[plug] Bootable USB hard drive

[Gavin Chester]

   >-----Original Message-----
   >From: plug-bounces at plug.org.au [mailto:plug-bounces at plug.org.au]On
   >Behalf Of Kev
   >Sent: Wednesday, 10 May 2006 15:58
   >To: PLUG
   >Subject: [plug] Bootable USB hard drive
   >
   >
   >I need help.  I need to know how I get a bootable system installed onto
   >a USB hard drive?  Google generally has returned me info that if I could
   >understand, I wouldn't need the help in the first place.
   >
   >All my machines' BIOSs will boot from a range of USB devices (or so they
   >say), including USB hard drive, but none of the OSs I have will see any
   >USB devices after booting from their respective CDs.  Hence I can't
   >install the OS onto the USB device.  Any clues would be greatly
   >appreciated.  My ultimate goal is to have a fully functioning USB borne
   >OS which I can boot from almost anybody's system.  To make it worse, I
   >wanted it to be my favourite distro.
   >
   >Please play gently - I'm NOT overly technically minded.

I feel your frustration, so I'll proffer an answer even if it's not much
good :-)

Hmm, I consider myself very technically-minded, but I don't have experience
doing what you're attempting.  So, don't dump on yourself - you will become
technically-minded if you keep trying to cross bridges like this one ;-)

Having said that, the only technical advice I can offer had been offered
previously in another thread.  That is, all distros I know of give you the
chance to create a boot floppy disk.  Using this floppy, you can then pass
certain parameters that should allow the booting to continue from your USB
device/drive.  At least, that's what I've read elsewhere, so I can't tell
you what the parameters are ;-)  Have you tried this method?

Maybe you don't have a floppy on each and every PC you want to boot?  Then,
try burning a CD with the same boot parameters as the floppy might hold.
One of those tiny CDs would be ideal since you could carry it in your
pocket.  I don't think you want a bootable (knoppix) style distro CD because
I hear that you want to boot the OS on the USB drive, not just mount your
USB drive to access files.

As far as I know, if you _do_ manage to get your favourite distro to boot
from USB, what is going to happen when you sit in front a PC that doesn't
support USB booting devices?  In other words, the solution you are chasing
is not a universal one, but the floppy/Cd boot is universal.  Just a
thought.

Gavin.