Installation on a flash drive

Support
1

Hi,
I use MX linux/Xfce. I run it live with persistence from a USB flash drive so that I can save my files and run updates.
I would like to try out Manjaro/KDE. I /wish to use it the same way as MX, without installing it on the internal HD.
Would that be possible with Manjaro/KDE?
I went by the wiki to create a bootable flash drive but I couldn’t see how to continue without partitioning my hard drive.
For the record, I’m not a techie, I’m just an average user who wishes to support efforts that resist monopoly.
Here’s my QSI

System:
  Kernel: 6.10.10-1-liquorix-amd64 [6.10-12~mx23ahs] arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 12.2.0 parameters: audit=0
    intel_pstate=disable BOOT_IMAGE=/antiX/vmlinuz quiet splasht nosplash tz=America/New_York
    persist_static splasht
  Desktop: Xfce v: 4.20.0 tk: Gtk v: 3.24.38 info: xfce4-panel wm: xfwm v: 4.20.0 vt: 7
    dm: LightDM v: 1.32.0 Distro: MX-23.5_ahs_x64 Libretto September 15  2024 base: Debian GNU/Linux
    12 (bookworm)
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: Nimo Direct product: N154B v: N/A serial: <superuser required> Chassis:
    type: 10 serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: Nimo Direct model: Portable Computer serial: <superuser required> UEFI: American
    Megatrends LLC. v: DN21CRV202 date: 09/28/2024
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT0 charge: 32.5 Wh (62.1%) condition: 52.3/53.6 Wh (97.6%) volts: 12.7 min: 11.4
    model: Intel SR 1 SR Real Battery type: Unknown serial: <filter> status: charging
CPU:
  Info: model: 12th Gen Intel Core i3-1215U bits: 64 type: MST AMCP arch: Alder Lake level: v3
    note: check built: 2021+ process: Intel 7 (10nm ESF) family: 6 model-id: 0x9A (154) stepping: 4
    microcode: 0x432
  Topology: cpus: 1x cores: 6 mt: 2 tpc: 2 st: 4 threads: 8 smt: enabled cache: L1: 544 KiB
    desc: d-4x32 KiB, 2x48 KiB; i-2x32 KiB, 4x64 KiB L2: 4.5 MiB desc: 2x1.2 MiB, 1x2 MiB L3: 10 MiB
    desc: 1x10 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 1213 high: 2505 min/max: 400/2501 boost: disabled scaling:
    driver: acpi-cpufreq governor: ondemand cores: 1: 400 2: 500 3: 400 4: 500 5: 2505 6: 2501
    7: 2501 8: 400 bogomips: 39936
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
  Vulnerabilities:
  Type: gather_data_sampling status: Not affected
  Type: itlb_multihit status: Not affected
  Type: l1tf status: Not affected
  Type: mds status: Not affected
  Type: meltdown status: Not affected
  Type: mmio_stale_data status: Not affected
  Type: reg_file_data_sampling mitigation: Clear Register File
  Type: retbleed status: Not affected
  Type: spec_rstack_overflow status: Not affected
  Type: spec_store_bypass mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via prctl
  Type: spectre_v1 mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer sanitization
  Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: Enhanced / Automatic IBRS; IBPB: conditional; RSB filling;
    PBRSB-eIBRS: SW sequence; BHI: BHI_DIS_S
  Type: srbds status: Not affected
  Type: tsx_async_abort status: Not affected
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel Alder Lake-UP3 GT1 [UHD Graphics] vendor: IP3 Tech driver: i915 v: kernel
    alternate: xe arch: Gen-12.2 process: Intel 10nm built: 2021-22+ ports: active: eDP-1
    empty: DP-1,HDMI-A-1,HDMI-A-2 bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:46b3 class-ID: 0300
  Device-2: Sunplus IT Co PC Camera type: USB driver: snd-usb-audio,uvcvideo bus-ID: 3-5:3
    chip-ID: 2ef4:4944 class-ID: 0102
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.7 compositor: xfwm v: 4.20.0 driver: X:
    loaded: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa dri: iris gpu: i915 display-ID: :0.0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1920x1080 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 509x286mm (20.04x11.26") s-diag: 584mm (22.99")
  Monitor-1: eDP-1 model: BOE Display 0x0c4e built: 2023 res: 1920x1080 hz: 60 dpi: 142
    gamma: 1.2 size: 344x194mm (13.54x7.64") diag: 395mm (15.5") ratio: 16:9 modes: 1920x1080
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6 Mesa 24.2.2-1~mx23ahs renderer: Mesa Intel Graphics (ADL GT2)
    direct-render: Yes
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel Alder Lake PCH-P High Definition Audio vendor: IP3 Tech driver: snd_hda_intel
    v: kernel bus-ID: 3-5:3 chip-ID: 2ef4:4944 alternate: snd_soc_avs,snd_sof_pci_intel_tgl
    class-ID: 0102 bus-ID: 00:1f.3 chip-ID: 8086:51c8 class-ID: 0401
  Device-2: Sunplus IT Co PC Camera type: USB driver: snd-usb-audio,uvcvideo
  API: ALSA v: k6.10.10-1-liquorix-amd64 status: kernel-api tools: alsamixer,amixer
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 1.0.0 status: active with: 1: pipewire-pulse status: active
    2: wireplumber status: active 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin 4: pw-jack type: plugin
    tools: pactl,pw-cat,pw-cli,wpctl
Network:
  Device-1: Intel Alder Lake-P PCH CNVi WiFi driver: iwlwifi v: kernel modules: wl bus-ID: 00:14.3
    chip-ID: 8086:51f0 class-ID: 0280
  IF: wlan0 state: up mac: <filter>
Bluetooth:
  Device-1: Intel AX201 Bluetooth type: USB driver: btusb v: 0.8 bus-ID: 3-10:5 chip-ID: 8087:0026
    class-ID: e001
  Report: hciconfig ID: hci0 rfk-id: 1 state: up address: <filter> bt-v: 3.0 lmp-v: 5.2
    sub-v: 362e hci-v: 5.2 rev: 362e
  Info: acl-mtu: 1021:4 sco-mtu: 96:6 link-policy: rswitch sniff link-mode: peripheral accept
    service-classes: rendering, capturing, object transfer, audio, telephony
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 991.27 GiB used: 26.86 GiB (2.7%)
  SMART Message: Unable to run smartctl. Root privileges required.
  ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 maj-min: 259:0 vendor: Western Digital model: WD Green SN350 1TB 2G0C
    size: 931.51 GiB block-size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 31.6 Gb/s lanes: 4 type: SSD
    serial: <filter> rev: 236050WD temp: 41.9 C scheme: GPT
  ID-2: /dev/sda maj-min: 8:0 type: USB vendor: Samsung model: Flash Drive FIT size: 59.75 GiB
    block-size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B type: SSD serial: <filter> rev: 1100 scheme: MBR
  SMART Message: Unknown USB bridge. Flash drive/Unsupported enclosure?
Partition:
  Message: No partition data found.
Swap:
  Kernel: swappiness: 15 (default 60) cache-pressure: 100 (default)
  ID-1: swap-1 type: file size: 2 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) priority: -2
    file: /live/boot-dev/swap-file
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 39.0 C mobo: N/A
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A
Repos:
  Packages: pm: dpkg pkgs: 2163 libs: 1075 tools: apt,apt-get,aptitude,nala,synaptic pm: rpm
    pkgs: 0 pm: flatpak pkgs: 0
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian-stable-updates.list
    1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm-updates main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.list
    1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
    2: deb http://security.debian.org/debian-security bookworm-security main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mx.list
    1: deb http://mirror.math.princeton.edu/pub/mxlinux/mx/repo/ bookworm main non-free
    2: deb http://mirror.math.princeton.edu/pub/mxlinux/mx/repo/ bookworm ahs
Info:
  Processes: 331 Uptime: 1h 34m wakeups: 54060 Memory: 31.09 GiB used: 2.37 GiB (7.6%)
  Init: SysVinit v: 3.06 runlevel: 5 default: graphical tool: systemctl Compilers: gcc: 12.2.0
  alt: 12 Client: shell wrapper v: 5.2.15-release inxi: 3.3.26
Boot Mode: UEFI

