Ultimate Edition Forum

Preface
I have had many ask me how to install Ultimate Edition from a thumbdrive, I have had it working in the past with Ultimate Edition 1.7 x64. You accept the possibility's of data loss etc. Proceed at your own risk...

USB Ultimate Edition Persistent / Live install from USB Pendrive:

This tutorial enables you to install, boot and run Ultimate Edition (All versions / tested on Ultimate Edition 1.8 & 1.7 x64) from a USB flash drive. In addition to installing Ultimate Edition to a USB device and then booting Ultimate Edition from the memory stick, this tutorial will enable you to automatically save your changes and settings back to the thumb drive and further restore them on each boot using a second "casper-rw" persistent partition. The tutorial was written for those already familiar with working from Ubuntu / Ultimate Edition or another Linux desktop environment. If you do not have access to or prefer not to use a Windows computer, this Ultimate Edition on a stick tutorial is for you.

Ultimate Edition 1.8 takes significantly longer to boot as apposed to a dvd. However, once it's up and running, it performs much better than running from the Live DVD.

USB Ultimate Edition Essentials:

• Ultimate Edition any edition (tested with Ultimate Edition 1.7 & 1.8 x64) ISO
  
• DVD Burner (unless you mount the iso - sudo mount -o loop NameofISO MOUNTPOINT/ )
  
• 2GB USB flash drive (4GB+ recommended), 1.5GB non-persistent mode
  
• This tutorial

Ultimate Edition USB installation tutorial:

Hint: You can dramatically speed up making the USB install by Copying and Pasting most commands into the terminal instead of manually typing them out. With the exception of replacing x with your drive letter.

1. Grab the Ultimate Edition ISO and burn it to a DVD
2. Insert the DVD and your USB flash drive
3. Type sudo fdisk -l to list available drives/partitions. Note which device is your flash drive (example: /dev/sda) Throughout this tutorial, replace x with your flash drive letter. For example, if your flash drive is sdd (as mine is), replace x with d.
4. Type umount /dev/sdx1
5. Type sudo fdisk /dev/sdx (continuing beyond this point will destroy all info on your pendrive)

• type p to show the existing partition and d to delete it
  
• type p again to show any remaining partitions (if partitions exist, repeat the previous step)
  
• type n to make a new partition
  
• type p for primary partition
  
• type 1 to make this the first partition
  
• hit enter to use the default 1st cylinder
  
• type +1500M to set the partition size (makes a 1.5 GB partition)
  
• type a to make this partition active
  
• type 1 to select partition 1
  
• type t to change the partition filesystem
  
• type 6 to select the fat16 file system
  
• type n to make another new partition
  
• type p for primary partition
  
• type 2 to make this the second partition
  
• hit enter to use the default cylinder
  
• hit enter again to use the default last cylinder (this will make a partition of remaining space for the persistent portion)
  
• type w to write the new partition table

6. Unplug the thumbdrive and reboot (this will allow the kernel to re-sync the partition tables)
7. Once you are back in the GUI, plug the drive back in
8. Type sudo umount /dev/sdx1 to ensure the 1st partition is unmounted
9. Type sudo mkfs.vfat -F 16 -n Ultimate /dev/sdx1 to format the first partition
10. Type sudo umount /dev/sdx2 just to ensure the 2nd partition is unmounted
11. Type sudo mkfs.ext2 -b 4096 -L casper-rw /dev/sdx2 to format the second partition
12. Remove and Re-insert your flash drive
13. Type sudo apt-get install syslinux mtools
14. Type sudo syslinux -sf /dev/sdx1
15. Type cd /cdrom (or mounted ISO)
17. Type sudo cp -rf casper dists install pics pool preseed .disk isolinux/* md5sum.txt README.diskdefines casper/vmlinuz casper/initrd.gz autorun.inf umenu.exe wubi.exe /media/Ultimate/

Ignore any "cannot create symbolic link" errors

18. sudo gedit /media/Ultimate/syslinux.cfg
19. Copy and paste the below in gedit:

DEFAULT vmlinuz
GFXBOOT bootlogo
GFXBOOT-FOREGROUND 0x00FF00
GFXBOOT-BACKGROUND 0x605C40
APPEND file=/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper initrd=initrd.gz quiet splash --
LABEL persistent
menu label ^Start Ultimate in USB persistent mode (saves changes)
kernel vmlinuz
append file=/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper persistent initrd=initrd.gz quiet splash --
LABEL live
menu label ^Start Ultimate in Live mode
kernel vmlinuz
append file=/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper initrd=initrd.gz quiet splash --
LABEL xforcevesa
menu label Start Ultimate in safe ^graphics mode
kernel vmlinuz
append file=/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper xforcevesa initrd=initrd.gz quiet splash --
LABEL driverupdates
menu label Install with driver ^update CD
kernel vmlinuz
append file=/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper debian-installer/driver-update=true initrd=initrd.gz quiet splash --
LABEL oem
menu label ^OEM install (for manufacturers)
kernel vmlinuz
append file=/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper oem-config/enable=true initrd=initrd.gz quiet splash --
LABEL memtest
menu label ^Memory test
kernel /install/mt86plus
append -
LABEL hd
menu label ^Boot from first hard disk
localboot 0x80
append -
DISPLAY isolinux.txt
TIMEOUT 300
PROMPT 1
F1 f1.txt
F2 f2.txt
F3 f3.txt
F4 f4.txt
F5 f5.txt
F6 f6.txt
F7 f7.txt
F8 f8.txt
F9 f9.txt
F0 f10.txt

18. Save & exit gedit
19. Restart your computer, set your BIOS or Boot menu to boot from the USB device and reboot again.

You should now have a bootable USB Ultimate Edition flash drive that should automatically save your changes, restoring them on boot.

Note: If your having trouble getting Ultimate Edition to boot your memory stick (grub error 15) your stick may have a corrupted MBR (Master Boot Record). To repair the MBR of your USB device, at the terminal type sudo apt-get install lilo. I had to do this before it worked. If it works w/o it don't do it.

WARNING: Do not use lilo to replace your grub on your hard disk.

type sudo lilo -M /dev/sdx (replacing x with the letter of your flash device)

Enjoy Ultimate Edition Thumb style,

TheeMahn

I think it's unfair to call this a "Thumbdrive" edition... Ultimate Edition on a portable drive would make it... Hmmm... I dunno, maybe the FIST Edition!! No longer a humble "thumbdrive"... But now containing the all the REAL, ULTIMATE POWER of the fist!!!

The Fists of Fury or ... The fists of Chuck Norris!!!

Leaving all other portable drives a melting puddle of plastic and USB gooeyness...

Anyone tell me what non-persitant usb drive means, not sure if mine is persistant or non-persistant but i have a geek squad 4gig U3 Smart Drive i would like to try this with!

I would never have imagined it in a million years....

The best OS on a THUMBDRIVE !!!!!

Now I can show everyone the wonderful OS I have.....without them accusing me of screwing up their computer.

Thanks, TheeMahn....you truly rock.

strider5236 wrote:Hey TheeMahn, just tried your "How too" and could not get it to work. I followed everything to the letter and still no luck. I tried several times just in case I missed something, I get a "cant find kernal image" at boot?

Please try again, it was my fault I overlooked. it is syslinux.cfg and not isolinux.cfg. I stsep by step went through the tutorial correcting as I went along & is now flawless.

Enjoy,

TheeMahn

I must say the Ultimate Edition on USB is a must have! I was having quite a few problems with persistence until I said a prayer, sat back and looked at what what happening.

1st, be careful if you edition is greater than 1.5 GB

type +1500M to set the partition size (makes a 1.5 GB partition)

I didn't realize that 1.9 was larger than 1.5 so on my 4gb stick I kept getting "out of disk space errors" which was baffling for a while until i just changed it +1950M and

type 6 to select the fat16 file system

I also chose to go with "type b to select the fat 32 file system"

Lastly, if you get busy box pay close attention to strider5236 post with this link in Pendrivelinuxhttp://www.pendrivelinux.com/2008/05/23/how-to-fix-ubuntu-804-casper-script-for-persistence/ that was the clincher for me because just when I thought I had it, it dropped me down to the busy box prompt but was able to fix it.

Great work everyone...
Thanks

kc4mnp wrote:Anyone tell me what non-persitant usb drive means, not sure if mine is persistant or non-persistant but i have a geek squad 4gig U3 Smart Drive i would like to try this with!

A Persistent USB is a term used for a USB with a Linux on it that will allow you to save data and other info on it.

They "typical USB Install (Non-Persistent) is more like a livecd, it will let you run Linux from the USB device, but it will not save data when you shutdown.


Look at http://www.pendrivelinux.com/ for more information.
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/search/persistent