How to: Boot & Install from a USB Pendrive (For ISO > 650M)

[grimdestripador]

Quick Linux Only Install For Linux Mint KDE on 1 GB USB Pendrive
On my 1 Gb PNY USB pendrive, after this procedure 7 megs are left free. It boots with the correct mint menu selection just like the DVD. This is not Persistent!!! Usually very useful for system maintenance, and has quick installs.
There Already are tutorials - This tutorial was made from the best ideas of each.
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=476302
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/2007/01/25/usb-x-ubuntu-610
http://www.linuxmint.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3250&sid=1f9586aeb5dd491bd94da5f6d8ac6d9c
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/FromUSBStick
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=476302
# Download into ~/usbboot

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mkdir ~/usbboot
cd ~/usbboot
wget -c http://www.terakin.de/LinuxMint-3.0-KDE-BETA-013.iso
wget -c http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/boot/syslinux/syslinux-3.51.tar.gz
sudo apt-get -y install mtools syslinux

# Extract Archive

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cd ~/usbboot
tar -xf syslinux-3.51.tar.gz

# Make Directory

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mkdir ~/usbboot/mount


# Verify that ~/usbboot directory contents

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cd ~/usbboot
ls

To Look Like:

LinuxMint-3.0-KDE-BETA-013.iso
mount
syslinux-3.51
syslinux-3.51.tar.gz

# Mount ISO

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export ISOPATH=~/usbboot/LinuxMint-3.0-KDE-BETA-013.iso
sudo mount -t iso9660 $ISOPATH ~/usbboot/mount -o loop


# Prepare USB Drive before pluggin in Use fdisk's listing feature to find your USB drive then assign it to an environment variable.

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sudo fdisk -l >> ~/usbboot/fdev.txt

# Plug in USB Pendrive and find device name

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sudo fdisk -l >> ~/usbboot/fdev2.txt
diff ~/usbboot/fdev.txt ~/usbboot/fdev2.txt

Look for something like /dev/sdc1 and use this to fill out the next command. USBPART is the shown device with partition number, like "/dev/sdc1". With USBDEV omit the trailing number. So it appears like "/dev/sdc".

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export USBDEV=/dev/sdc
export USBPART=/dev/sdc1

# Disable Auto mounting feature (temporary)

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sudo pumount $USBPART


Initialize Partitions with Fat16 File system and activate the bootable
this can be accomplished with many different utils such as qtparted, gparted... but you can always fall back on the terminal...

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sudo fdisk $USBDEV


[Press keys in following order:]
p - Print Partition Table !!!Make sure this is the right DRIVE!!!
d - Delete partitions. If there two more more partitions, delete them all
n - New Partition
p - Primary Partition
1 - Partition Number 1
<Enter> - default start
<Enter> - default end
t - Change Partition System ID to Fat 16
6 - Hex for Fat 16
a - Make Partition Active
1 - Choose your first partition
p - Print Partition, see what changed
w - write to partition and quit

# Format fat16 and install boot loader

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sudo mkfs.vfat -F 16 -n usb $USBPART
cd ~/usbboot/syslinux-3.51/unix
sudo ./syslinux -sf $USBPART

# Mount the USB Disk

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sudo umount $USBPART
sudo mkdir /media/usb
sudo mount -t vfat -rw $USBPART /media/usb

# Copy All files from the mounted iso to USB drive (Including hidden)

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sudo cp -rv ~/usbboot/mount/.[a-zA-Z0-9]* /media/usb
sudo cp -rv ~/usbboot/mount/[a-zA-Z0-9]* /media/usb


# Move the contents of the isolinux folder down a directory

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sudo mv /media/usb/isolinux/* /media/usb/
sudo rm -r /media/usb/isolinux

# Rename "isolinux.cfg" to "syslinux.cfg"

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sudo cp isolinux.bin syslinux.bin
sudo cp isolinux.cfg syslinux.cfg
sudo cp isolinux.txt syslinux.txt

[grimdestripador]

Anyone have any ideas on howto use a bootloader such like lilo or grub and incorparate it into a guide like this. It would be nice to have a boot loader on a USB disk... just incase. Also, does anyone know of a Linux only solution to be ableto have a bootloader just look for an .ISO and boot from it. I've looked everywhere