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I have already read some amount of article on the subject but I remain confused. I am completely new to Linux.
I am looking for a clear, trustful instruction on the following:
I would like to have Linux Mint 17.2 installed (persistent) on an external HD with no intervention into Windows 7 64bit system.
This means the Linux on external HD (NTSF partition?) will be completely portable an usable on any PC.
I would like to activate Linux only and automatically in the moment I connect the disk to a PC (no rebooting, etc). I have read that this is quite possible by using GRUB installed on the external drive (how?).
The main idea seems to be clear for me but as usual the devil is in the details. I have no idea how to achieve my goal and by what means (utilities, etc).
I would deeply appreciate any helpful and hammer-way, step-by-step instructions (or any appropriate link) on the above question.
Thank you in advance.
For the most part a modern distro like mint doesn't know the difference between a usb and internal drive.
I make these in a virtual machine to protect the internal drive from any mistake that I might make.
You can replicate this by removing the power or data from your internal drive if you wish. Make sure the usb shows up in bios.
There are some new issues however with modern linux. Drivers for video and nic may have some tricks. Generally I remove any video drivers and just use vesa so that it will go from system to system.
The second issue is Uefi.
So, pick a way and tell about uefi and we can start maybe.
If I don't get back the answer tends to be boot to the iso in vm or boot to cd/dvd/usb in system and then use the installer program. As long as there are no other drives attached the installer should load to this usb drive.
This was recently discussed in another thread but the only way I know how to run linux from windows (as a virtual machine) without rebooting and without installing any software is QEMU. grub is a boot loader but using it requires you to reboot the computer. The caveat for running a VM on any PC is going to be hardware dependent. In the case of a virtual machine the filesystem would be windows i.e. NTFS or FAT.
Linux is its own operating system, it runs independently of any other operating systems (Windows, OSX) on the machine. If you want to run Linux inside another operating system, that's a unique use-case called virtualization or a virtual machine.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ThGe
I would like to activate Linux only and automatically in the moment I connect the disk to a PC (no rebooting, etc).
Then I believe it would have to be a virtual machine. If you want this to be truly portable and you don't want to modify Windows at all then you would need a hypervisor that doesn't require installation on the host. Apparently QEMU can do that, but I have no experience with it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ThGe
I have read that this is quite possible by using GRUB installed on the external drive (how?).
Nope. GRUB is a boot loader, which means rebooting. You would be shutting down Windows and booting up Linux instead, which doesn't sound like it's what you want.
I think you don't quite understand how operating systems work. Linux has to be booted just like Windows...it's not an application that you can start at a whim like Notepad. Although it may be possible to start the Linux kernel from DOS, you're still a very long way off from running Linux in Windows.
Although you could use a hypervisor like VMware or VirtualBox, this significantly degrades performance
No it doesn't. Hardware virtualization is built into every modern processor so you get very little degradation in performance. On any reasonably powerful machine you probably won't even notice. The only time when it starts to matter is when you get into graphics-heavy applications, such as games.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ihatewindows522
and creates a bit of hassle configuring Linux to work properly with virtual hardware.
VMWare Tools and/or VirtualBox Guest Additions is just for added functionality, like adding shared drives or automatically changing the resolution when you resize the window. It is not required for the VM to function, and the installation is incredibly simple and straight forward, it's not a hassle at all.
Thank you all for your technical expressions.
I admit this is pretty (in some parts) difficult to follow for me as a newbie. I have read elsewhere that the way described in my initial post is possible to get Linux started from an external HDD without (re)booting. Alas no details have been furnished. Thus my question here.
I have already started trying to use/install Linux Mint 17.2 on an external device (both USB stick and HDD). I used a portable VirtualBox on the device and in the first case Linux Live Creator (no latest version of portable VBox available, had to update manually).
Nothing has worked. I have not been able to start VBox due to VT-x (virtualisation) issue. There is conflict between Window 7 64bit Virtualisation enabled in BIOS and the one within VirtualBox.
In order to get the 64bit version of OS (Linux) available/listed the Windows BIOS Virtualisation has to be activated. Such way, while active the VBox detects a conflict (some error message of a virtualisation problem). This is a vicious circle state.
In that case I had to abandon my adventure with Linux for the time being. Alas!
It is really a pity.
I would appreciate any comments on the above. Perhaps one day I would be able to manage to start Linux from the external HDD without any major problems.
