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**Qqmike** · Oct 28, 2008, 06:08 AM

Re: Build a LIVE Kubuntu Flash Drive, How-To

Looks like your flash drive should be referenced as (hdx,1), where x should NOT be zero.
For example, in Reply #7, mine was x=2:
(2) Set up GRUB in the MBR of the flash drive.
= = > CAUTION: I am using my notation sdc = hd2 for the flash drive here. Yours may be different!
Open Konsole, type sudo grub, at the GRUB prompt type these commands:
grub> root (hd2,0)
grub> setup (hd2)
grub> quit
$exit
This sets up GRUB in the MBR of the flash drive, (hd2), from the GRUB files in partition 1, (hd2,0).

All this work is done (at Konsole) in your existing hard drive Kubuntu, so the flash drive will be seen as on hd1 or hd2 or hd3, etc.

BIOS:
If your BIOS supports "Boot from USB," there should be a menu somewhere that says that, where you can check a box to turn it on. It may be kind of embedded into other screen menus. Mine was a one-liner on the page where you select the boot-drive order.

**Fintan** · Oct 28, 2008, 06:30 AM

Re: Build a LIVE Kubuntu Flash Drive, How-To

Okay, I thought I would do this from within the flash drive because I didn't want to screw up my normal HD grub.

I haven't had to reinstall grub for some time and would like to avoid it, so please be patient.

My USB is seen as dev/sdg=hd6??

So if I open up a terminal in my HD Kubuntu and do:

Code:

sudo grub

grub> root (hd6,1)
grub> setup (hd6)
grub> quit
$exit

I will not change my normal (HD) grub install?

**Qqmike** · Oct 28, 2008, 06:46 AM

Re: Build a LIVE Kubuntu Flash Drive, How-To

First off:
"Okay, I thought I would do this from within the flash drive because I didn't want to screw up my normal HD grub."
What I meant was that the work you are doing as you build the flash drive (working through all those how-to steps), that work is done at Konsole, where the Konsole is opened from within your running and regular Kubuntu (on your HD).

If, from within your regular Kubuntu (where you are doing all this Konsole work), your flash drive is seen as hd6, then Yes -- go ahead as you outlined above and run those commands and nothing will be changed on any internal HD or partition.
(It's not April 1st, is it

)

**Qqmike** · Oct 28, 2008, 06:50 AM

Re: Build a LIVE Kubuntu Flash Drive, How-To

Footnote (which it looks like you already did):
From the Konsole (opened in your regular HD Kubuntu where you are doing all this work), you can run geometry command to be sure how the drives are seen.
sod grub
grub> geometry (hd<now press the TAB key
or
grub> geometry (hd6)

**Fintan** · Oct 28, 2008, 06:56 AM

Re: Build a LIVE Kubuntu Flash Drive, How-To

Thank you

Okay I just did this to be sure:
Relevant part of:

Code:

sudo fdisk -lu

Platte /dev/sdg: 16.6 GByte, 16646144000 Byte
255 Köpfe, 63 Sektoren/Spuren, 2023 Zylinder, zusammen 32512000 Sektoren
Einheiten = Sektoren von 1 × 512 = 512 Bytes
Disk identifier: 0x000e6ce3

Gerät boot. Anfang Ende Blöcke Id System
/dev/sdg1 * 63 16257779 8128858+ 83 Linux
/dev/sdg2 16257780 32499494 8120857+ 83 Linux
fintan3@fintanws2:~$

Code:

sudo grub

grub> geometry (hd6)

Error 21: Selected disk does not exist

grub> geometry (hd<now press the TAB key

Error 23: Error while parsing number

What now?

Edit:
grub> geometry

Error 11: Unrecognized device string

grub>

**Qqmike** · Oct 28, 2008, 07:05 AM

Re: Build a LIVE Kubuntu Flash Drive, How-To

Actually, what you type at the grub> prompt is this:
geometry
then a space
then the left parenthesis: (
then
hd
then, right there, press the TAB key on the keyboard (on mine, it's just to the left of the Q-key).

**Fintan** · Oct 28, 2008, 07:10 AM

Re: Build a LIVE Kubuntu Flash Drive, How-To

Okay that gives me:
grub> geometry (hd
Possible disks are: hd0 hd1 hd2

grub> geometry (hd

so I guess hd2 it is.

grub> root (hd2,0)

grub> setup (hd2)
Checking if "/boot/grub/stage1" exists... yes
Checking if "/boot/grub/stage2" exists... yes
Checking if "/boot/grub/e2fs_stage1_5" exists... yes
Running "embed /boot/grub/e2fs_stage1_5 (hd2)"... 16 sectors are embedded.
succeeded
Running "install /boot/grub/stage1 (hd2) (hd2)1+16 p (hd2,0)/boot/grub/stage2
/boot/grub/menu.lst"... succeeded
Done.

grub>

Thanks
Looks I'll try it now and get back

**Qqmike** · Oct 28, 2008, 07:21 AM

Re: Build a LIVE Kubuntu Flash Drive, How-To

Yeah, it looks right.
grub> geometry (hd2)
would show you that flash drive, but it's probably clear that you already have known drives hd0 and hd1.

