[SOLVED] Install Arch Linux on USB Stick!

1lj4z1 · 2012-03-24 13:46:46

So, here is the deal. I want to install Arch Linux on a USB Stick so I can plug it at any computer and have my system... with me

I've had a little bit experience with Arch so I know a few things about it... used it for a few months before on a real system.

My USB stick is a HighSpeed 17-20 MBPS and it's 16 GB capacity.

So how do I do it?

Last edited by 1lj4z1 (2012-04-05 07:25:53)

Xyne · 2012-03-24 13:49:28

1lj4z1 wrote:

So how do I do it?

You start by reading the wiki.

1lj4z1 · 2012-03-24 13:53:09

Xyne wrote:

1lj4z1 wrote:
So how do I do it?
You start by reading the wiki.

True! The thing is I Googled about it and didn't saw the wiki.... let's see.

1archgamenon2 · 2012-03-24 13:53:41

1lj4z1 wrote:

I've had a little bit experience with Arch so I know a few things about it... used it for a few months before on a real system

I'm beginning to doubt that...

1lj4z1 · 2012-03-24 13:55:05

1archgamenon2 wrote:

1lj4z1 wrote:
I've had a little bit experience with Arch so I know a few things about it... used it for a few months before on a real system
I'm beginning to doubt that...

It's been a long ago and I don't remember everything... I used to write stuff down in order to remember. So...

magicalChicken · 2012-03-24 14:53:30

One problem I can see right away with this ideas is the fact that depending on the different hardware you may need to reconfigure the system and install additional modules. Sometimes getting some hardware to work with arch takes a lot of work. If all you want is to have a mobile, lightweight linux distro, maybe try puppy.

1lj4z1 · 2012-03-24 14:58:04

magicalChicken wrote:

One problem I can see right away with this ideas is the fact that depending on the different hardware you may need to reconfigure the system and install additional modules. Sometimes getting some hardware to work with arch takes a lot of work. If all you want is to have a mobile, lightweight linux distro, maybe try puppy.

Well I am trying to have a minimal distro based on gnome or xfce with a gnome-terminal or the xfce terminal running and surf browser, but I want compiz running....

The modules are loading on the boot... I don't think there is going to be a problem?

Last edited by 1lj4z1 (2012-03-24 14:58:41)

1lj4z1 · 2012-03-26 12:56:19

So I decided to just have pekwm using zsh, xfce4-terminal and that's all i need. is there anything else i need to know? any tips or tricks?

swanson · 2012-03-26 13:14:36

Be prepared to chroot into the disk for fix ups and you need to put at least 'usb' in /etc/mkinitcpio.conf. Then rebuild the initramfs image.

1lj4z1 · 2012-03-26 14:16:06

Well I don't need to chroot, i am running it live. I'll see about mkinitcpio.conf but I can't understand what you mean rebuilding initramfs? What is that exactcly?

swanson · 2012-03-26 14:29:33

I made a live usb stick a year ago and /dev/sdx didn't come out right and as far as i remember usb was not in initramfs image per default, so no boot was possible from the stick. Let's assume that you install Arch from a boot/install usb stick unto another usb stick which you will use live, then partitions might get mixed up in grub. And if you can't fix usb in the initramfs image at install time, you will have to chroot into the new live stick and fix those things. By the way, I'm still using that stick on my netbook. The SSD was crap.

masteryod · 2012-03-26 14:58:16

I'm using occasionally Arch installed on HDD-USB, I've just added usb hook to mkinitcpio.conf and removed autodetect (more modules=more hardware supported). So far it worked on 3 different computers (all of them have one main HDD so no grub issues, but it's no biggie if it doesn't boot right away, you can always edit grub on-the-fly by pressing "e")

About USB stick: installing on USB stick is not the same as running it in LIVE mode! Consider yourself warned.

If you just install it you really should read about SSD optimizations because USB flash cells also have limited read/write cycles (actually is less robust and sophisticated than SSD). Something to look at: noatime mount option, disable swap if not necessary, profile-sync-daemon and so on...

1lj4z1 wrote:

Well I don't need to chroot, i am running it live. I'll see about mkinitcpio.conf but I can't understand what you mean rebuilding initramfs? What is that exactcly?

It means if you fiddle with mkinitcpio you should run:

# mkinitcpio -p linux

afterwards or bad things will happen

Last edited by masteryod (2012-03-27 15:37:13)

1lj4z1 · 2012-03-27 09:12:00

I see. Okay guys thanks... we'll see how it goes.

1lj4z1 · 2012-04-03 17:46:33

I am thinking of a concept. Here is the deal. I have 16 GB of RAM memory on my system and I am thinking of this, is there any way that i load the whole usb file on memory on boot and then when i shutdown to save all the data from the memory to the flash disk? I am having crazy ideas I know!

1lj4z1 · 2012-04-04 09:16:55

Anyone?

DSpider · 2012-04-04 10:00:09

Here's the general idea:

• Create a custom LiveCD.
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Building_a_Live_CD

• Boot it.
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/US … O_from_RAM

• Suspend to disk.
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Su … nd2disk.29

Have fun!

Last edited by DSpider (2012-04-05 08:15:39)

1lj4z1 · 2012-04-05 07:25:19

Thx..

Arch Linux

#1 2012-03-24 13:46:46

[SOLVED] Install Arch Linux on USB Stick!

#2 2012-03-24 13:49:28

Re: [SOLVED] Install Arch Linux on USB Stick!

#3 2012-03-24 13:53:09

Re: [SOLVED] Install Arch Linux on USB Stick!

#4 2012-03-24 13:53:41

Re: [SOLVED] Install Arch Linux on USB Stick!

#5 2012-03-24 13:55:05

Re: [SOLVED] Install Arch Linux on USB Stick!

#6 2012-03-24 14:53:30

Re: [SOLVED] Install Arch Linux on USB Stick!

#7 2012-03-24 14:58:04

Re: [SOLVED] Install Arch Linux on USB Stick!

#8 2012-03-26 12:56:19

Re: [SOLVED] Install Arch Linux on USB Stick!

#9 2012-03-26 13:14:36

Re: [SOLVED] Install Arch Linux on USB Stick!

#10 2012-03-26 14:16:06

Re: [SOLVED] Install Arch Linux on USB Stick!

#11 2012-03-26 14:29:33

Re: [SOLVED] Install Arch Linux on USB Stick!

#12 2012-03-26 14:58:16

Re: [SOLVED] Install Arch Linux on USB Stick!

#13 2012-03-27 09:12:00

Re: [SOLVED] Install Arch Linux on USB Stick!

#14 2012-04-03 17:46:33

Re: [SOLVED] Install Arch Linux on USB Stick!

#15 2012-04-04 09:16:55

Re: [SOLVED] Install Arch Linux on USB Stick!

#16 2012-04-04 10:00:09

Re: [SOLVED] Install Arch Linux on USB Stick!

#17 2012-04-05 07:25:19

Re: [SOLVED] Install Arch Linux on USB Stick!

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