Nothing has worked. I have not been able to start VBox due to VT-x (virtualisation) issue. There is conflict between Window 7 64bit Virtualisation enabled in BIOS and the one within VirtualBox.
In order to get the 64bit version of OS (Linux) available/listed the Windows BIOS Virtualisation has to be activated. Such way, while active the VBox detects a conflict (some error message of a virtualisation problem). This is a vicious circle state.
Hardware virtualization has to be enabled in the BIOS in order to use it in VirtualBox. It's not an either-or thing, both of them HAVE to be turned on in order for it to work. What is this error you're seeing when you try to enable it in VirtualBox with it enabled in the BIOS?
Are you saying that you want to boot to windows and then have at the same time run linux from a usb drive? If so then some vm or another would work. You'd only need vt-x if you want to go cross 32-64 bit issue.
You can use qemu on windows but it will be slower. It will let you run only what your processor is.
Otherwise your question has many other parts.
The main issue is you not being able to use tools like unetbootin or live usb creator programs.
Hardware virtualization has to be enabled in the BIOS in order to use it in VirtualBox. It's not an either-or thing, both of them HAVE to be turned on in order for it to work. What is this error you're seeing when you try to enable it in VirtualBox with it enabled in the BIOS?
Thank you for your info.
Here is a message that stops any other further activity via VirtualBox portable on my external HDD:
VT-x is being used by another hypervisor (VERR_VMX_IN_VMX_ROOT_MODE).
VirtualBox can't operate in VMX root mode. Please close all other virtualization programs. (VERR_VMX_IN_VMX_ROOT_MODE).
Are you saying that you want to boot to windows and then have at the same time run linux from a usb drive? If so then some vm or another would work. You'd only need vt-x if you want to go cross 32-64 bit issue.
You can use qemu on windows but it will be slower. It will let you run only what your processor is.
Otherwise your question has many other parts.
The main issue is you not being able to use tools like unetbootin or live usb creator programs.
Exactly.
I am in Windows (7 HPremium or Pro 64bit) environment and I have been trying to start a VirtualBox Portable session and boot from an ISO file (LinuxMint 17.2) that is also on the same external HDD.
The following message ends my Linux appreciation at this very stage:
VT-x is being used by another hypervisor (VERR_VMX_IN_VMX_ROOT_MODE).
VirtualBox can't operate in VMX root mode. Please close all other virtualization programs. (VERR_VMX_IN_VMX_ROOT_MODE).(...), etc.
If I disable virtualisation option in BIOS I have no option for 64bit while creating a new OS within Virtualbox (portable) on the ext HDD.
Looks like you have another hypervisor running...do you?
I will ask you à la italienne: Boooo?!
I wish I had known. You overestimate my technical capacity on the subject. I think it should be a case taking into account a message content. I have thought it was a result of activation the thing in BIOS - hence the conflict found (?).
Indeed I have noticed two Microsoft Corporation programs running in the background (Windows Process list, both seem to be related to virtualisation. As I mentioned above I think (at my very modest level) this is an effect of activated VT within BIOS.
I would be really thankful for a very clear step-by-step instruction on installing
VirtualBox on ext. HDD and make an appropriate setting to be able to get installation access to the Linux (Mint 17.2) ISO file on the ext. HDD and installing it as a parallel OS within Windows 7 Pro 64bit.
I am not certain if I have not messed something up. But I have tried several times, VirtualBox Pack installed, USB port pointed, etc.
Thank you in advance for any helpful suggestion. I am keen on giving another profound try.