Mod note: changed [CODE] (used on e.g. VBulletin) for ``` (used on Discourse) to fix formatting.

2

Welcome to the forum! :vulcan_salute:

The following two tutorials are not for the Plasma edition specifically, but the principle is the same. :point_down:

4

And there is much more!

You have to look around in this forum :mag: and you will find numerous examples. Even though such threads may be over 1 year old, most of them will still work.
It’s just a topic that is not used by many.
:footprints:

1 Like
5

I don’t know how MX functions - Manjaro ISO cannot run as operating system (adding/removing packages/document etc)

It is possible to install to a removable device - it takes some extra work and considerations - but it is doable - note that several guides exist

Besides the above

→ [HowTo] Install Manjaro on USB drive (with and without VirtualBox)

Be sure to use highquality devices - also remember to shutdown before removing the stick.

6

My recommendation would be to use a USB3 to SATA adaptor and use it with a proper HDD or SSD, doing a full installation on it. Performance is likely to be much better!

Also bear in mind the limited number of write-cycles flash storage is capable of.

Unless perhaps nvidia is involved somewhere, you shouldn’t have issues with this. It gives you a “portable OS”, which seems to be what you need?

There is, of course, also Ventoy, which allows allocation of space for storage. But this won’t allow “persistence” so to speak.

2 Likes
7

Thank you all for your replies. @BG405 you are correct, I’m looking to have a portable OS. Also, just to clarify, when you say

“My recommendation would be to use a USB3 to SATA adaptor and use it with a proper HDD or SSD”

you are refering to using an internal HDD or SSD externally. Correct? I don’t know of external SATA HDD/SSD but of course I could be wrong.

