Installing Kubuntu 16.04 on a 36 gig usb disk

[Bumpalot]

I want to install Kubuntu 16.04 LTS "Xenial Xerus" - Alpha amd64 onto a new 36 Gig usb disk.
KATE:
#define DISKNAME Kubuntu 16.04 LTS "Xenial Xerus" - Alpha amd64
#define TYPE binary
#define TYPEbinary 1
#define ARCH amd64
#define ARCHamd64 1
#define DISKNUM 1
#define DISKNUM1 1
#define TOTALNUM 0
#define TOTALNUM0 1

This is all very confusing to my 82 year old brain, so would appreciate your experts advice as to how I can accomplish this.

[Teunis]

I'm not sure what you want to ask re. the various #define rules.

But I can tell you it's very well possible to install 16.04 on a 36 (not 32?) GB usb drive.

You could elect to dump all in a single partition or do as I've done several times and split off 12-15GB for separate / (root) and /home partitions.
Depending on how much RAM the computer has you could also set up a small /swap partition.

With less than 12GB for / you will get in trouble during updates as the downloaded new files will be stored in /tmp and temporarily fill up /.

During the installation phase you make sure to take the manual partition assignment and select the correct partitions for / and /home.
And make sure you put grub on the correct drive or partition.

[Bumpalot]

Thanks for your reply.
I would much appreciate if you would please be more specific in the installation steps: creating /root/home also /grub & /swap partitions.

[sithlord48]

use the make usb startup disc program included w/ kubuntu to make the usb stick.. there is an option for persistant storage when you use this method.

another way is to boot from the live cd and install to the usb stick as if it were a hard drive...

[Bumpalot]

Thanks. As I explained in the previous reply (Tunis), this is all new to me & my 82 year old brain needs specific steps to follow... boot from the live cd and install to the usb stick as if it were a hard drive, sounds good.

[Teunis]

All starts with downloading an ISO:
http://kubuntu.org/getkubuntu/

Next you 'burn' it to a DVD or better, put it on a USB flash drive.
The size of the ISO is too large for a CD, so the smallest USB flash drive would be about 2GB, these these the smallest you find in the shops are 4GB, also plenty.
The program to use will be in your existing Kubuntu and called something like Startup Disk Creator, there are also programs available to do it from Windows.



The result will be a bootable USB drive, put it in the computer, on startup it should start from this USB drive.
But you might have to get into the computers BIOS to switch on this -boot from USB- option.
Which is probably on anyway as you already have Linux.

Wait until the computer has fully booted, now you have 'live session', all runs purely in memory (RAM).
Be aware you're running as an unusual sort of user, any time root privileges are needed you just enter nothing in the box and Enter.

Did you during the making of the USB drive set up 'persistence' changes will be saved to the USB drive for use the next time.
This live session can be connected to the internet, it's not a good idea to try an update.



Start up the -KDE partition manager- and write down the names of the partitions available, including the present USB drive, maybe /dev/sdb.

Now you insert the new 36GB drive.
Refresh the partition manager and note the name of it, probably something like /dev/sdc (one letter higher than the previous)

Use the partition manager to reduce the size of the 36GB partition to 12GB, set it to filetype ext4.
Once done add a 2GB partition in the new empty space, set it to file type swap.
Make an other ext4 partition in the remaining space.

Note the partition names! (possibly sdc1, sdc2 and sdc3)


On your (live!) desktop is an icon to install, select it and start answering the questions.

One of the first is the question if you want to install certain closed source drivers which is usually a good idea.
Another question is if you want to download updates as it saves time later on, I advise to use the time later on, at this point it can be a bit fragile.

Next is the point where you set your future user name and password and locality, say Afghanistan

At some point you will be prompted where to install and how to partition the disk.

Select the manual option, I believe the English version uses the option -Others-.

Now you grab your notes and assign the recently made partitions on your new drive.
With the above assumed names:

sdc1 is set as / (root) and confirm ext4 (top option)
sdc2 is set as /swap, the swap file system will be automagically assigned
sdc3 is set as /home and confirm ext4.

At the bottom of the page is a tool to assign the place you want to install GRUB, the boot manager.
Select sdc.


Go for it and watch the installation happen.


At some point you are asked to restart.
Best is to cancel and select from the normal K menu to shut down.

Once shut down pull the USB drive with the live instance and now you are ready to boot your new drive!