Perhaps tomorrow
00:00:01.534409 SUP: Loaded VMMR0.r0 (F:\Portable-VirtualBox\app64\VMMR0.r0) at 0xfffff88021864000 - ModuleInit at fffff88021885980 and ModuleTerm at fffff88021885e70 using the native ring-0 loader
00:00:01.534443 SUP: VMMR0EntryEx located at fffff880218888b0, VMMR0EntryFast at fffff880218865c0 and VMMR0EntryInt at fffff880218865b0
00:00:01.827268 CPUM: Matched host CPU INTEL 0x6/0x2a/0x7 Intel_Core7_SandyBridge with CPU DB entry 'Intel Core i7-2635QM' (INTEL 0x6/0x2a/0x7 Intel_Core7_SandyBridge)
00:00:01.842905 GIM: Using provider 'KVM' (Implementation version: 0)
00:00:01.842920 CPUM: SetGuestCpuIdFeature: Enabled Hypervisor Present bit
00:00:01.842987 AIOMgr: Default manager type is 'Async'
00:00:01.842997 AIOMgr: Default file backend is 'NonBuffered'
00:00:01.843204 BlkCache: Cache successfully initialized. Cache size is 5242880 bytes
00:00:01.843217 BlkCache: Cache commit interval is 10000 ms
00:00:01.843226 BlkCache: Cache commit threshold is 2621440 bytes
00:00:02.120818 PcBios: [SMP] BIOS with 1 CPUs
00:00:02.120953 PcBios: MPS table at 000e1300
00:00:02.121911 PcBios: Using LAN ROM 'F:\Portable-VirtualBox\app64/ExtensionPacks/Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack/PXE-Intel.rom' with a size of 0xc000 bytes
00:00:02.219985 SUP: Loaded VBoxDDR0.r0 (F:\Portable-VirtualBox\app64\VBoxDDR0.r0) at 0xfffff88021989000 - ModuleInit at 0000000000000000 and ModuleTerm at 0000000000000000 using the native ring-0 loader
00:00:02.235400 SUP: Loaded VBoxDD2R0.r0 (F:\Portable-VirtualBox\app64\VBoxDD2R0.r0) at 0xfffff880219b1000 - ModuleInit at 0000000000000000 and ModuleTerm at 0000000000000000 using the native ring-0 loader
00:00:02.486278 DSound: Input: GUID: {A2D25CD4-E52E-45D4-9B24-F9EFED4BABF4} [Dock Mic (IDT High Definition Audio CODEC)] (Module: {0.0.1.00000000}.{a2d25cd4-e52e-45d4-9b24-f9efed4babf4})
00:00:02.486290 DSound: Found 5 host capturing devices
00:00:02.486969 Audio: Initializing VRDE driver
00:00:02.487290 DSound: Guest "Line In" is using host device with GUID: NULL
00:00:02.585461 DSound: Guest "Microphone In" is using host device with GUID: {4D86BB5C-E5F7-4070-95FC-052E76553E80}
00:00:02.593173 Serial#0: emulating 16550A
00:00:02.593247 Serial0: no unit
00:00:02.593270 Serial#1: emulating 16550A
00:00:02.593311 Serial1: no unit
00:00:02.655844 SUP: Loaded VBoxEhciR0.r0 (F:\Portable-VirtualBox\app64\ExtensionPacks\Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack\win.amd64\VBoxEhciR0.r0) at 0xfffff880219bb000 - ModuleInit at 0000000000000000 and ModuleTerm at 0000000000000000 using the native ring-0 loader
00:00:02.676336 VMSetError: F:\tinderbox\win-rel\src\VBox\VMM\VMMR3\HM.cpp(960) int __cdecl hmR3InitFinalizeR0(struct VM *); rc=VERR_VMX_IN_VMX_ROOT_MODE
00:00:02.676339 VMSetError: VT-x is being used by another hypervisor
00:00:02.685582 VMSetError: VirtualBox can't operate in VMX root mode. Please close all other virtualization programs.
00:00:02.685780 ERROR [COM]: aRC=E_FAIL (0x80004005) aIID={872da645-4a9b-1727-bee2-5585105b9eed} aComponent={ConsoleWrap} aText={VT-x is being used by another hypervisor (VERR_VMX_IN_VMX_ROOT_MODE).
00:00:02.685817 VirtualBox can't operate in VMX root mode. Please close all other virtualization programs. (VERR_VMX_IN_VMX_ROOT_MODE)}, preserve=false aResultDetail=0
00:00:02.685984 Console: Machine state changed to 'PoweredOff'
00:00:02.691518 Power up failed (vrc=VERR_VMX_IN_VMX_ROOT_MODE, rc=E_FAIL (0X80004005))
00:00:02.876093 GUI: UIMachineViewNormal::resendSizeHint: Restoring guest size-hint for screen 0 to 800x600
00:00:02.876141 ERROR [COM]: aRC=E_ACCESSDENIED (0x80070005) aIID={7303a66d-433b-25a4-f9a8-fcadf87e0c2a} aComponent={DisplayWrap} aText={The console is not powered up}, preserve=false aResultDetail=0
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