**Fintan** · Oct 28, 2008, 07:34 AM

Re: Build a LIVE Kubuntu Flash Drive, How-To

Looked good but try to boot from it didn't work.
I tried these in my bios:
USB-FDD
USB-HDD
USB-CDROM

none worked.

Could it be that it doesn't like the USB plug I plugged into?
I have 5

Am am asking because normally at bios boot it shows: "USB device: medion flash card" but when I stick the USB stick in it shows nothing

Edit: I just checked with google and it says that USB_FDD is a USB floppy.
I don't a simple boot from USB

Edit2:
Is there a way to edit my main menu.lst to include the usb stick?

**Qqmike** · Oct 28, 2008, 07:45 AM

Re: Build a LIVE Kubuntu Flash Drive, How-To

How about USB-HDD?

How old is your BIOS/PC?

Reply#12. EDIT************>>> But then, it would NOT be a "live" flash drive, it would be just like an external HDD with Kubuntu on it.
How To Make GRUB Thumb Drive
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3081748.0

How to install K/Ubuntu 7.04 to an external USB hard disk drive (HDD), Reply #1
USB experiment: USB drive shifting Reply #5
Knoppix on USB Flash Drive (UFD), Reply #6 & #7
Simplifying your menu.lst and all the rest of it, Reply #8
Puppy Linux on USB Flash Drive (UFD) Reply #9.
Super Grub Disk, GRUB, GParted & Puppy on a flash drive Reply #10
Install Kubuntu 7.10 to a flash drive (UFD) Reply #12 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Kubuntu 7.10 on LIVE Flash Drive Reply #13

(added: I gotta run out for a morning of appointments now; the bill collector knocks...)

**Detonate** · Oct 28, 2008, 08:53 AM

Re: Build a LIVE Kubuntu Flash Drive, How-To

In my BIOS, my flash drive shows up under Hard Disks when I go to the Boot Order. I have to open Hard Disk and select which Hard Disk I want to boot, then make sure Hard disk is in the Boot Order, you can make it first, but usually it's second behind the CD. It does not show up under USB, and there is no option to boot from USB.

**Qqmike** · Oct 28, 2008, 08:59 AM

Re: Build a LIVE Kubuntu Flash Drive, How-To

Yeah, BIOSs differ, and may be quirky ...

Mine is similar to yours, Detonate (=Intel 915G, 2005), but I do have that little one-liner to check under Boot from USB.

Maybe the option USB-HDD didn't work before, Fintan, because you didn't have a bootable device ready as USB. It might go now, though ... ?

**Fintan** · Oct 29, 2008, 03:24 AM

Re: Build a LIVE Kubuntu Flash Drive, How-To

Thankx guys.
USB-HDD sort of works as in in blocks the boot process and I have do a hard reboot (turn off / turn on the machine)

So, I guess my only recourse will be doing a complete install as qmike suggested.

I'll wait for the final for that though

**Qqmike** · Oct 29, 2008, 06:03 AM

Re: Build a LIVE Kubuntu Flash Drive, How-To

"USB-HDD sort of works as in in blocks the boot process and I have do a hard reboot (turn off / turn on the machine)"

That's how my external hard drive works on this machine, and it occurs (I believe) when the motherboard does not support eSATA (for hat plugging). OTOH, USB flash drives work hot pluggable.

"So, I guess my only recourse will be doing a complete install as qmike suggested."
Actually (I edited that post above), I was suggesting that a full install would not be as good as a Live version, but really, Why not! You've got plenty of space on that flash drive to store stuff, too.

**perspectoff** · Nov 01, 2008, 01:47 PM

Re: Build a LIVE Kubuntu Flash Drive, How-To

Originally posted by Qqmike

Building a Live Kubuntu Flash Drive for Gutsy 7.10

A Live Kubuntu flash drive is like your Live Kubuntu CD except it is installed to a bootable flash drive. That is, the Kubuntu will run in your PC's main memory (RAM, in ramdisk) and never changes anything on your hard drives. I've been playing around with such this week, using the following excellent tutorial:
The tutorial by IntuitiveNipple (I-N):
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=476302

I did this method for Kubuntu Ibex (much simpler instructions are available at PendriveLinux.com)

but it is very frustrating because all this does is put a LiveCD on a USB drive. It is not a full installation since you can't update a LiveCD. Even though you can save settings ("persistent settings"), you can't update modules and many modules can't be installed.

This is not a good method.

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