Linux Format forums

Bazza · Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2013 9:59 am Post subject: USB Full OS...

I don't know if this is well known but I have successfully got a fully bootable OS onto a USB stick. My hetbook has NO HDD or SSD in it as ths SSD died a few months ago. It had PCLinuxOS 2009 on it but I lost my fav' OS in the crunch.

If it is common knowledge the I await the flak...

NOTE:- This is not a live "CD" version but a fully operational OS that is set up for my netbook on an old 16GB USB memory stick.

It was _seriously_ NOT an eay task at first but now I know how to do it, it is relatively straightforward.

I now have a fully functional SSDless and HDDless netbook again ready for proper work...

To do this you will need a Windows box to help too...

If anyone is interested I will post a howto in the other forum...

CYA...
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Bazza, G0LCU...

Team AMIGA...

wyliecoyoteuk · Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2013 10:17 am Post subject:

Depends what you mean.
I had AROS installed on an SD card on my AA1, dual boot with Ubuntu, until I decided to wipe the SSD and install it as the main OS.
It is quite easy to install Ubuntu, for example, onto an SD card, not tried it to USB (except as a Live USB install).
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Bazza · Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2013 12:54 pm Post subject:

Hi WC...

It is a full working bootable OS, I re-iterate NOT a live copy on USB, and, the machine it is designed to work on has NO SSD nor HDD at all.

Also it has no DVD/CD drive and I have NOT got an external one hence the Windows box for two reasons, this being one of them...
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73...

Bazza, G0LCU...

Team AMIGA...

wyliecoyoteuk · Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2013 2:47 pm Post subject:

Does it have an SD card slot?
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Bazza · Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2013 3:22 pm Post subject:

Hi WC...

Yeah, but this netbook can't boot from it...

Also using this netbook now to reply on and just about to set about E-UAE again and get a clone of my A1200(HD) up and running...
_________________
73...

Bazza, G0LCU...

Team AMIGA...

ajgreeny · Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2013 9:44 pm Post subject:

I am delighted for you that this has worked, but just felt the need to warn you about the possible short life of a USB flash drive full installation, due to the multitude of disk writes that may be going on while using the system.

Maybe you need to ensure that swap is setup differently to normal, and also that your system partitions are mounted appropriately for a flash drive.

Unfortunately I don't know what exactly is needed for that; I just thought it worth flagging up the possibilities.
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Bazza · Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2013 12:30 am Post subject:

Hi al...

I am well aware of the flaws involved with USB sticks and also the data rates...

As my USB drive is already old and will be mainly used in AMIGA emulation mode I am not to worried about life. The genuine SSD in this machine barely lasted 2.5 years before absolute failure, and these are designed for the job. USB sticks make the machine fully usable again, plus it was fun to work out.
_________________
73...

Bazza, G0LCU...

Team AMIGA...

wyliecoyoteuk · Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2013 9:47 am Post subject:

Have you tried out AROS?
I am running the AspireOS variant on my AA1.
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Bazza · Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2013 10:00 am Post subject:

Hi WC...

Yes I have. The last time was in October last year and was not stable for me on my old HP note book and not so old HP laptop.

Never thought about the AA1 though, might be worth a try...

I do intend to keep looking at it though until I find it stable - then - I will make it my alternative AMIGA OS running in _parallel_ with E-UAE and WinUAE, and of course my A1200(HD).

It will be nice to start coding AMIGA like again... ;o)
_________________
73...

Bazza, G0LCU...

Team AMIGA...

wyliecoyoteuk · Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2013 10:34 am Post subject:

AspireOS is tailored for the AA1, even the wifi works.
The latest version is quite stable.
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Bazza · Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2013 12:16 pm Post subject:

Hi WC...

Just downloaded the RAR file so will start the work tonight onto my 8GB USB stick...

If I like then it will stay and my PCLinuxOS on the 16GB USB stick will be on standby...

Gonna search AMINET now for AROS related stuff, especially Python...

EDIT: Got the DVD ISO and I am suitably impressed. Now to attempt a USB stick version...
_________________
73...

Bazza, G0LCU...

Team AMIGA...

Paradigm Shifter · Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 1:16 pm Posts: 84

SSD tech is advancing rapidly - an older SSD, particularly one in a netbook, may be nearly as basic as a USB memory stick in terms of write/wear levelling. Thus, it will wear out very quickly.

If you're intending to use that system a lot, I'd recommend cloning that USB stick every week or so. Even then, it will suddenly up and die on you.

Fortunately, unless you demand quite fast read/write speeds, 8GB/16GB USB sticks aren't too expensive at the minute.

wyliecoyoteuk · Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 7:44 pm Post subject:

Unfortunately, it can be very fussy about which USB sticks it accepts, but as long as they are fast enough, it seems to work OK.
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Bazza · Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 3:31 pm Post subject:

Hi WC...

Story so far...

PCLinuxOS 2009 fully working along with E-UAE autorunning into E-UAE...

Latest AROS still twitchy and unstable for me and would not install to a brand new 8GB USB stick. I kept getting R/W errors then locking up in a loop as I tried to exit the install. The same occured with my spare 4GB stick which HAD a live PCLinuxOS on it that gave no errors at all in that mode... I tried both FFS and SFS file formats but to no avail...

So my netbook is now a _clone_ of my A1200 and what fun it is too...

CYA...
_________________
73...

Bazza, G0LCU...

Team AMIGA...

1slipperyfish · Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2013 10:33 am Post subject:

yo birfday bruf i don't know it this is of any help but you wrote