Install Mint to external 2.5" USB HD enclosure

[runbei]

I have Mint 16 successfully installed to HD.

I would like to install it to a laptop 2.5" hard drive in a USB enclosure. Problem is, the Mint live DVD doesn't see the external hard drive.

My question: Can I install Mint to the 2.5" drive from inside my working Mint installation?

(Background: the laptop that will use the HD won't boot from USB or DVD.)

Thanks.

[gold_finger]

Hello runbei,

I take it that this ([url]http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=149362#p781385[/url]) did not end up working out? I'm a little surprised -- thought for sure it would have.

If you boot normally, does your newly installed Mint 16 system see the external drive when you plug it in? So the problem only happens when booting from live DVD? Will live DVD recognize plugging in a regular USB stick?

Boot-up with the live DVD, then open the "Disks" program (Menu -> Accessories -> Disks). Do you see the external drive listed on the left? If yes, click to select it on the left, which will show a picture and description of it on the right. Look to the bottom where it says "In Use". If says "no", then to mount the drive click the right-pointing triangle symbol on the left under the picture of the drive. After mounting I would assume the DVD can see it and now install to it. Go ahead and try install. If this worked, let us know.

If "Disks" program doesn't see the drive, report back. Also answer the following questions so I know how in-depth to get for follow-up on this if above didn't work. Have you ever used VirtualBox before? If yes, would you describe your experience level as "minimal", "pretty comfortable using it", or "very comfortable using it"?

[austin.texas]

There are several ways you can install Mint to your external drive from your existing Mint computer.
The easiest way is to use Synaptic to install Ubiquity on your computer. The install program on the Mint DVD is named Ubiquity. If you have KDE install the Ubiquity program. If you have Cinnimon or Gnome, just install ubiquity-frontend-gtk.
A second, more complicated method, is to edit GRUB to boot the mint.iso to ram, and then run the installer (Ubiquity).

Ubiquity appears in my Mint Menu as "Install RELEASE" (after reboot)