Install: from a Live Ubuntu image on a USB stick

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[edit] Requirements

  • A computer with Ubuntu or Ubuntu on a live CD (regular Ubuntu CD)
  • The Ubuntu live CD iso
  • A USB stick or memory card

Note: KDE users can use Kubuntu in exactly the same way

[edit] Automated method for preparing a USB stick using Unetbootin

(Adapted from https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/FromUSBStick)

Windows users will probably find it easier to use the Unetbootin utility. This automates pretty much the entire process.

(These instructions are more Windows Oriented. Linux users can probably determine what the relevant UI conventions I am referring to on their system)

  • Download the ISO you wish to install.
  • Download Unetbootin.
  • Back up everything on your flash drive. While this program usually isn't harmful to the data on a flash drive, paranoia is a very good thing in this sort of situation.
  • install Unetbootin dependencies. On ubuntu it should be : 
sudo aptitude install mtools p7zip-full
  • Run Unetbootin and select the ISO option, then click the 'browse' or '...' button to select the ISO file itself. Select which drive you desire to turn into a Live USB installation thingy.
  • Click 'Next' and go find some way to amuse yourself in the few minutes it takes for the program to do its thing.
  • Once it is done it will ask if you wish to Reboot Now or Exit. In the unlikely event you prepared this on an EeePC running WinXP then by all means Reboot. Otherwise, that would be silly and you should just select the 'Exit' option.
  • Huzzah! You should now have a working USB Live install thingy.

IMPORTANT NOTE: When you actually use this Live USB install thingy, when the Ubuntu loading screen comes up, it will appear to have frozen after about 10-20 seconds. It hasn't, but one of the startup processes takes a very long time compared to the others. As soon as you see the loading screen come up, you should just go and do something else for a few minutes. If you sit around waiting, you'll probably just convince yourself that the computer's crashed when it hasn't really.

[edit] How to configure a USB stick manually

(Adapted from http://wiki.eeeuser.com/ubuntu)

  • In a running Ubuntu, Kubuntu or Xubuntu environment, install the "syslinux" and "mtools" packages. Open up a terminal and write: 
sudo apt-get install syslinux mtools
  • Download the script: 
wget http://download.ubuntu-fr-secours.org/isotostick.sh
  • Make the script excutable: 
chmod +x isotostick.sh
  • OPTIONAL: format the drive as FAT32 
sudo mkfs.vfat -F 32 -n ubuntueee /dev/sdX1
or alternatively as ext2 (some report success only after doing this): 
sudo mkfs.ext2 /dev/sdX1
  • Before running the script, the usb key partition must be marked as bootable or the script complains "Partition isn't marked bootable!"
  • Replace /dev/sdX with the device node of usbdrive (example: sdb and not sdb1) 
 sudo parted /dev/sdX set 1 boot on
  • Then run the script, replace /dev/sdX1 with the partition where you want to put the image.: 
 sudo ./isotostick.sh image.iso /dev/sdX1
  • Finally, make it bootable using syslinux. For FAT32: 
 sudo syslinux /dev/sdX1
for ext2: 
 sudo extlinux [directory where device is mounted] --install
  • According to the Fedora 8 release notes, this is not a destructive process and any data you currently have on your USB stick is preserved. Obviously, the process *is* destructive if you use the optional formatting step.
  • Shutdown the Eee PC and remove the battery for a few seconds before attempting to start the Eee PC again. Some 4G 701 (non-surf) devices fail to obtain link-status with the ethernet port unless power is completely removed. (You may need to do this again after using the USB live stick to install ubuntu on your system)
  • Insert the USB stick in the Eee, and reboot it. You should be able to use the Esc key during the boot sequence to bring up a boot menu, but you have to be quick! Or you can use F2 to access the BIOS, and change the hard drive sequence to put the USB stick first.

Boot->Hard Disk Drives (not Boot Priority!) and make [USB:whatever] the top one.

This is not "sticky", it will revert to normal after one boot.

  • Then Ubuntu/Kubuntu will boot, and you can complete the installation process in the usual way. Remember to format the disk manually, and leave the two very small partitions alone. The large one will already be formatted Ext2, but should be reformatted and set to be mounted as /. The small one (1.3GB) will be Ext3, and should also be formatted as Ext2 and be set to mount as /home. But your partitioning needs may vary.
  • During installation, in Kubuntu at least, some of the dialogue screens are too large to be displayed properly. This has also been known to affect desktop users whose graphics card has defaulted to 640*480 or similar. To move any window around, ALT-LeftMouse with cursor anywhere on the window, and drag as required.
  • After completing this installation process, and rebooting your eee pc, your /etc/fstab file will have an incorrect entry for a cdrom drive. This is a problem, because it interferes with your ability to mount a usb drive (which will be assigned the same device name as the fictional cdrom drive). To remove the erroneous entry from your fstab file, open a terminal and 
  sudo gedit /etc/fstab

or for Kubuntu users, 

  kdesu kate /etc/fstab

and find the line that says 

  /dev/sdc1       /media/cdrom0   udf,iso9660 user,noauto,exec 0       0

and **delete** it (or comment it out). Hit save and close the text editor.

  • You will also have an entry in your /etc/apt/sources.list file for your LiveCD. Synaptic doesn't complain about it, but apt-get will, if this is a problem, open a terminal and 
  sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

and find the line that says 

  deb cdrom:[Ubuntu 7.10 _Gutsy Gibbon_ - Release i386 (20071016)]/ gutsy main restricted

and **delete** it (or comment it out). Hit save and close the text editor.

[edit] Alternative installation of the ISO on a USB stick

Use http://klik.atekon.de/liveusb/ 

 deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/probono/ubuntu hardy main
  • Install the liveusb package 
 sudo apt-get update
 sudo apt-get install liveusb
  • Mount your iso file to /cdrom 
 sudo mount -o loop ubuntu-eee-804.iso /cdrom/
  • Run liveusb and follow the instructions
  • Now your LiveCD is burned on the USB key, install Ubuntu and follow the rest of the instructions on this page.
Retrieved from "http://wiki.geteasypeasy.com/Install:_from_a_Live_Ubuntu_image_on_a_USB_stick"
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