this.
9. time for bed.

[mvisconte]

Exciting developments...
and I am hoping I get a chance to try it soon. Not too soon, as I am heading for a bad bout of bronchitis, if I don't get some rest... soon.

Bianca, here I come... (probably get Bianca running just in time for the next iteration).

-m.

[jonpackard]

Booting Linux Mint from a USB stick seems kind of hit or miss for me. On my own PC, it fails to boot 90% of the time. I can use it on my PC at work without any problems. I just downloaded SimplyMEPIS 6.5 and tried the USB live install option in the LiveCD and it worked great on my PC. I zipped my Mint USB files (minus the sqaushfs, initrd and vmlinuz) so that I could easily reproduce it. If anyone would like it let me know.. I don't have a place to post it, but I can e-mail it to you.

[NiksaVel]

maybe we could get a 1gb USB iso for mint?

[mvisconte]

It's been so long (it seems) since this thread was started... I had given up on "Mint on a Stick", and didn't revisit it until about last week... The PenDriveLinux users have been busy, and came up with a snazy way to do a Minty Install from Windows (unpacks the ISO to your HD, you copy the folders and files to USB stick, run a bat file FROM the stick, reboot, and voila!). It works fine except that that persistent thing ( )... It even pretents to get and install updates -- it may very well DO that, but my stick is un-bootable after that. Well, not TOTALLY unbootable... it's un0mintable, for me. It starts and drops me off in an initramfs session but I have no idea what to do once I'm there.

If there are any logs I can check, tell me where they're at, and maybe I can at least get an UPDATED Minty Stick, even if it won't keep my changes.


Oh, in reading over some other, older stuff, I did see one person state a need to make a new user -- immediately -- with admin permissions, I guess to set up a root-able user for the next boot.

I will see if I can remember how to do that...

Otherwise, it's all too cool! I rolled a quick one for me, dropped another for a friend, and even tried their Ubuntu 7.10 install (same technique)... all fail on reboot if any updates happen (I wonder if it's "next boot" period? I need to play more with it, non-destructively)

I couldn't get Compiz going (needs updates) and that was one of the first updates I tried... I also tried their plain-jane "PenDriveLinux" install... it always starts well... then updates happen.

Back to the drawing board.

[jonpackard]

In response to a request for an update to this guide for Mint 5.0 - Please see http://linuxmint.com/wiki/index.php/LiveUSB (I have not been able to get a successful USB boot without using unetbootin, but with unetbootin, it was easy!).

[ddvvoorraakk]

In response to a request for an update to this guide for Mint 5.0 - Please see http://linuxmint.com/wiki/index.php/LiveUSB (I have not been able to get a successful USB boot without using unetbootin, but with unetbootin, it was easy!).

http://www.pendrivelinux.com/linux-mint ... #more-1019
I think..this is very good and simply tutorial...i have it...it is working properly...
Kamil

[andrewchipka]

the link is dead

[Troken]

As mentioned before, www.pendrivelinux.com has many tutorials on how to install Linux Mint on a stick. For instance install Helena using Windows:
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/install-li ... n-windows/