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Old 08-11-2009, 08:55 AM   #1
jszeliga
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Registered: Aug 2009
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How to install Linux Mint (or others if recomended) to run and boot on Memory Stick


I have successful installed Mint a couple of ways. I have made a bootable CD so that I can install Mint; I have made a successful memory Stick to Install Mint. What I can not do is to make my installed run independently from the hard drive Master Boot Record. Yes when the memory stick is in I can chose either Mint or Windows. This is not what I want to do. When the memory stick is out I get a grub loading error. I have to do a FixMBR to repair the MBR. Note I did get Puppy Linux to work the way I want but not sure I like Puppy. Mint seems to be easier and more intuitive to a newbie since On Mint I could easily link to network drives and open office files in open office etc.
Note Not very familiar with UNIX. I need to boot on the USB and start-up.
 
Old 08-11-2009, 09:26 AM   #2
Thelionroars
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Location: Melbourne, Australia
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I don't have any experience with Mint, but it's based on Ubuntu so this might help. In Ubuntu, you can get a package in synaptic called unetbootin. Search for that in your package manager (synaptic as well?) and download it. unetbootin is a GUI program that automates installation of an ISO file to a usb flash drive. This will take care of making a standalone usb drive of Mint (and many other distros). I think this is what you're after? (I found your post a bit unclear).

If you want to fix the GRUB bootloader on your hard drive so that it will standalone boot - Boot up your live CD and enter a terminal. Enter the GRUB shell
Code:
sudo grub
then locate the partition that you want the big bit of GRUB to setup on with
Code:
find /boot/grub/stage1
You'll get a value back like (0,1). Use the value you find for the next line
Code:
root (hd0,1)
then setup GRUB on the MBR of your first hard drive
Code:
setup (hd0)
quit
Reboot and hopefully everything will be the way you want.

EDIT I'm assuming with this advice that Windows is on the first partition of the first hard disk. If not, it's more complicated. Post back if you have any problems

ANOTHER EDIT Nice video of unetbootin from youtube here

Last edited by Thelionroars; 08-11-2009 at 09:33 AM.
 
Old 08-11-2009, 02:55 PM   #3
jszeliga
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Registered: Aug 2009
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Thelionroars View Post
I don't have any experience with Mint, but it's based on Ubuntu so this might help. In Ubuntu, you can get a package in synaptic called unetbootin. Search for that in your package manager (synaptic as well?) and download it. unetbootin is a GUI program that automates installation of an ISO file to a usb flash drive. This will take care of making a standalone usb drive of Mint (and many other distros). I think this is what you're after? (I found your post a bit unclear).

If you want to fix the GRUB bootloader on your hard drive so that it will standalone boot - Boot up your live CD and enter a terminal. Enter the GRUB shell
Code:
sudo grub
then locate the partition that you want the big bit of GRUB to setup on with
Code:
find /boot/grub/stage1
You'll get a value back like (0,1). Use the value you find for the next line
Code:
root (hd0,1)
then setup GRUB on the MBR of your first hard drive
Code:
setup (hd0)
quit
Reboot and hopefully everything will be the way you want.

EDIT I'm assuming with this advice that Windows is on the first partition of the first hard disk. If not, it's more complicated. Post back if you have any problems

ANOTHER EDIT Nice video of unetbootin from youtube here
Sorry- Let me try and make it clear-I forst made an Install CD of Mint (Umbuto Version) -then I installed it to a USB memory stick (sdb)it worked with one issue. The issue is "To boot up my machine - after this install- I had to have this memory stick plugged unto the USB Port for loading (running) Either windows or Mint. I want to install Mint on the USB memeory stick but in a way that does not reuire me to have the USB Meemory stick in the machine to use windows.
 
Old 08-11-2009, 04:14 PM   #4
jefro
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You can either have grub or another loader on either the flash or the hard drive.

If you want it on the hard drive then you would not need the flash installed.

See how to's on either grub or microsoft's way to dual boot.
 
Old 08-12-2009, 02:13 AM   #5
Thelionroars
LQ Newbie
 
Registered: Aug 2009
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Distribution: Ubuntu
Posts: 19

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Quote:
Originally Posted by jszeliga View Post
Sorry- Let me try and make it clear-I forst made an Install CD of Mint (Umbuto Version) -then I installed it to a USB memory stick (sdb)it worked with one issue. The issue is "To boot up my machine - after this install- I had to have this memory stick plugged unto the USB Port for loading (running) Either windows or Mint. I want to install Mint on the USB memeory stick but in a way that does not reuire me to have the USB Meemory stick in the machine to use windows.
If I've got this right - you have Windows and Mint on your machine. Then you put Mint on your USB stick. Since you put it on your USB stick, you need to have your USB stick plugged in just to load up your machine properly. You want your machine to be able to boot up without having the USB stick in, like normal. And you also want a working USB stick of Mint that you can use on any computer.

If this is all true, try following the advice I gave you. Take a look at the YouTube video and see if you can do that on Linux Mint (the guy in the video uses Ubuntu). Look in your package manager for unetbootin or type 'sudo apt-get install unetbootin' into a terminal and see if it works. If it installs you can use the program to get a working uSB stick.

To get your computer booting normally again, boot up with the Live CD (take the USB stick out first) and follow the GRUB instructions in my first post.

Post back if you run into any trouble.

Last edited by Thelionroars; 08-12-2009 at 02:14 AM.
 
Old 08-12-2009, 02:33 AM   #6
Thelionroars
LQ Newbie
 
Registered: Aug 2009
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Distribution: Ubuntu
Posts: 19

Rep: Reputation: 1
OK, I've been a bit slow getting it but I understand now! After reading your post again, I see that you at first had just Windows on your machine. You want just Windows on your machine, and Mint on your USB, and of course you want your machine (Windows) to boot without having your USB plugged in. Right?

You will have to do 2 things here. You will have to fix the Windows MBR (Master Boot Record) so it will boot normally, without the USB in. And you will have to fix the USB stick so it will boot by itself.

First of all, were you following a guide or tutorial on how to put Mint on the USB? Post links to any guides or tutorials that you used to get Mint installed on the USB.
 
  


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