installing linux from USB?

[Tyler Littlefield]

the key word here is write, not burn.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Cody" <churst35 at verizon.net>
To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2009 6:57 PM
Subject: Re: installing linux from USB?


> as said by tyler:
>>>>>>> Is it possible for me somehow to take an iso and write it to a USB 
>>>>>>> key
>
> You cannot write an iso to a USB key, you can manually extract the files 
> and copy them to the disk barring the disk is formatted properly and the 
> bios supports it. ISO burning programs do not burn to thumb drives only 
> opticle drives. Either you stated this wrong you you thought you could 
> burn said images to a thumb drive without any issues. I'm assuming you are 
> using xp for this.
>
> Did I make myself clear?
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Tyler Littlefield" <tyler at tysdomain.com>
> To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." 
> <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
> Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2009 6:36 PM
> Subject: Re: installing linux from USB?
>
>
>> wo, when did I say I wanted to burn an iso to a USB? I was born at night, 
>> but not last night. I just wanted to get the iso on to the USB somehow.
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Cody" <churst35 at verizon.net>
>> To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." 
>> <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
>> Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2009 12:27 PM
>> Subject: Re: installing linux from USB?
>>
>>
>>> Yes, this is the same thing I've said twice, iso burning apps do not 
>>> burn to thumb drives only opticle drives. This is what tyler wanted to 
>>> do and am pointing out that this cannot be done.
>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>> From: "Kerry Hoath" <kerry at gotss.net>
>>> To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." 
>>> <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
>>> Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2009 7:40 AM
>>> Subject: Re: installing linux from USB?
>>>
>>>
>>>> Now i'm really confused. You don't burn an iso to a thumb drive, as a 
>>>> thumb drive is a USB storage device not a cdrom/dvdrom style device.
>>>>
>>>> If you want the files off the .iso onto the thumb drive, you'd have to 
>>>> loop mount the iso under linux and copy them off, or copy them off 
>>>> under Windows with daemon tools, virtual drive, power iso etc etc etc.
>>>>
>>>> Many installers just let you put the .iso onto the thumb drive along 
>>>> with the boot loader and initial ram disk.
>>>> there are automated scripts and programs on www.pendrivelinux.com that 
>>>> given the correct Linux Iso give you a bootable installer flash drive.
>>>> This hides the complexity from the user.
>>>>
>>>> Of course if you are building these drives from the command-line, you 
>>>> either follow a guide or use a script.
>>>>
>>>> Regards, Kerry.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>> From: "Cody" <churst35 at verizon.net>
>>>> To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." 
>>>> <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
>>>> Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2009 8:04 PM
>>>> Subject: Re: installing linux from USB?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> My point wasn't to place the iso on the drive itself but format the 
>>>>> drive, then manually extract the files fromt he iso. I don't think any 
>>>>> iso program such as burn cdcc will see a thumb drive as a burnable 
>>>>> device.
>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>>> From: "Kerry Hoath" <kerry at gotss.net>
>>>>> To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." 
>>>>> <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
>>>>> Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2009 12:20 AM
>>>>> Subject: Re: installing linux from USB?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Many installers do loop mount an iso off the thumb drive and are 
>>>>>> configured to do so. Debian's installer can do that, as can Ubuntu's.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> They expect to load the kernel and initial ram disk, and then find 
>>>>>> the rest of the installer after that.
>>>>>> Usually the kernel is loaded by a boot loader such as syslinux, grub 
>>>>>> lilo or similar. The boot loader also has to understand and load an 
>>>>>> initial ramdisk, then once that is all set the installer finds 
>>>>>> components from there.
>>>>>> It can pick the files directly up off the thumb drive, however 
>>>>>> depending what file system you have on the drive depends whether 
>>>>>> Linux or the Bios can recognize it.
>>>>>> Whatever file system you use needs to be supported by Linux and 
>>>>>> preferably support long file names unless you use the .iso file and 
>>>>>> the installer loop mounts it.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Many bioses won't boot a USB drive unless it contains a FAT file 
>>>>>> system either in floppy mode, (no partition table)
>>>>>> or on a primary fat partition complete with boot sector and partition 
>>>>>> table.
>>>>>> This is the difference between booting USB floppy, and USB HDD 
>>>>>> support.
>>>>>> If booting from an USB CDROM it's an eltorato boot and different 
>>>>>> again.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>>>> From: "Cody" <churst35 at verizon.net>
>>>>>> To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." 
>>>>>> <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
>>>>>> Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2009 1:24 PM
>>>>>> Subject: Re: installing linux from USB?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Why burn the iso? just extract the files from the iso and then copy 
>>>>>>> them onto the drive and boot with it. an iso program is not going to 
>>>>>>> pick up a USB thumb drive because it is looking for a opticle 
>>>>>>> drive/that is what those apps are designed to burn on.
>>>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>>>>> From: "Tyler Littlefield" <tyler at tysdomain.com>
>>>>>>> To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." 
>>>>>>> <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
>>>>>>> Sent: Sunday, January 25, 2009 11:36 AM
>>>>>>> Subject: installing linux from USB?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Hello,
>>>>>>>> Is it possible for me somehow to take an iso and write it to a USB 
>>>>>>>> key so I can install debian like that? the computer I want deb on 
>>>>>>>> has a messed up cd drive.
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>>>>>>
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