I appreciate the sharing of the links to the actual posts (which I did search but didn’t see). I’m going to try using

[HowTo] Install Manjaro on USB drive (with and without VirtualBox)

as it looks the easier of the three for a non-techie as myself.

I will report back, hopefully with thumbs up.

Thank you for welcoming me into your group.

8

Yes. I’ve found that doing this can work really well, compared to using some sort of flash device.

USB(3) to SATA adaptors aren’t generally expensive and I find performance to be more than reasonable.

9

I cannot boot from the live media that I have created. I followed the instructions on the wiki, Burn an ISO File > Writing to a USB Stick in Linux using dd. Then I ran isohybrid and got the following:
$ isohybrid --uefi -v manjaro-kde-24.2.1-241216-linux612.iso
catalogue offset: 232
ve[0]: 1, cs: 1
ve[1]: 0, cs: 1
ve[2]: 0, cs: 1
ve[3]: 0, cs: 1
ve[4]: 0, cs: 1
ve[5]: 0, cs: 1
ve[6]: 0, cs: 1
ve[7]: 0, cs: 1
ve[8]: 0, cs: 1
ve[9]: 0, cs: 1
ve[10]: 0, cs: 1
ve[11]: 0, cs: 1
ve[12]: 0, cs: 1
ve[13]: 0, cs: 1
ve[14]: 21930, cs: 21931
ve[15]: 43605, cs: 65536
de_boot: 136
de_media: 0
de_seg: 0
de_sys: 0
de_mbz1: 0
de_count: 4
de_lba: 522
de_mbz2: 0
isohybrid: manjaro-kde-24.2.1-241216-linux612.iso: boot loader does not have an isolinux.bin hybrid signature. Note that isolinux-debug.bin does not support hybrid booting

Previously I created the live media without using isohybrid but even then it was not found as a bootable media.
What am I doing wrong?

10

I’d suggest using Ventoy for a Live boot.

But this doesn’t seem to be what you want to achieve.

11

You cannot use MX Linux knowledge to create a Manjaro Linux installation on a flashdrive

Why would you do that? You cannot make the ISO into something it is not.

The ISO is ISO9660 filesystem and this cannot be changed.

If your intent is to create a portable Manjaro Linux on a flashdrive you need to follow one of the aforememtioned guides.

If you want to use the ISO to have a working, writeable system on a removable device e.g. a flash drive - you must use two (2) flash drives or do a manual installation like described in the linked topics.

12

@linux-aarhus I ran isohybrid because that’s what the instructions said. I ran the one with the UEFI because that’s what my system has. I don’t know what isohybrid is or what does it do. Also, just as you say here, and just as the instruction said, I have used two different flash drives, one on which to do the installation and one on which the ISO is. I never got to the point of using the flash drive on which the installation should take place because the flash drive with the ISO is not showing in the boot menu when I power up with the F2 pressed down.

13

Manjaro has no instructions on using a command called isohybrid - not that I recall - so it must be somehing you found on a random website.

Then you have failed to write the ISO correctly to the boot flash.

Either use dd or use Ventoy - search the forum for more info

Manjaro ISO is not designed or suited for installation to removable media - it may work but if you get issues you are on your own.

14

Here is a slightly different approach:

15

Just my 2 cents.
I have done this using a USB drive. It definitely has to be a USB 3.x for performance sake.
You can do a flash drive to flash drive for the install. Maybe someones example here already suggested that.
What I have found workable is to have an external SSD drive and use Virtualbox for the OS’s .
That way you can just download the iso’s mount them in the virtualbox and install onto the external SSD . Depending on the size of the SSD you could have several OS’s to boot to and they will just like having them running on your Hard Drive.

1 Like
16

I found this to be the case also with my T440. What I did was remove the “target” USB, boot the .ISO then plug the target back in once it’s running.

It would only list one of the USB devices in the BIOS boot menu; of course that being the wrong one.

Maybe just swapping the ports will also work? — can’t remember whether I tried that.

Also, the suggestion by @MAYBL8 is a good one (using VirtualBox). I’ve done this before.

17

@BG405 That was very helpful. I used Ventoy and now I have a running system on a flash drive. Thank you very much. I’m going to take some time to learn about Manjaro and Plasma and may later follow your suggestion as well as @MAYBL8 and install to an external SSD.

1 Like
18

A persistent OS based on BSD:

If you just need a persisent OS that can run from a USB without much complication, you might consider NomadBSD, which is designed for this very purpose.

Now, it’s not Linux, but many of NomadBSD’s features (and applications) will likely seem familiar to you;

All the information needed can be easily found on the NomadBSD site.

Ventoy – A new bootable USB solution:

Ventoy will not help you achieve your goal of a persistent OS. However, it is a better solution for most every other bootable USB use case.

I highly recommend creating a Ventoy USB for storing any ISO files you might wish to boot; whether it’s to install an OS (Linux/Windows) or launch a suite of tools from an ISO.

I recently authored a guide on how to create a Ventoy USB; it’s fairly straightforward – I hope you find it useful.

Regards.