I want to set up my USB memory stick(s) (4gb) so that I have a partition (3gb?) for personal data storage and another hidden (1gb?) for booting/installing Ubuntu live from the 'stick' on friends' and colleagues' computers.

I have a number of queries:

1) If I flag the boot partition 'hidden' in Gparted, it does what I want in Ubuntu but not in Windows; in Windows you can see the hidden partition, 'Wubi', and not the storage one. Does it simply depend on the physical position of the partitions on the memory stick?

2) I am using Unetbootin and Gparted (both GUIs). Should I prepare the live boot partition before or after partitioning the memory stick?

3) How much memory should I allow for the live boot partition?

4) Is there anyone who has asked similar questions or tried to achieve the same results before? Please let me know if I'm doing it all wrong.

Cheers
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1486898

What type of partitions- fstype- are on the usb stick?
gparted is for partitioning a disk.
Unetbootin is for preparing media for installation and /or running.

If you are booting the stick from the computer with the BIOS, then don't worry about it.
If you are booting froma VM, then try for 256M.

1 members found this post helpful.

Well windows will only see one partition on the usb stick, at least windows xp will. I am not quite sure about windows 7 or vista on that one.

1 members found this post helpful.

I was just doing fat32 for both partitions which I thought was standard for this application... also I don't know whether I could boot from another type (through the bios)... could I? Would it help?

Sorry, I haven't actually messed around much since starting the thread! I would like some opinion though.

Exvor, so that's normal. Well I want to know how it determines which to recognise, whether it's just the first partition in physical sequence. Setting a "hidden" flag with gparted - what does that achieve? Does it only relate to Linux?

I think it just sees the first one in the physical sequence. I have not tried this however with windows 7 and I would test this out if I was home atm but alas I am not and all I have is windows xp.

1 members found this post helpful.

I can confirm windows 7 only sees the first partition.

1 members found this post helpful.