0

I have a 32GB flash drive. I wish to use Ubuntu 20.10 off it (it's for an open rig without any storage meant for Ethash mining).

I first did a normal flashing. I selected "Try Ubuntu", but no update will finish. apt get update gave errors like not enough space, which is fine.

I can set a persistent partition size of up to 4GB, I read, to successfully update software. I don't foresee any major upgrade on this machine, it will only run the terminal. In fact I don't need most of the utilities and software except Firefox.

However, on an article on HowToGeek, I read that:

  1. You can’t modify system files, like the kernel. Which is fine. All I need is the terminal running 24/7.
  2. You can’t perform major system upgrades. Also fine. The basic 20.10 works for me.
  3. You also can’t install hardware drivers. Huge no. I need all my GPUs to be properly recognized and their drivers properly installed.

Can someone tell me how to "use" Ubuntu off a flash drive (not run or try Ubuntu) on a machine with no storage where I can install Nvidia's proprietary drivers?

Or that is it impossible?

Thanks.

Abhimanyu
  • 1,393
  • Given the system never turns off, there's no way to run the system > install proprietary drivers > keep them running until I turn the computer off? – Abhimanyu Aug 18 '21 at 19:29
  • 3
    No, I am rather sure that it is impossible to use proprietary kernel drivers in a persistent live drive because the kernel drivers are started before the overlay (which brings in the persistent live modifications). – sudodus Aug 18 '21 at 19:44
  • 2
    But you can make a full installation of Ubuntu into an external drive, and install a proprietary driver into it. See this link. You can treat an installed system in an external drive like it were in an internal drive, as long as you use it only in the same computer, and as long as there is enough drive space for what you install (store). – sudodus Aug 18 '21 at 19:48
  • @sudodus Do you mean to say that I can treat the flash drive as internal storage when it's connected via a USB 2.0 port, and just copy an Ubuntu installation with the required files and proprietary drivers? This flash drive will always be connected to the same system. – Abhimanyu Aug 18 '21 at 20:15
  • Yes, for Ubuntu any mass storage device (SATA, USB, mmcblk, nvme) is good as target for an installed system.-- USB2 is very slow, but the memory cells of a standard USB drive are ever slower, so get a fast USB 3 pendrive or even an SSD via a USB3 to SATA adapter or box. See also this link. Please notice, that if you want to leave the internal drive untouched, you should unplug it (or disable it some other way) before the installation to the external drive. After that you can connect the internal drive again. – sudodus Aug 18 '21 at 20:32
  • Well my motherboard only has USB2 ports, so I am limited to that. I will install Ubuntu on a normal HDD in my main PC that already has a Windows (basically dual booting it). Then I will copy all the files of the Ubuntu directory through Windows and paste onto my flash drive. Then I will connect it to my rig, and Ubuntu will work off it. – Abhimanyu Aug 18 '21 at 21:07
  • 1
    Ubuntu 20.10 (along with all flavors) is End-of-Life and thus unsupported on this site (https://askubuntu.com/help/on-topic), and many other Ubuntu sites, unless your question is specific to moving to a supported release of Ubuntu. https://fridge.ubuntu.com/2021/06/18/ubuntu-20-10-groovy-gorilla-reaches-end-of-life-on-july-22-2021/ https://help.ubuntu.com/community/EOLUpgrades – guiverc Aug 18 '21 at 23:14

1 Answers1

1

Persistent Install vs Full install

Ubuntu can be installed to a USB in different ways. A Live install does not save between sessions. A Persistent install extracts the OS from a compressed file and saves data to an overlay file or partition each session, and a Full install installs the complete OS to the USB just like an install to internal disk.

Comparison between Persistent and Full install USB

Advantages of a persistent install:

  1. You can use the persistent pendrive to install Ubuntu to another computer.

  2. A persistent install takes up less space on the pendrive.

  3. You can reset the pendrive by overwriting the old casper-rw file with a new one.

  4. The install to pendrive takes less time.

  5. Slightly less wear on the drive.

Advantages of a Full install:

  1. You can update and upgrade.

  2. If you have problems or wish to modify, the solution is the same as with an internal install, (You can ask for help in the forums).

  3. No ugly startup / install screen.

  4. Better security, you can use full encryption

  5. You can use proprietary drivers such as Nvidia or AMD.

  6. Swapfiles and partitions work and Hibernation can be enabled.

  7. Many persistent installs are limited to a 4GB casper-rw and a 4GB home-rw persistence file, to get more persistence requires persistence partitions. Once casper-rw is full, the drive will not boot.

  8. More efficient usage of disk space. Does not require reserved space for persistence.

  9. Faster boot, no automatic disk checking or Try Ubuntu/Install Ubuntu screen.

  10. You can run VBox and use virtual machines.

  11. Generally faster boot than Live or Persistent USB's.

  12. More stable, better for day to day use. I have run Ubuntu off a flash drive for 5 years making only LTS upgrades.

Note that once booted, both methods run at about the same speed. If the computer has lots of RAM Ubuntu should run mainly in RAM and there will not be a big difference between running off internal HDD and USB3 flash drive f.

Full Install Method

A quick and easy method to flash a Full install to USB can be found here: Easy Full Install USB that Boots both BIOS and UEFI

A more traditional methods for creating a Full install USB from scratch can be found here: How to Create a Full Install of Ubuntu 20.04 to USB Device Step by Step

C.S.Cameron
  • 19,519