Disclaimer, this is from my optical memory and without optical promts so you might run into small differences.

Lots of fun and success!

[Bumpalot]

Thanks so much for your explicit reply - exactly what I needed.
For further help, would you be so kind as to check my other post "Forgot my system login Passwd"
Currently my password won't work in my kubuntu 15.10 install - & am getting the run-around in the current answers.

[sithlord48]

google is your friend..

https://www.google.com/search?client...utf-8&oe=utf-8

[woodsmoke]

One reason, of the several reasons why my hard drive stands outside the case, vertically in front of an extra case fan, a red one! lol! , is that when I want to install on a usb stick I power down and remove the hard drive, physically, from the cabling. Then put in the iso when the machine is powering on and let it boot into the live cd. Insert the usb stick and the live cd finds the usb stick and i just click "take over the whole partition" and it does it's thing as easy as installing on the whole of a hard drive.

woodlikesthingsVERYsimplesmoke

[jlittle]

All starts with downloading an ISO:
http://kubuntu.org/getkubuntu/

That link does not have 16.04, only 14.04 and 15.10. Googling goes either to

• the wiki anouncement for Beta 2, which has a broken "bootable image" link
• Kubuntu 16.04 (Xenial Xerus) Daily Build, not the Beta 2.

(edit, premature click on submit)
Do I just have to take the daily build, which sounds even more potentially unstable than beta 2, or is there somewhere else, that Google hasn't found yet?

[Teunis]

Yes take the daily build, it is the most up to date.

Burning it to a DVD costs money so running it from a USB flash drive is cheaper, if it doesn't work you can try again for free.

[Frank616]

sithlord48:

another way is to boot from the live cd and install to the usb stick as if it were a hard drive...

Some of the most brilliant ideas are the simplest!

"Make a startup disk" from the KMenu is quick, but I have constant problems trying to create a persistent area larger than 1 GB (it performs the task, but does not seem to be fully usable afterward). This idea of installing from a CD (or startup USB) to a USB stick as though it were a drive is brilliant! Thanks! Also means that I can update the stick with the most recent packages.

I use the startup CD often enough that I need to go buy a fast USB3 stick and create one now.

Frank.

[Teunis]

Be aware the USB flash memory controller is typically single channel, slower and less reliable then other forms of memory.

Providing you are going to use (and update) it regularly it's worth looking into a small USB SSD.
Since 3 years I use a 64GB one made by Verbatim, the size is a fat credit card, an excellent buy.

Toshiba and Samsung are among other makes.

[Qqmike]

Teunis may have a point about SSDs, Frank616. But for now, as a test, why not try it on the USB3 flash drive first. I do this often. It runs well enough, for sure. As always, always back up any valuable data you save to it.

When you install Kubuntu to it ...
You'll run the live Kubuntu DVD, it will see the USB3 drive, and there it will go.
Just mind the details, though ...
I would plug the USB3 in and run GParted Live CD to format it, get it set up, partition it.

If using the older BIOS and MBR, then do so on the USB3. Install GRUB to that USB3 (during the installation of Kubuntu).
If using the newer UEFI and GPT (partition table for the USB3), then do so on the USB3 -- use 64-bit Kubuntu, use GParted to make a GPT setup for you. (Tech note: If your computer on which you are doing this, runs UEFI, then it will already have an ESP; but you want an ESP on the USB3 that will be used only by the USB3; thus, before you install Kubuntu to the USB3, turn off the ESP on your computer's hard drive (do so by turning off the boot flag on the hard drive, using GParted). Of course, if using UEFI for the USB3, you will have made an ESP on that USB3, again using GParted.)

This is easy; in fact, all common sense; but it sounds involved when written down like this. All I'm saying is (1) Use GParted to set up that USB3 (the partition table--MBR or GPT--and then set up your Partitions -- root /, /home (if desired separate), swap, AND if using UEFI, make an ESP = EFI System Partition on that USB3. Then, (2) during installation of Kubuntu to that USB3, observe where GRUB should go.

You would treat the USB3 exactly as you would treat any other drive; same as you'd treat a regular hard disk drive, for example.

[Qqmike]

Added: If using UEFI for the USB3, make sure to boot the Kubuntu installer DVD in UEFI mode.

If your computer is newer (say > 2011), and you are using UEFI, then you probably already know this stuff I've posted.