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My adventures making a live USB
My adventures making a live USB
As I noted in another thread I was unable to create a live USB for the new MX Linux 17. Both Etcher and Gnome-Disks would do it but left off the live menu so I couldn't boot it. Unetbootin wouldn't even attempt it. dd wouldn't do it but that was probably just me not sorting the instructions and terrified of wiping my system. I found a list of live USB makers and tried several. One of them works! It is LiveUSB Install and is found here.
I have no idea why LiveUSB Install works and the others did not. The only hint is a note about syslinux but I have it and the live install completed properly anyway.
I'm posting this from within MX Linux 17 running live on my desktop. It is as pretty and functional as others have said. This is a nice distro. Stevepusser must be proud.
I have no idea why LiveUSB Install works and the others did not. The only hint is a note about syslinux but I have it and the live install completed properly anyway.
I'm posting this from within MX Linux 17 running live on my desktop. It is as pretty and functional as others have said. This is a nice distro. Stevepusser must be proud.
- Head_on_a_Stick
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Re: My adventures making a live USB
Yeah, I try not to use `dd` for that exact reason.Bulkley wrote:dd wouldn't do it but that was probably just me not sorting the instructions and terrified of wiping my system
My preferred method is:
Code: Select all
# cp example.iso /dev/sdX ; sync
deadbang
Re: My adventures making a live USB
dd is oldschool, and it works just fine with a hybrid ISO. I will grant you that it is not for clueless noobs, but actually neither is Debian.
Apparently it is also not for long time Debian users who don't understand how to use it properly or ex-Crunchbang users who have been here for a while. Please don't find this disrespectful, I don't mean it to be.
Maybe that's why Debian has so much choice.
Sorry, but today I am channeling dasein, who I wish was still here.
Apparently it is also not for long time Debian users who don't understand how to use it properly or ex-Crunchbang users who have been here for a while. Please don't find this disrespectful, I don't mean it to be.
Maybe that's why Debian has so much choice.
Sorry, but today I am channeling dasein, who I wish was still here.
- GarryRicketson
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Re: My adventures making a live USB
I keep these to options in my "notes", so I can all ways remember:
Code: Select all
The following operands are available:
if=file Read input from file
of=file Write output to file
===== additional notes=====
dd command, from remote disk to "home"
If your intent is to backup a remote computer's HDD A via SSH to a single file that's on your local computer's HDD, you could do one of the following.
Examples
run from remote computer
$ dd if=/dev/sda | gzip -1 - | ssh user@local dd of=image.gz
run from local computer
$ ssh user@remote "dd if=/dev/sda | gzip -1 -" | dd of=image.gz
Live example
$ ssh skinner "dd if=/dev/sda5 | gzip -1 -" | dd of=image.gz
208782+0 records in
208782+0 records out
106896384 bytes (107 MB) copied, 22.7608 seconds, 4.7 MB/s
116749+1 records in
116749+1 records out
59775805 bytes (60 MB) copied, 23.9154 s, 2.5 MB/s
$ ll | grep image.gz
-rw-rw-r--. 1 saml saml 59775805 May 31 01:03 image.gz
===============================================
genisoimage -v -J -r -V MY_DISK_LABEL -o /home/user/file.iso /home/user/for_iso
--------------------------
genisoimage -v -J -r -V -o Server_Remote /home/garry/test-server.iso /
-------------------
frome remote :** (VM) genisoimage -allow-limited-size -v -J -r -V -o /home/user/server-test.iso /
************Worked -sort of : genisoimage -allow-limited-size -o /home/user/server-test.iso / ****************
==================================================
https://wiki.debian.org/genisoimage
------snip---- really long ....
- Head_on_a_Stick
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Re: My adventures making a live USB
How dare you!Thorny wrote:Apparently it is also not for long time Debian users who don't understand how to use it properly or ex-Crunchbang users who have been here for a while
I never used #!, I went straight to Arch 'cos Waldorf's crusty old kernel didn't support my hardware
Anyway, what sort of ****ing idiot would sit there typing out
Code: Select all
# dd if=example.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=4k
(Please don't find this disrespectful, I don't mean it to be.)
deadbang
- stevepusser
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Re: My adventures making a live USB
Thanks for finding LiveUSBinstall. We'll check it out for MX.
