How to partition a USB flash-drive to install Arch Linux?

A Swiftly Tilting Planet · 2009-01-03 16:04:20

Good afternoon,

Could anyone please guide me in the right direction, how would I go about partitioning my USB flash-drive in order to install Arch Linux onto my Acer Aspire One? I've found guides, but none of them are specific enough - the static assumption being that the OS is already partitioned onto your flash-drive, and that is not the case for me.

Much appreciated,
A Swiftly Tilting Planet

pyther · 2009-01-03 16:13:07

So what are you trying to do?
Install arch to a flash drive? Or put the arch install on to a flash drive (to bootup from to install arch)?

ezzetabi · 2009-01-03 16:13:51

assuming your usb key is /dev/sdz

# dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdz
//cleans the usb drive
#  fdisk /dev/sdz
// press m and read the help, make a partition, make it bootable
// you have to press (double check anyway):
// n, p, 1, <enter>, <enter>, a, 1, t, b, w
# mkfs.vfat /dev/sdz1
// formatting

The first passage can actually replaced to something more modest, like:

# dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdz bs=1024 count=1

Last edited by ezzetabi (2009-01-03 16:37:04)

A Swiftly Tilting Planet · 2009-01-03 16:14:35

Not a Live-USB, just something to use to boot up from to install Arch Linux onto my Acer Aspire One. The latter of the two choices you gave me.

Edit: Also, I use Windows XP on my other laptop - the Linpus Linux on my Aspire One has no command prompt. Should I use Cygwin to enter the commands I've been given?

Last edited by A Swiftly Tilting Planet (2009-01-03 16:16:16)

ezzetabi · 2009-01-03 16:28:21

No sorry, I am lost. What does it mean? How may laptops are there? One with windows and an other with Linux? And the latter does not have sh installed?

pyther · 2009-01-03 16:32:20

This explains how to open a terminal: http://www.aspireoneuser.com/forum/view … rt=20#p152 using Linpus Linux

And then read this wiki entry tells you how do it from both windows and linux: http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ins … _USB_stick

BTW the arch install cd is a livecd

A Swiftly Tilting Planet · 2009-01-03 17:30:09

Laptop 1. Compaq with Windows XP (My main computer.)
Laptop 2. Acer Aspire One with Linpus Linux

I am attempting to install Arch Linux on to my Aspire One.

Thank you for the guides, I am sure I can now use the command prompt on my Acer to easily create a bootable USB flash-drive. I will post if I have any more trouble or when it's successfully installed.

A Swiftly Tilting Planet · 2009-01-03 18:10:31

One more question. From http://archlinux.linuxfreedom.com/, which files to I download to install onto my USB flash-drive?

There are 10 to choose from.

USB uses IMG files, but do I choose archboot or core? i686 or x86_64?

I'm not fluent in Unix, how will the command prompt know where to find the files to install them onto the USB through the commands?

I apologize for how new to this I am.

Last edited by A Swiftly Tilting Planet (2009-01-03 18:21:22)

Nezmer · 2009-01-03 18:34:22

I would say archboot would make your life easier as It contains a recent kernel that supports your network cards .

A couple of wiki pages you should check out :
http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Acer_Aspire_One
http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Beginners_Guide

pyther · 2009-01-03 18:35:32

I starting to think archlinux is not going to be the best distribution for you right now.
You might want to look into Ubuntu, Fedora, OpenSuse, etc...

Arch Linux

#1 2009-01-03 16:04:20

How to partition a USB flash-drive to install Arch Linux?

#2 2009-01-03 16:13:07

Re: How to partition a USB flash-drive to install Arch Linux?

#3 2009-01-03 16:13:51

Re: How to partition a USB flash-drive to install Arch Linux?

#4 2009-01-03 16:14:35

Re: How to partition a USB flash-drive to install Arch Linux?

#5 2009-01-03 16:28:21

Re: How to partition a USB flash-drive to install Arch Linux?

#6 2009-01-03 16:32:20

Re: How to partition a USB flash-drive to install Arch Linux?

#7 2009-01-03 17:30:09

Re: How to partition a USB flash-drive to install Arch Linux?

#8 2009-01-03 18:10:31

Re: How to partition a USB flash-drive to install Arch Linux?

#9 2009-01-03 18:34:22

Re: How to partition a USB flash-drive to install Arch Linux?

#10 2009-01-03 18:35:32

Re: How to partition a USB flash-drive to install Arch Linux?

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