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Old 05-28-2017, 11:32 PM   #1
gunghang
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Getting Zesty installed on a USB drive that runs on 1 computer to run on a 2nd computer


I recently deleted the two Linux OS from my Pipo W9S triple boot computer. I wanted to replace Precise and Kylin with one distro, either Trusty or Xenial or Zesty.

For reasons unknown, my Pipo W9S would no longer boot from an Ubuntu live flash drive. Sometimes they wouldn't start, sometimes that got as far as "ubuntu" with five dots underneath it.

I then used my Pipo X10, which has Linux Mint 18 and Windows 10, to boot Zesty from one flash drive and install to another flash drive. This worked on the X10.

My Pipo W9S did not recognize the newly created Zesty flash drive.

The "good news" is that the Linux Mint 18 installation on the X10 UEFI menu was now replaced with the USB Zesty installation as a result of having installed Zesty on a flash drive on the X10.

I was able to start USB Zesty on the X10 and put the GRUB2 menuentry for USB Zesty in Grub2Win on the W9S. USB Zesty starts on the W9S and gets as far as "ubuntu" with five dots under it.

I once saw error messages from a journal that mentioned "X10" which makes me wonder if something specific to the X10 is in the code.

This is the GRUB2 menuentry from the X10:

menuentry 'Ubuntu' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-simple-4131c973-40b5-4af1-bda6-3025f88ec4a4' {
recordfail
load_video
gfxmode $linux_gfx_mode
insmod gzio
if [ x$grub_platform = xxen ]; then insmod xzio; insmod lzopio; fi
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='hd1,msdos1'
if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd1,msdos1 --hint-efi=hd1,msdos1 --hint-baremetal=ahci1,msdos1 4131c973-40b5-4af1-bda6-3025f88ec4a4
else
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 4131c973-40b5-4af1-bda6-3025f88ec4a4
fi
linux /boot/vmlinuz-4.10.0-19-generic.efi.signed root=UUID=4131c973-40b5-4af1-bda6-3025f88ec4a4 ro quiet splash $vt_handoff
initrd /boot/initrd.img-4.10.0-19-generic
}

This works with Grub2Win on the Pipo X10, but not on the Pipo W9S.

If anybody wonders why, I like the idea of having it on USB because the computer only has 60 GB on what passes for its hard drive.

Also, it's convenient to be able to run the same OS with the same programs and files on different computers.

Also, by setting the GRUB menu on the flash drive to boot in UEFI, the machine won't start without the flash drive. This provides a little extra security when in the classroom or office.

Thank you for the time spent in reading this. I'm hoping that I've missed something that's painfully obvious to everyone else.

Last edited by gunghang; 05-29-2017 at 01:34 AM.
 
Old 05-29-2017, 02:48 AM   #2
ondoho
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tl;dr
what you want is possible, but not so easy.
prefabricated solutions exist.
please search "linux usb install with persistence"
 
Old 05-29-2017, 07:11 AM   #3
gunghang
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My installation flash drives all have persistence. I make them with Pendrive Linux, UUI. For reasons known only to God, they don't get past the 'ubuntu' flash screen, if they boot at all.

"not so easy" is not a problem.
 
Old 05-30-2017, 06:50 AM   #4
gunghang
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Using Rufus to prepare the installation flash drive made the critical difference. Choosing and EFI MBR worked.

Three installations, two on an external drive, one on a flash drive, and one on the internal drive, still will not start.

Very frustrating and contraintuitive.

It looks like adding persistence to a drive prepped with Rufus may be the best I can do.

Note to self: In the future, do not even think of buying a computer with Windows pre-installed.
 
Old 05-31-2017, 01:13 PM   #5
ondoho
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+1 for rufus!
glad you got it solved(ish).

ps: do you really live in mongolia? far out!
 
Old 06-01-2017, 01:20 AM   #6
DVOM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gunghang View Post
I then used my Pipo X10, which has Linux Mint 18 and Windows 10, to boot Zesty from one flash drive and install to another flash drive. This worked on the X10.
I'm assuming that you want Zesty installed on the W9S. Here's what I would try and what I have successfully done several times.

First, on the X10, you need to use Clonezilla and image the Zesty USB stick installation.

Then move the clonezilla image over to the W9S machine. And use clonezilla to restore the image to a partition that's as big or bigger than the USB stick.

Now install Grub with Parted Magic and you're good to go.
 
Old 06-01-2017, 01:42 AM   #7
gunghang
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RE: Ondoho

Yes, I usually reside in Bangkok, but sometimes live/work in other parts of Thailand and Korea.

Right now, we are in China, Inner Mongolia to be precise. This is why I run Kylin.

RE: DVOM

I guess that operation might be in my future. I was toying with the dd command. Clonezilla sounds safer.

But, since getting Rufus to get my foot in the door, I got two distros to boot from the installation drive:

Ubuntu Gnome and Kylin 16.10 and Lubuntu 17.04

Gnome and Lubuntu both installed and miracle of miracles a menu appeared when I booted each one. (Kylin locked up on boot.)

So, Lubuntu runs and Windows 10 still boots. There are two other trial installations that don't boot, Gnome and Mint KDE, but all I need is one to break free from Windows.

There is a new problem (of course). No internet on Lubuntu. I'll start a thread for this latest headache du jour.
 
  


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