1

What I'd like to do: have Ubuntu installed on a USB drive and from there install any ubuntu version on a hdd.

This is kinda different from using usb-creator because I'd like to have a persistent ubuntu install on the USB drive and not upgrade it every 6 months. From there I'd like to be able to install the most recent ubuntu version.

I think it's just a matter of configuring ubiquity, but don't know if this is the case and how exactly do this.

EDIT: Let's clarify the persistent thing:

  • suppose I have my USB with ubuntu precise on it
  • suppose quantal is out in the wild
  • suppose that I want to install quantal on the hdd of a computer
  • suppose that I want/can use only the USB drive with precise on it
  • I should erase/upgrade precise on the USB drive to quantal and then install it on the hard drive

I don't want to modify my ubuntu install on the USB drive, I'd like to be able to install the newer ubuntu version (quantal) on a hdd from another one (precise) on a USB drive. There's no problem for me to add files to the USB drive, as long as it doesn't interfere with the distro on it.

I'd better avoid upgrading the installation on the hdd

Hope this helps

Dariopnc
  • 417

2 Answers2

1

Up to now I think there are 2 possible ways:

  1. Tweak the net-install process (I still don't know how to exactly do that)
  2. More involved procedure:
    • Create a persistent linux install on the usb
    • Install GRUB2 on it
    • Save the .iso you want to install on the USB drive
    • Create a GRUB entry to boot the .iso to install
    • Boot the .iso and install the distro from there
Dariopnc
  • 417
0

You can make an image of the USB partitions and then write them to the HDD partitions. You can then perform a dist-upgrade from hdd then. See this answer for disk cloning and obviously have some backup of HDD's data before doing such operations.

Community
  • 1
Samik
  • 2,660