What I'd like to be able to do is install Linux, preferably Slackware, to a USB Hard Drive. When the USB Hard Drive is plugged in at boot, it boots linux from it. When it's not, it boots Windows, installed on the interal hard drive.

At this point I've got Slack installed on the USB HDD. I've seen some "tutorials" on doing it on various distros, but have yet to be able to get anything to work properly. All my problems seem to come from getting the USB drive seen before Slack is loaded. The /dev/sda part fails.

Does anyone have a fairly detailed method of fixing this?


At some point, if I continue to struggle getting this to work, is it possible to run a live linux cd, and create two partitions on the USB HDD. One for linux stuff, where I could actually install software and use at a later date. I'm talking stuff like Apache Tomcat, etc. The second partition would be FAT32, so that it could be used for both Windows and Linux storage.

I'd like to avoid this second option if possible.


Thanks.

hehe, i just did yesterday ago with slackware. all the tutorials you read were probably for usb memeory sticks and later had the title changed, anyway. I'm assuming you have the following items built into the kernel "ehci-hcd,uhci-hcd,sd_mod,usb-storage,usbcore" I had problems using an initrd file. All you have to do is add:
to your lilo.conf file

I run Slackware 10.2 from a USB HDD with LILO installed on the boot sector of the USB HDD. The boot sector of the installed HDD is pure Windows.

I plug the USB HDD into my machine then tell the machine which HDD to boot from i.e. the USB. If I don't tell it which HDD to boot from it will just go thru it's normal boot process and boot windows. If it's a newish PC it should allow you to boot from the USB.

The important thing is to have a initrd prepared for LILO to boot from.

I have a number of threads on this site that should give you all the information you need and illustrate some of the pit falls along with the solutions.

Alex