How to use unused space of usb stick [SOLVED]

[aditya02]

Ok so I have a 8gb usb stick and burned linux mint 19.1 iso image on it to install linux mint on my hdd. I have almost half space left on usb stick.
How can i use rest of the space to store my personal data on the usb stick?

[pbear]

Well, it can be done but it's complicated. Frankly, you'd be better off not worrying about it for the time being.

Important to know. You want to keep that USB with the live boot ISO, as that's your fall back if something goes wrong. When all else fails, you boot the live USB and generally can repair the installed system from there. For example, you can restore a Timeshift snapshot that way. Also run fsck, a file check utility, check partitions with GParted, open log files, etc.

Later, if you want to get fancy, you could set up a special system recovery USB using MultiSystem. You burn the ISO like before, but can give it persistence so you have a place to save settings and files. It comes with several useful system recovery tools, including PLoP Boot Manager, Super Grub2 and Smart Boot Manager. Moreover, it’s easy to include ISOs for other tools; I have Clonezilla Live and System Rescue. Here's an article including screenshots and installation instructions. The article is a few years old, but the instructions are still valid (I just used them to install in a 19.1 test box).

As I said, though, that's advanced stuff. I recommend you not tackle it right now. You've got other things to learn which are more important.

[kevin987]

Ok so I have a 8gb usb stick and burned linux mint 19.1 iso image on it to install linux mint on my hdd. I have almost half space left on usb stick.
How can i use rest of the space to store my personal data on the usb stick?

You either have to keep it dedicated to the Mint 19.1 bootable iso or erase it and use the stick for simple file storage.

[aditya02]

Ok thank you for replies.

[brian_p]

Ok so I have a 8gb usb stick and burned linux mint 19.1 iso image on it to install linux mint on my hdd. I have almost half space left on usb stick.
How can i use rest of the space to store my personal data on the usb stick?

For my 8GB stick:

brian@desktop:~$ lsblk
NAME MAJ:MIN RM SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT
fd0 2:0 1 4K 0 disk
sda 8:0 0 149.1G 0 disk
├─sda1 8:1 0 16.8G 0 part /
├─sda2 8:2 0 5.6G 0 part /var
├─sda3 8:3 0 1.9G 0 part [SWAP]
└─sda4 8:4 0 124.9G 0 part /home
sdb 8:16 1 7.5G 0 disk
└─sdb1 8:17 1 1.8G 0 part

sdb is the stick.

Now partition the free space on the stick with

Code: Select all

sudo cfdisk

Afterwards:

sdb 8:16 1 7.5G 0 disk
├─sdb1 8:17 1 1.8G 0 part
└─sdb2 8:18 1 5.7G 0 part

Format sdb2:

Code: Select all

sudo mkfs.vfat /dev/sdb2

[brian_p]

Ok thank you for replies.

Nothing was solved.

[Moem]

Nothing was solved.

Sometimes 'solved' means 'my question was answered'.

[Glosoli]

I usually create two partitions on my USB (32gb). I create a 2gb partition to burn the mint iso, and the other one to store my personal data.

[aditya02]

I usually create two partitions on my USB (32gb). I create a 2gb partition to burn the mint iso, and the other one to store my personal data.

does it work? how did you do that?

[kevin987]

Hi aditya02,

What exactly are you trying to accomplish?

You did create a bootable USB flash drive that you used to install Mint 19.1 on your computer's hard drive. Leaving it as is, you can take it to any modern computer and have a live session of Mint 19.1

If your goal is to start saving additional files on the flash drive while keeping it bootable, this can't be done in its current state.

If you no longer need the flash drive to be bootable and just want to save files, you can format it, add partitions as suggested by other forum members if you want. Your original Mint.iso file you downloaded can be placed on the flash drive along with other files, but it won't boot.

Your other option, which pbear spoke about, is to create a bootable drive with persistence. If you were able to do this, it would only boot on the computer you created it on. It could be used as an external drive to add files from other computers or your own. If you're interested in this task this forum topic could help: viewtopic.php?f=90&t=287471

[brian_p]

You did create a bootable USB flash drive that you used to install Mint 19.1 on your computer's hard drive. Leaving it as is, you can take it to any modern computer and have a live session of Mint 19.1

Indeed.

If your goal is to start saving additional files on the flash drive while keeping it bootable, this can't be done in its current state.

The current state can altered by repartitioning as described at

viewtopic.php?f=90&t=288077#p1595442.

Why should it be thought this would make Mint on the stick unbootable?

[kevin987]

The current state can altered by repartitioning as described at

viewtopic.php?f=90&t=288077#p1595442.

Why should it be thought this would make Mint on the stick unbootable?

Sounds good. If you've tested it and it works then it's something new I've learned.

I will give this a go myself. Thanks for the heads up

[brian_p]

Tested to work.

For completeness, I had better say I put the iso on the stick with

Code: Select all

cat linuxmint-19.1-xfce-32bit.iso > /dev/sdb