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Running Linux off of USB Hard Drive?


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Benjamingt's Avatar
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30-Jul-2005, 05:09 PM #1
Running Linux off of USB Hard Drive?
Hey guys!!!

I have a Western Digital external hard drive and I run Windows XP from my internal drive. I'd like to try running Linux from my external drive if possible, however. How could this done?

Ben
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30-Jul-2005, 05:55 PM #2
Does your Bios support booting from a USB device?
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30-Jul-2005, 05:55 PM #3
Ooh very easy. Linux is even easier to use if you have a second and even better external harddrive. If your bios supports booting off of the USB port just go2 the bios and change the boot sequence.
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30-Jul-2005, 05:55 PM #4
Squashman u beat me 2 it.
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30-Jul-2005, 05:58 PM #5
Is there a way I could not boot from it? I'll admit, I'm a Linux newbie.

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30-Jul-2005, 06:51 PM #6
Well what are you exactly trying to do. Do u just want to plug the drive in so when you turn the computer on it goes and loads linux directly? Do you want a choice? Many possibilities with linux.
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30-Jul-2005, 08:28 PM #7
Well, I wanted to be able to use Linux without inconveincing the family. To be sure, I don't know if that's possible. But, I am curious.

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30-Jul-2005, 08:31 PM #8
Yes quite possible, set in your bios the boot priority being #1 your USB harddrive. Install a bootloader on the USB harddrive, I like "grub" but some use "LILO" or "GAG". Make linux one boot choice and windows the other. Set a timer so that the loader auto-boots windows in 3 seconds so - you - if you want to use linux - must select linux within those 3 seconds otherwise it will just go and load windows.
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30-Jul-2005, 10:58 PM #9
Quote:
Originally Posted by iXneonXi
Yes quite possible, set in your bios the boot priority being #1 your USB harddrive. Install a bootloader on the USB harddrive, I like "grub" but some use "LILO" or "GAG". Make linux one boot choice and windows the other. Set a timer so that the loader auto-boots windows in 3 seconds so - you - if you want to use linux - must select linux within those 3 seconds otherwise it will just go and load windows.
How do I do that?

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30-Jul-2005, 11:30 PM #10
To access bios --> When you first turn on your computer it will tell you "Press 'x' to enter setup" or something of that like. Once in bios setup go to the respective location to setup the boot sequence. Choose the USB harddrive. (this is assuming your bios supports it)

Once you can boot from your USB harddrive install Linux, go through partitioning and all but only mess with the USB harddrive. You will reach the Bootloader setup page. I myself choose Grub. The linux installer should configure it for you. There will be additional instructions to fine tune your bootloader once this process is complete.
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31-Jul-2005, 12:56 AM #11
You could also install a partition program like PartitionMagic, partition your Windows drive (it wont hurt your data) into 3 with one being Linux Extended 2, Swap and the Windows NTFS/FAT32. Install a bootloader and do what iXneonXi said with the time and install your favorite distribution of Linux. If you want to just tinker around with one you could try Fedora or Mandrake, those have "easy" to use GUI's like GNOME or KDE so you could get used to it. Or you could use one of the text intense ones to get that hard programming feel. What ever suits you.
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31-Jul-2005, 10:25 AM #12
He wanted to run Linux off of a USB Hard Drive.
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