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Hello ladies and gentlefolks,

I am trying to create a live USB running Ubuntu server. I have everything loading fine and dandy (after a lot of trial and error with the network) and everything is installing fine now. My question is where do I install grub? I am using my computer that runs Windows 10 by default on a 1TB hard drive, and I have been unplugging that so that I can guarantee that I don't screw that up. I have 1 USB as my installer, ande another USB as my drive to install everything on. Where should I install grub if I eventually want to plug my hard drive back in and use Windows 10?

Also: is there a way to clear out all partitions and completely reset a USB drive? Just formatting doesn't seem to be working for me.

Cheers!

BurnDownTheIgloo
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  • I believe server version is UEFI and BIOS. If you want UEFI boot: UEFI only USB key, just extract ISO ( 7 zip or similar) to FAT32 formated flash & set boot flag. http://askubuntu.com/questions/395879/how-to-create-uefi-only-bootable-usb-live-media But note minimal install is BIOS only so procedure will not work for it. For all installs, you install grub to a drive like sdb or sdc, not to a partition. With BIOS it goes into MBR of that drive. But with UEFI an install of grub always goes into ESP on sda, unless you use --removable version of command. – oldfred Nov 04 '16 at 14:37
  • Also, is it possible to get grub off of a drive? I messed something up and need to get it off. I don't care if the data is lost – BurnDownTheIgloo Nov 04 '16 at 14:45
  • If BIOS no need to, you just reinstall boot loader you want. If UEFI bit more complicated. http://askubuntu.com/questions/63610/how-do-i-remove-ubuntu-in-the-bios-boot-menu-uefi But if just reinstalling Ubuntu, it will overwrite existing entries anyway whether UEFI or BIOS. – oldfred Nov 04 '16 at 15:26
  • K it's BIOS so that's good – BurnDownTheIgloo Nov 04 '16 at 16:37
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1 Answers1

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If you aren't intending to install Linux on the hard drive but would like to boot Windows and run from the USB stick, you could always install a very small and minimal Linux partition on the Windows hard drive so that you boot into Windows from GRUB.

You can then edit GRUB to include the option to boot from the USB stick:

Boot from USB

It's basically a case of editing the configuration file and then updating GRUB so that it recognizes both Windows and the USB stick.

Michael
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  • I need this drive to be mobile, so I can't install it to the Windows HDD – BurnDownTheIgloo Nov 04 '16 at 14:43
  • Not sure I understand what you are going to use the USB stick for. If you have a bootable USB stick already and you intend for it to be mobile, why do you need to install GRUB? Can you currently boot it from the test machine? – Michael Nov 04 '16 at 15:29
  • Ubuntu tries to install GRUB somewhere automatically during the install, and I didn't see an option to just not install it. – BurnDownTheIgloo Nov 04 '16 at 16:37
  • I cannot boot it from the test machine if I try to boot to it, and the only bootable disc is the disc running the Ubuntu server install... The disc itself where I'm trying to install the OS won't boot. (It also keeps un formatting and doing wierd stuff so it might be that, I'll reformat it again and try) – BurnDownTheIgloo Nov 04 '16 at 16:39
  • Let me see if I understand now - you have a live USB that you are booting in the machine with the HDD unplugged. – Michael Nov 04 '16 at 17:16
  • (sorry, didn't mean to post above, continuing...). You have a second USB that you are trying to install Linux to. If you are trying to install from the first USB to the second, you need to mount the second USB so that you can access it and GRUB would be installed there. Do I have that correct now? – Michael Nov 04 '16 at 17:18
  • I believe so. So I should install grub to the USB that I am trying to boot from once everything is installed (the second sub in terms of your comment)? – BurnDownTheIgloo Nov 04 '16 at 22:02
  • *usb sorry autocorrect – BurnDownTheIgloo Nov 04 '16 at 22:04
  • Yes, if you intend to create a new bootable USB you should install GRUB to the second one. It won't be portable if its bootloader is installed on another device – Michael Nov 05 '16 at 01:15
  • Okay thank you for your assistance. I salute you for your service to this great nation. – BurnDownTheIgloo Nov 05 '16 at 03:11