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installing Linux on Flash Drive - Larz60+ - Sep-15-2017

I'm wondering if anyone has a Linux distro installed on a flash drive.
I'd like to set one up (got a bunch of 64GB drives at microcenter for 14.99 each) strictly for python development
I attempted Dual boot several times with disastrous results, so don't want to go that route anymore.

What is the best distro (in your opinion) to go this route.


RE: installing Linux on Flash Drive - metulburr - Sep-15-2017

I use to use Puppy Linux a few years ago. But that was because i had small 2GB flash drives. With 64GB, you could do any distro and just run the live version. If you want to keep persistent data on the that linux so you can install things, you can setup a persistent storage for that live linux. At that point its a customizable live linux on a flash drive. However USB live versions are slow. So the bigger they are the slower the initial load. In this way you can also try out a bunch of distros as well.

https://distrowatch.com/search.php?category=Live+Medium

Distro Watch is good place to get the most used distros. And even their front page has the top 100 ranked shown.


RE: installing Linux on Flash Drive - sparkz_alot - Sep-15-2017

I use openSUSE and have for quite a long time. If you want bleeding edge, probably look at Ubuntu, for a rock solid distro, probably Debian.  If you like a more UNIX like feel, try Slackware. There are many distros out there and will depend on your personal preferences, so I would try a couple of promising 'live' versions for a test drive before committing.


RE: installing Linux on Flash Drive - micseydel - Sep-15-2017

I put Linux Mint on a flashdrive yesterday. Linux Mint has been my go-to since Ubuntu went to Unity. Puppy Linux is what I used to use back when I was a student and only had access to poopy hardware.


RE: installing Linux on Flash Drive - Larz60+ - Sep-15-2017

I have used both openSUSE and Linux Mint (cinnamon) on my desktop that died.
Since I bought 4 Flash Drives, I'll set one up for each.
I will take Metulburr's advise and setup a persistent storage as well.
I can live with the slowness (I can have a cup of coffee while waiting if necessary, can't drink coke anymore, doctor's orders)

metulburr, thanks for the distro link.


RE: installing Linux on Flash Drive - wavic - Sep-16-2017

Hm! Sometimes dual boot could be difficult to achieve. Mostly because of the BIOS/EFI. The last one I've seen was some HP laptop. It showed two SSD's as one. This was the least trouble.

Try Linux Mint. Look at the site and pick one. They have a few images with preconfigured desktop managers. It's more stable than Ubuntu and in the last few years became even more popular.

Currently, I am typing here from Arch which is really a good one. You can put it on the USB and it can behave as a real OS, not like LIVE USB. If you want. I like it because you can install what you want starting with a bare minimum.


RE: installing Linux on Flash Drive - Larz60+ - Sep-16-2017

My son uses Arch.
Looking at the distros site that metulbuff provided, looks like mint is the most popular.
I may try arch as well, since I have enough flash drives.


RE: installing Linux on Flash Drive - metulburr - Sep-16-2017

(Sep-15-2017, 10:58 PM)micseydel Wrote: Linux Mint has been my go-to since Ubuntu went to Unity.
They dropped Unity now.


RE: installing Linux on Flash Drive - buran - Sep-18-2017

I also have Linux Mint on a flash drive, but generally use dual boot without problem.
In fact now I start Windows rarely and as result every time everything is so slow till all updates are installed and reboot.


RE: installing Linux on Flash Drive - Larz60+ - Sep-18-2017

I've got Mint 18.2 iso, openSUSE iso, a gparted bootable, and a Linux Mint 18.2 bootable.
Goal is to make a bootable openSUSE with persistent storage and bootable Linux Mint with persistent storage .

I think I've got everything I need to do that (without running windows)

Mint is most likely what I will stay with.
I'll probably also make a bootable arch but I hear it's a lot more work to get it cinfigured the way you want it.