I currently am doing the majority of packaging for MX, (but the MX app devs are doing their own packages now) plus some ideas can be traced back to me (I'm to blame for the default Featherpad text editor), but many others are contributing in major ways, including those with accounts here too. Anticapitalista and kmathern are a couple. Dolphin_oracle is building the ISOs, Adrian is doing monthly updates of the release, plus a lot more people to thank. Jerry3904 manages the whole project.
Currently, we hope to recruit a few more packagers. We've found out how to use pbuilder to cross-compile most packages without the virtual machine overhead.
PS I think there is some work underway to get Featherpad into Debian.
I currently am doing the majority of packaging for MX, (but the MX app devs are doing their own packages now) plus some ideas can be traced back to me (I'm to blame for the default Featherpad text editor), but many others are contributing in major ways, including those with accounts here too. Anticapitalista and kmathern are a couple. Dolphin_oracle is building the ISOs, Adrian is doing monthly updates of the release, plus a lot more people to thank. Jerry3904 manages the whole project.
Currently, we hope to recruit a few more packagers. We've found out how to use pbuilder to cross-compile most packages without the virtual machine overhead.
PS I think there is some work underway to get Featherpad into Debian.
MX Linux packager and developer
Re: My adventures making a live USB
So do I.Thorny wrote:Sorry, but today I am channeling dasein, who I wish was still here.
Thanks, I'll try it.Head_on_a_Stick wrote:My preferred method is:Code: Select all
# cp example.iso /dev/sdX ; sync
stevepusser, Featherpad would be good in Debian.
- GarryRicketson
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Re: My adventures making a live USB
Me, but I never had much luck with cp working for iso and floppy images (I know, nobody uses them any more),... any way hope fully it works for Bulkley.H_O_A-S: Anyway, what sort of ****ing idiot would sit there typing out
Code: Select all
# dd if=example.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=4k
What I do is use 'dd' to write the image to the USB stick, after I check and assuming it works, boots ,etc. I do not try to make the "live system" persistent,
since it works, the last thing I want is for a possible mistake write something to it, and render it non bootable.
If I do need a directory that I can write to, etc,..or for example to copy output to. I resize the partition, shrink it to the minimum size, then create a new partition, preferably extended, or even just a dos partition, but one I can use to copy files to, etc,.... It is handy as well for installing packages ,or source code,...
"What we expect you have already Done"
==========
Old Website
======================
For the Birds
==================
What Does a Parrot Know About PTSD?
==========
Old Website
======================
For the Birds
==================
What Does a Parrot Know About PTSD?
- Head_on_a_Stick
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Re: My adventures making a live USB
Both cp & dd use the exact same system calls to transfer the data (if bs=4k is applied to dd (for 4k disks)) so that doesn't make much sense.GarryRicketson wrote: Me, but I never had much luck with cp working
The cp version is less complicated, easier to remember and quicker to type, what's not to like?
deadbang
- sunrat
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Re: My adventures making a live USB
Not me. 4k would take forever! Here's the exact command I used:Head_on_a_Stick wrote:Anyway, what sort of ****ing idiot would sit there typing outCode: Select all
# dd if=example.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=4k
Code: Select all
dd if=MX-17.RC1_x64.iso of=/dev/sdd bs=4M && sync
“ computer users can be divided into 2 categories:
Those who have lost data
...and those who have not lost data YET ” Remember to BACKUP!
Those who have lost data
...and those who have not lost data YET ” Remember to BACKUP!
- Head_on_a_Stick
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Re: My adventures making a live USB
Have you actually timed that?sunrat wrote:4k would take forever!
