USB booting :: Installing Linux On USB pen Drive

I'm not sure what all the problem is about getting DSL onto a USB pen drive, if anything, this should be the easiest part. I downloaded the isolinux DSL 2.0, burned to a CD, booted up my Dell via the CD, and chose the install to USB drive option (using a 256 Lexar JumpDrive). Following the forums, choose SDA, and it installed.

Now, getting it to boot is a different matter. My Dimension 2300 won't boot via USB (so I have to use the CD or HD there), but my Dell x300 laptop will. Just needed to change the boot order of my devices. Also, need to use expert boot option, which takes just a little bit longer, but otherwise works fantastic.

Hi, The booting hurdles are why I do the CD to run and the USB to back-up too. It gives you the least amount of trouble in booting and once you back-up a file to your USB stick the OS automatically looks in the same destination after that.

My challenge now is, after experimanting with the whole booting from the USB thing, I deleted the partitions on my USB stick and now nothing can see it or deliver files to it. Anybody know what I did to my poor little USB stick?

Hi there.., had that problem once...., al partitions were gone!
Just run a linux (i preffer DSL or KNOPPIX) and then start you're favorite partition CONSOLE program.
Give the USB drive as a parameter (e.g. /dev/sda) and the you can write a clean new partition table, and edit it.

Maybe the company that made you're usb drive also created a software package for it (like mine did: peak-hardware)

Grtz

Hi, Thank You for the info. I should be slapped but I got on to a M$ machine and re-formatted it. I knew how to do it that way, sorry.

Honest though, I did not enjoy it. Honest. :-)

original here.