Dell Media Direct and Linux

[gold_finger]

I have only just discovered, for example, that it is possible to run some Linux OSs from a USB stick (=pendrive/thumbdrive), and that this supposedly runs almost as quick as installing it as a dual boot on the C drive, and certainly a lot quicker than a LiveCD session from a CD.  As I have two laptops, this has a certain appeal - and also means I don't have to rush into partitioning, installing and dual booting on either machine's hard drive.  So I may go down the USB road first.  On that subject, I read your note in this thread https://www.linuxliteos.com/forums/index...opic=210.0.  So I may want to check back on that one specific point you mention about taking care over where exactly to put the bootloader of the Linux OS that is on the USB stick.

Doing a real installation to a USB stick is a not a bad idea.  It will give you experience doing the installation and also allow you to practice partitioning without affecting the internal hard drive.  Just boot with a live DVD/USB, plug in the USB you want to install to, open GParted, pick the USB drive from the drop-down box in upper right of GParted window.  GParted will usually open pointed at the first internal drive.  As long as you change that and pick the USB drive you'll be fine and can practice making partitions on the USB.

Installing to USB will follow same basic steps as installing to hard drive.  The safest way to install to the USB is to choose the "Something else" option when you get to the "Installation Type" page.  That will allow you to manually pick where to direct the installation.  You will want to do that in the case of a USB installation to make sure everything goes where you want it -- especially the boot loader.  If you don't pick that "Something else" option, it is a virtual certainty that the boot loader will be installed to the first hard drive (replacing the Windows boot loader).

Partitions can be created while installing under the "Something else" option; or you can create them ahead of time with GParted.  If you create them ahead of time, you still use the "Something else" option.  Then you select the partitions you made, one at a time, click "Change" button, then assign mount points and file system types to them.  Typical installation will have a root partition (mount point = "/"; Ext4 file system) and a swap partition.  Depending on size of USB, you can experiment with other partition arrangements if you want -- like possibly having a separate home partition (mount point = "/home"; also Ext4 file system type).  For a USB, best to use one that is 16GB or larger -- though you could get away with an 8GB USB if you had to.  (* See additional note below.)

On that same partitioning page of the installer, near the bottom there will be a line asking you where to install the boot loader?  It will be pre-filled with /dev/sda, which is the internal hard drive.  You will want to change that to make sure it displays the drive designation for the USB instead.  When you pick that, make sure you pick the option for the drive itself and not a particular partition on the USB.  For example, if you have only one internal hard drive and one USB connected, the choices will show /dev/sda, /dev/sdb, and various similar entries like /dev/sda1, sda2, sdb1, etc.  You would want /dev/sdb in that case (with no number after sdb).

Once the USB installation is done, all you need to do is tell the computer to boot from the USB instead of the hard drive.  Do that by changing the boot option order in the BIOS settings menu; or by choosing the USB boot option from the Boot Menu if your computer has a special key to hit on startup for that.  Each manufacturer may have different keys for both -- you'll have to look up how yours operates.  I have a Toshiba laptop where hitting "F2" on power-up gets me into BIOS Settings and "F12" gets me into the Boot Menu.  Also have an old HP that uses completely different keys, but can't remember which off hand.

P.s.  Additional Note.
Would recommend you stick to just a root and swap partition for a USB installation.  If you do want to try adding a /home partition, then make sure to create a root partition that is at least 6-8GB in size.  Another thing I tend you recommend is that you don't go crazy with the size of the swap partition.  Normally that partition would be 1-2 times the size of how much RAM your computer has.  Just go with a 1GB swap partition on the USB stick, otherwise you'll end up with swap being almost as big as the other partitions on a USB and it probably won't get used much -- so it's just a waste of space.  When installing to a hard drive (with plenty of space on it), then feel free to do a standard size swap partition.