How Come You Can't Install Linux From a USB, Like You Can From A DVD?

273 · 10-11-2016, 12:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by happydog500

1 to many to list.
2 Distros help page is worthless. that's why thousands of people all over the world are having problems. It doesn't work. Very few DVD problems. That is a wonder.
3 Every distro can't run from my usb. It's not even recognized by my computer now.

Chris.

Oddly enough most people I see nowadays seem to have installed from USB, so it's obviously not that difficult.
If, rather than just moaning, you mentioned what exactly your issues are then it's likely they could be resolved. One thing which occurs to me now is you haven't bothered to state whether you know how to boot from USB at all -- i's usually not difficult but, also, not as obvious as is made out. Of course, that's not a Linux issue either which is why it didn't occur to me at first.

m.a.l.'s pa · 10-11-2016, 03:13 AM

Chris, I think you might want to run fdisk -l and post the output here. Actually, like this:

Code:

$ sudo fdisk -l /dev/sdd

For example, I ran it here with one of my flash drives plugged in. Of course you would use /dev/sdd instead of /dev/sdb. This particular flash drive I'm looking at already has Linux on it (it has GParted Live on it):

Code:

steve[~]$ sudo fdisk -l /dev/sdb
Disk /dev/sdb: 3.8 GiB, 4041211904 bytes, 7892992 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x55157441

Device     Boot  Start    End Sectors  Size Id Type
/dev/sdb1  *         0 550911  550912  269M  0 Empty
/dev/sdb2       533532 539795    6264  3.1M ef EFI (FAT-12/16/32)

pingu_penguin · 10-11-2016, 07:08 AM

I dont even know where to begin.

you say thousands of people in the world have problems. where did you get this data from ?

you say with extreme confidence that booting with usb simply doesnt work ? we know this is not true, we all do it.

I hate cd/dvds, its just fscking toxic non-recyclable plastic crap of this world which just piles up, so I switched to usb booting a long time ago.
But I sure did a lot of googling and reading before attempting to boot from usb.

You say you have 15 years of linux experience and cant get a usb drive to work ? sorry I dont buy that.

Did you check md5sum of iso to verify iso is correct ?
Did you check usb port is working ? Did you enable boot from usb in bios ?

The advantage of usb is you can reuse it , burn to it many times. with cd you make a mistake you have to throw it away, it becomes unusable.

Also your error clearly states a gpt problem with your 32gb pendrive. Did you google / search issues regarding that ?

You can start by telling which OS you are using to burn the iso on the usb, which software etc.

If you are using windows , maybe this link can help you : https://www.ubuntu.com/download/desk...ick-on-windows

make sure you enable the format option.

Hope this helps.

jefro · 10-11-2016, 04:34 PM

Why don't we start a new thread?
That would be some specific distro and your hardware values then we might guide you to a working usb.

dugan · 10-11-2016, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by happydog500

Salix lists a long list on what has to be done.

Uhm, no it doesn't. It lists a single command.

https://docs.salixos.org/wiki/Install_from_a_USB_stick

Jjanel · 10-11-2016, 05:51 PM

It's an emotional/philosophical issue:
One's 'belief' *'creates'* whatever is 'SO' (for them)
That's the essence of 'reality'. Tons on the web:
"The Secret" (famous philo./book/DVD);
"Science of Mind" (no, not infamous ...tology);
"Power of [Negative] Thinking"; MKS; etc...

I believe I can't write, so I can't [no, almost always, "can't" is a lie: it's "won't"!]
"And SO it IS".

rkelsen · 10-11-2016, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by happydog500

No, sorry. I tried to do it in Linux Mint.

It's literally a two step process in Mint:

Quote:

Using mintStick

mintStick is installed by default in Linux Mint.

Launch "USB Image Writer" from the menu, select your ISO image and your USB device and press "Write to device".

https://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/744

Quote:

Originally Posted by happydog500

Salix lists a long list on what has to be done.

And it's a one step process with Salix:

Quote:

Open a terminal in the same directory the iso image you want to write is located and run:

dd if=your-salix-iso-image.iso of=/dev/sdb

replacing "your-salix-iso-mage.iso" with the actual iso name and "/dev/sdb" with the actual device node of your USB stick

https://docs.salixos.org/wiki/Install_from_a_USB_stick

Quote:

Originally Posted by happydog500

Wish I could install Linux distros with USB.

