How to export Customized Linux OS to USB bootable pendrive

eboy98 · 01-05-2013, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rootaccess

I doubt this would boot

I think what the OP is looking for is making a custom LIVE usb from a newly installed system that was installed from a LIVE environment. Correct?

Yes rootaccess you are correct.

eboy98 · 01-05-2013, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jefro

You don't need plop. Any system that is too old to run from a usb is unlikely to work well with what you want.

What you want to do is to copy your install to the usb. In most newer (but not all) distro's, a usb is treated as a real hard drive.

Two ways are normal to move systems.

One is to use cloning software such as dd or clonezilla/redobackup. That tends to fail since you are moving a larger device to a smaller device. To master a good original copy you tend to built it on the correct size to begin with. You may be able to fix it.

The second choice is to move only the changes. For example. You install a clean OS to the flash and then move the changes. Ways may include simple cut and paste or rsync.

Thank you jefro

. I used closezilla to restore OS for same hardware. I will must give a try those ways you mentioned. My question is "will this usb boot from other machine also"( most important fact for me ) ?

jefro · 01-06-2013, 08:53 PM

Linux has changed to be almost a universal boot OS. It is not like windows where the install is tied to the host. Linux was very much tied to the host a long time ago and maybe some odd situations may happen where you may have to fix some installer choice. It is always best to use clean installs.

The issue of a clone may also be a problem for the way some systems boot. If the system used uuid or device id in any situation, that will have to be changed.

Night Hawk · 01-06-2013, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jefro

Linux has changed to be almost a universal boot OS. It is not like windows where the install is tied to the host. Linux was very much tied to the host a long time ago and maybe some odd situations may happen where you may have to fix some installer choice. It is always best to use clean installs.

The issue of a clone may also be a problem for the way some systems boot. If the system used uuid or device id in any situation, that will have to be changed.

Besides cloning you also have the option to create a full system image of the drive or partition the distro is presently running on. But the main concern is how large is that volume and how large is the flash drive that would be used? You can't clone effectively or restore any image to a flash drive that is smaller in size and expect any working results. And thar brings you right back to the need for a clean custom install to a removable drive as the most viable solution.

Over the last few years the installers seen with most distros are far easier to work with when planning for something like this. If GParted is pasckaged in with the CentOS installer you should all set to prep the flash drive and put a fresh install on a good sized one rather quickly.