Install and run a distro FROM a usb stick.

[pwilliams]

How does one install an OS on a usb stick and run it from there?
Many distros refer to a usb version but only as a means to install on an HD.
I have 4Gb stick and am looking at Minix.

[Nepomuk]

Hi pwilliams!

In the Minix FAQ, it says:

3.1. How do I boot the USB image?

Write the usb image file to the usb device sector-by-sector. In other words, don't write it to a FAT filesystem on the usb device, but write the file to it starting at the 0th sector. This will, of course, effectively wipe all other information that was on the usb device.

Then you can boot from the usb device if your BIOS supports that.

This should work for a USB stick as well. To write to a device like that, you will use the dd command. That will look something like this:

dd if=minix-image bs=1024 of=/dev/sdb1

No guaranty for that command, but the idea should be correct. Oh, and it will require a partition on the USB stick and will delete everything, that's on it.

With other OSes, you often have other options - check pendrivelinux.com for information for various Linux distributions for example.

Greetings,
Nepomuk

[pwilliams]

Many thanks Nepomuk for your lucid and comprehensive guidance.

All the best,
pwilliams.