Install MX18.3 to a USB Flash Drive

[oldwoodisbest]

I shall shortly be visiting relatives around the UK and i would like to install MX18.3 onto a USB Flash drive using Unetbootin so that i can take my favourite Linux distro with me.
The flash drive is 128GB in size. Would i be able to password protect the flash drive contents in case of loss? Could anyone give some advice on this subject please.
Thanks all.

[dolphin_oracle]

I shall shortly be visiting relatives around the UK and i would like to install MX18.3 onto a USB Flash drive using Unetbootin so that i can take my favourite Linux distro with me.
The flash drive is 128GB in size. Would i be able to password protect the flash drive contents in case of loss? Could anyone give some advice on this subject please.
Thanks all.

you can create an encrypted (mx)-live-usb with live-usb-maker, included on our iso.

[Richard]

Take a look at the explanation in the latest MX User Manual, from the menu in
"Section 6.6.2 MX Live Usb maker".

As D_O suggested, the MXLUM has many advantages over Unetbootin.

[Richard]

Your 128 GB USB is comparable to my 128 (usable 119) GB SSD. I use the following partitions w/ 18.3:

Code: Select all

sda1   96GB   /media/DATA   ext4   
sda2   21GB   /                          ext4
sda3    2GB   swap         swap

MXLUM recomends 2GB.
I would try using the whole disk for the install, and 'root static' to store user & root data on the USB (if that's incorrect someone will enlighten us. :). That allows more room for remasters.

I would suggest that you have another
USB, maybe 32GB, formatted with exFAT or FAT32 as well to facilitate moving files around to others with installed Windows OSs.

Would suggest setting it up and using it on your system to accustom yourself to speed and learn the idiosyncrasies of the USB system.

USB 2 may be adequate while USB3 is better, and good even on USB2 ports.

[BitJam]

I would try using the whole disk for the install, and 'root static' to store user & root data on the USB (if that's incorrect someone will enlighten us. :). That allows more room for remasters.

+1. Especially if you are using usb-3.

I would suggest that you have another USB, maybe 32GB, formatted with exFAT or FAT32 as well to facilitate moving files around to others with installed Windows OSs.

The command line version of LUM in my repo now has a --data-first options that lets you start a live-usb with a "data" partition for easier transfers to and from Windows. It is also available in the antiX-19 betas. Instructions for an easy install (to most Linux systems) are given in the repo:

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sudo apt-get update       # if needed
sudo apt-get install git  # if needed
git clone https://github.com/BitJam/live-usb-maker
git clone https://github.com/BitJam/cli-shell-utils
cd live-usb-maker
sudo ./live-usb-maker

The same thing works on non-Debian systems if you already have "git" installed or if you use the native package system to install git. There is also a -data-first option in the GUI mx-live-usb-maker, at least in the test repo (I think).

Of course, Richard's suggestion of using a 2nd usb stick for data transfer will also work just fine.

USB 2 may be adequate while USB3 is better, and good even on USB2 ports.

+1. The live system really shines with usb-3.

[tosim]

Using MultiBootUSB, I placed the MX19,386 beta iso on a flash drive, and tried booting, using the various booting option available with MBUSB.However it stops after just initial display on screen (MX19 logo). Would appreciate any assistance. Thank you.

[KBD]

I have made a full install of MX 18 on a 128gb usb stick just like that, putting everything on root and pointing grub to install only to that stick instead of the machine I'm installing it with. I've done this for years to beta test and to have a few distros easily available and portable.