Arch Linux

Extreme Coder

Member

Registered: 2008-03-11

Posts: 41

How to install Arch on 4 GB USB flash disk?

Hi,
So I just got my hands on a new 4 GB Kingston Flashdisk, and I was wondering how do I install Arch on it? Do I just insert the CD and choose it as / ? Or is there something else to it?

Also, I have a few questions when I install it:
1) When I boot from it, and save/edit/do some changes, are they deleted on exiting, or do they stay on the USB disk?
2) I will be using it on a few different computers, will it automatically be able to setup nVIDIA/ATI graphics drivers?

Thanks!

lilsirecho

Veteran

Registered: 2003-10-24

Posts: 5,000

Re: How to install Arch on 4 GB USB flash disk?

Try Faunos for an install that is easily performed.  It provides archlinux packages (over 600) and you can "build down" rather than build-up.

In the wiki on the faunos forums there is a method to install the system into HDD uncompressed.

Read about the system at faunos.com which lists the packages installed.

More straightforward than other approaches.

Give it a good read!!!

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3nd3r

Member

From: /dev/null

Registered: 2002-12-08

Posts: 301

Website

Re: How to install Arch on 4 GB USB flash disk?

yea, I highly recommend faunos for usb flash drives. I have a 2GB drive that has faunos on it. After it was installed, I just resized the main partition to to fit the rest of the drive so I can write to it. It only takes a second if you have something like gparted.  Just resize the linux partition on the drive

www.faunos.com

and actually... I am running faunos right now, I just installed it to my drive via their wiki atricle via the non compressed script. Keeps all of the pimp settings and scripts etc...

http://wiki.faunos.com/index.php/Main_Page

Last edited by 3nd3r (2008-04-03 16:36:15)

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Extreme Coder

Member

Registered: 2008-03-11

Posts: 41

Re: How to install Arch on 4 GB USB flash disk?

But I can't install Arch by itself?
I'm trying to avoid any large downloads, such as getting the image for FaunOS

1311219

Member

From: Sweden

Registered: 2007-01-09

Posts: 121

Re: How to install Arch on 4 GB USB flash disk?

Installing Arch on a USB drive is somewhat the same as with a normal harddrive, but there are a few things you should have in mind:

1) When you are creating your mkinitcpio configs, make sure to add the hook "usb" and remove "autodetect" (often messes things up with usb storage support)

2) The partition-names can change depending on which system you boot on, so I would recommend you to make a label on all the partitions you are using (with e2label if you are using ext{2,3}) and refer to the partitions by their labelname, this requires that you add "udev" to the mkinitcpio configs , and then append "root=/dev/disk/by-label/<rootlabel>" to the kernel, instead of a normal block device

That's it, good luck!

(if you are new to Arch, or gnu+linux installations in general, just se the guides on the wiki! )

Extreme Coder

Member

Registered: 2008-03-11

Posts: 41

Re: How to install Arch on 4 GB USB flash disk?

Is there a page on the wiki for USB installations?

1311219

Member

From: Sweden

Registered: 2007-01-09

Posts: 121

Re: How to install Arch on 4 GB USB flash disk?

Probably a few, but what information are you looking for?

For normal installation information, I would recommend following the Beginners Guide, and Official Install Guide for a normal installation, and then just remember to do the things I mentioned to make sure it will boot correctly