The current version breaks up all that content, but the original page and its history can still be accessed here. This page (Installing to a USB Flash Drive) was written by a bunch of contributors over the years, and it got really big.
Try to enable 'USB device emulation' or 'legacy USB' in your BIOS setup. Why don't my keyboard and/or usb mouse work when I enter X windows? If you're using an old version of Syslinux, make sure it supports FAT32. Although the current version of Syslinux (any version 3.00 or greater) should work with FAT32, that was not always the case. Either method should work, but some users have found FAT16 works more reliably than FAT32.
#Installing grub on usb drive windows
Why does the from-within-Linux method require FAT16, but the Windows method works with FAT32?Ĭould I just leave and reuse an existing FAT32 USB partition using the Linux syslinux version?
Read the section on USB Booting, and read about Your BIOS and You.
#Installing grub on usb drive install
All those tutorials are filed according to the source operating system. There are actually lots of how-tos/walkthroughs for installing DSL to a USB Flash Drive. Check your BIOS setup screen, and pop in a USB stick at the next boot to try it out.įinally, you're probably going to wipe your USB Drive, so BACK UP YOUR DATA. If you're going to boot the USB drive (not just run it from within another OS), then you need to make sure your BIOS can boot from USB.This tells grub to look in this partition (your target partition) for the files necessary to boot. 8 ) enter the following: root (hd1,0) but replace hd1,0 with the device/partition to which you want to install grub. A working operating system and an internet connection. The second drive (hd 1,0) was the USB drive running porteus, and the third drive (hd2,0) was the target drive.512 MB is preferable, 64 MB will work in a pinch. If you're going to install to a USB drive, you'll need: Installing to an external USB Hard Drive does work, but some external enclosure hardware won't like being used as a boot source. It's cool to carry your whole OS in your pocket, so the kids install DSL to a USB Flash Drive for booting from a USB port.Ī USB Flash Drive is not the same as a USB Hard Drive.