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Can I boot from a flash drive?

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Original Message
Name: Gray
Date: July 18, 2008 at 15:06:47 Pacific
Subject: Can I boot from a flash drive?
OS: ubuntu 7.04, Puppy 4.00
CPU/Ram: 1.8mhz/512mb
Model/Manufacturer: Amd Athlon
Comment:

I am interested in running Linux from a flash drive and would like to find out whether my computer can boot from such a device.

In the bios it says 'Boot other device' 'enabled'. Does this mean I can boot a flash drive? The machine is an AMD Athlon 1.8mhz.

Is there a simple way to test this capability? (The largest flash drive I have at present is 500mb)


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Response Number 1
Name: RTAdams89
Date: July 18, 2008 at 18:22:25 Pacific
Reply: (edit)

Your best bet is to read the manual for your specific motherboard (search online if you don't have a hard copy).

Or you can download any of the Linux flavors which advertise as being able to run from a flash drive and experiment.

-Ryan Adams
http://RyanTAdams.com


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Response Number 2
Name: jefro
Date: July 18, 2008 at 18:41:35 Pacific
Reply: (edit)

My guess is no but you can try.

See links.
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/
http://www.bootdisk.com/pendrive.htm

Two issues. One is the bios/computer. The second is the flash disk.

Try syslinux e:\ or what ever the flash drive is and reboot. (of course you need syslinux)

Could do it with server 2003 too. Plenty of ways.

Might have to do other thing with the flash drive. It may have to be set to a version that can boot with the bios.

Might see if there is an update to bios that talks about that directly.

Might have to add in a second usb card even.

May have to make a boot floppy then boot to flash.


Why do you want to do that anyway?

"Best Practices", Event viewer, host file, perfmon, are in my top 10


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Response Number 3
Name: Gray
Date: July 19, 2008 at 13:31:29 Pacific
Reply: (edit)

Thank you both for the responses - and especially for those links.

Why do I want to do this? Just to see if I can. Not a very good answer - but I like 'playing with things' :)


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Response Number 4
Name: ernie
Date: July 21, 2008 at 02:55:04 Pacific
Reply: (edit)

Is there an option for a USB or flash drive in the boot order list? If there is, then you can certainly boot from a flash drive. If not, then maybe by using suggestions above ...

Ernie Registered Linux User 247790


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Response Number 5
Name: jefro
Date: July 21, 2008 at 16:02:13 Pacific
Reply: (edit)

Sure, have fun.

See also all sorts of top distro's, almost all offer a way to put on a flash. Normally you can boot to a live cd then send a command to make a bootable flash install. Then try it.

"Best Practices", Event viewer, host file, perfmon, are in my top 10


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Response Number 6
Name: nidz_ms
Date: July 24, 2008 at 09:06:55 Pacific
Reply: (edit)

Yes, you can boot, just follow the link and tutorial from www.pendrivelinux.com and don't forget also to make sure that your motherboard bios support booting from flash drive. me im using DSL linux in my flash drive.


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Response Number 7
Name: don1
Date: July 24, 2008 at 16:55:22 Pacific
Reply: (edit)

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/vi...

http://www.puppylinux.com/flash-pup...


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Response Number 8
Name: Pops2000
Date: August 24, 2008 at 14:09:28 Pacific
Reply: (edit)

I enjoyed reading www.pendrivelinux.com and
have a special interest in their post
"Qemu Ubuntu 8.04 with a shared folder".
My system is an Acer laptop w/ AMD 64-bit x2,
Vista, and doesn't run Ubuntu 32-bit live CD.
It does run Ubuntu 64-bit live CD.

Does anyone think it might run Ubuntu 32-bit
w/ Qemu via flash/pen/thumb drive???
Is there a choose between 32 and 64-bit here??
Should I ask elsewhere, if so where?

Currently running Ubuntu Edgy on an 8 yr old Dell desktop,
xinxp on a 4 yr old Compaq desktop,
Xbuntu ? on a now broken Toshiba laptop,
and Vista on a new Acer laptop.

Pops
...


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