Sounds like you've got some learning to do Chris.

Many of us here have been installing from USB for years now.

jefro · 10-11-2016, 08:22 PM

Let's be sure to help the OP and not pick on them. Tough being a newbie.

Not directed at anyone.

wpeckham · 10-11-2016, 08:37 PM

OK, OP: instead of worrying about how you 'burn' a usb, just load easy2boot onto a usb thumb drive.

With EASY2BOOT You copy your ISO into the right folder on the USB, run a script to defragment the USB (because booting from a fragmented ISO generally fails, and when it works it is still very SAD), and there you go. Want to add another ISO, just copy it over and run the script again. When you add the new ISO and run the script, you do not even have to be on the same PC with EASY2BOOT, it lives on the USB device. Elegant, easy, wonderful.

This works for most Linux ISO images, Windows ISO images, FREEDOS (with restrictions), BSD and FreeBSD, but not (so far) with Kolibrios. The EASY2BOOT web pages list tons of ISO images that work some that do not, and many that work but you have to use the right parameters or make the right choice on boot.

BTW: installing Windows from a USB is something of a hoot. Not elegant (it is still windows) but faster than from DVD.

I carry a set of USB drives around at work every day, and am ready to boot offline AV distros, install images, live-CD diagnostic and disk preparation images, rescue images, or whatever I need on short notice.

Life is good. Better if you find the right tool for the job!

pingu_penguin · 10-12-2016, 04:19 AM

Quote:

Let's be sure to help the OP and not pick on them. Tough being a newbie.

Maybe you missed this? :

Quote:

I've fixed computers all over town for 22 years, used Linux off and on for 15, and I can't get a USB to work

fatmac · 10-12-2016, 05:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by happydog500

I'm asking because I've fixed computers all over town for 22 years, used Linux off and on for 15, and I can't get a USB to work. CD's work every time.

Question; How come you can put an iso on a CD, and it will boot right up, but on a USB, you can't (because you have to do a bunch of stuff after to make it work)?

To put a distro onto a pendrive, use dd. All distros should now work like that, if not, use isohybrid on the ISO image first, & then dd it to your pendrive. (You only need to do a lot of other things if you try to use another program to load the disk image.)

Likely your problem is the fact that legacy boot isn't active, or the from usb option is not being used in the computers BIOS, & on some you will have to use the BIOS boot menu when starting up.

I always recommend AntiX as a distro, so easy to use, & so many options for those who know how to use them.

http://antix.mepis.com/index.php?title=Main_Page
http://antix.freeforums.org/

If you need more help, ask.

Steve6375 · 10-12-2016, 06:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wpeckham

OK, OP: instead of worrying about how you 'burn' a usb, just load easy2boot onto a usb thumb drive.

With EASY2BOOT You copy your ISO into the right folder on the USB, run a script to defragment the USB (because booting from a fragmented ISO generally fails, and when it works it is still very SAD), and there you go. Want to add another ISO, just copy it over and run the script again. When you add the new ISO and run the script, you do not even have to be on the same PC with EASY2BOOT, it lives on the USB device. Elegant, easy, wonderful.

but not (so far) with Kolibrios.

KolibriOS works both as .ISO and .img file with E2B for me???

rtmistler · 10-12-2016, 09:03 AM

Download the ISO to wherever you are working, I recommend doing that already in Linux, and then use the dd command and the drive letter of the USB as the of= argument.

This was cited back in post #3.

I have never had a problem making a boot-able USB for Linux with the simple exception that I did a bad thing originally such as used a 64-bit image for a 32-bit machine, or something odd to that effect.

michael diemer · 10-12-2016, 12:08 PM

The first time I tried booting from USB, it didn't work. I then partitioned the drive, downloaded to the free 4GB partition, and then it worked.

273 · 10-12-2016, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michael diemer

The first time I tried booting from USB, it didn't work. I then partitioned the drive, downloaded to the free 4GB partition, and then it worked.

I'm not sure I understand "Downloaded to a 46G partiton..."? How does one "download" something to a partition in such a way as to make it bootable?
Are you using Plan 9?