4k is the standard sector size for hard drives these days so it should be the most efficient setting.
deadbang
- GarryRicketson
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Re: My adventures making a live USB
Oh, it is not that I don't like it, the first time I saw it mentioned, it seemed like the easiest thing to do, it just never worked out for me,... I have no idea why,
On the other side of the coin, after 'cp' did not work out, I tried 'dd' and all though slow, it worked perfect,... I do use 'cp' quite a bit for other tasks, like copying 'thisfile" to thatfile, or to another dir, ,,, etc... Any way, it is good both commands are available, so we have options.
On the other side of the coin, after 'cp' did not work out, I tried 'dd' and all though slow, it worked perfect,... I do use 'cp' quite a bit for other tasks, like copying 'thisfile" to thatfile, or to another dir, ,,, etc... Any way, it is good both commands are available, so we have options.
- sunrat
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Re: My adventures making a live USB
Haha, of course not. I'm the kind of idiot who just unquestioningly followed advice from the Arch wiki - https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/US ... tion_mediaHead_on_a_Stick wrote:Have you actually timed that?sunrat wrote:4k would take forever!
“ computer users can be divided into 2 categories:
Those who have lost data
...and those who have not lost data YET ” Remember to BACKUP!
Those who have lost data
...and those who have not lost data YET ” Remember to BACKUP!
- Head_on_a_Stick
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Re: My adventures making a live USB
^ I do love the ArchWiki but it is far from perfect and the upstream documentation should always be preferred.
Anyway, drum roll please, the results are in:
So cp is (roughly) the same as dd+bs=4k, which is ever so slightly faster than bs=4M, which are all quite a bit faster than plain dd.
@OP: how does your GUI perform against the stopwatch?
Anyway, drum roll please, the results are in:
Code: Select all
alpine:~$ time sudo cp CorePlus-current.iso /dev/sdb
0m41.97s real 0m00.00s user 0m00.22s system
alpine:~$ time sudo dd if=CorePlus-current.iso of=/dev/sdb
284672+0 records in
284672+0 records out
145752064 bytes (146 MB, 139 MiB) copied, 69.3507 s, 2.1 MB/s
1m09.35s real 0m00.38s user 0m02.41s system
alpine:~$ time sudo dd if=CorePlus-current.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=4k
35584+0 records in
35584+0 records out
145752064 bytes (146 MB, 139 MiB) copied, 42.5691 s, 3.4 MB/s
0m42.57s real 0m00.01s user 0m00.26s system
alpine:~$ time sudo dd if=CorePlus-current.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=4M
34+1 records in
34+1 records out
145752064 bytes (146 MB, 139 MiB) copied, 43.6011 s, 3.3 MB/s
0m43.60s real 0m00.00s user 0m00.27s system
alpine:~$
@OP: how does your GUI perform against the stopwatch?
deadbang
- sunrat
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Re: My adventures making a live USB
Nice work @Head_on_a_Stick. Really the differences are insignificant apart from poor old plain dd.
Another thought - when specifying BS, does it map transfers exactly to hardware blocks? Obviously it can't with BS=512B or 4M if hardware blocks are 4k.
Another thought - when specifying BS, does it map transfers exactly to hardware blocks? Obviously it can't with BS=512B or 4M if hardware blocks are 4k.
“ computer users can be divided into 2 categories:
Those who have lost data
...and those who have not lost data YET ” Remember to BACKUP!
Those who have lost data
...and those who have not lost data YET ” Remember to BACKUP!
- Head_on_a_Stick
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Re: My adventures making a live USB
Well, I can't claim to know the technical details but it does seem that a bs setting that is not an exact multiple of the sector size on the disk would cause some transfer inefficiencies.sunrat wrote:when specifying BS, does it map transfers exactly to hardware blocks? Obviously it can't with BS=512B or 4M if hardware blocks are 4k.
The beauty of the cp method is that sort of detail is left to the kernel, which I'm pretty sure knows better than me
deadbang
Re: My adventures making a live USB
I have used cat example.iso > /dev/sdx for many years, much like using cp and it's never failed. I have used dd but for install images, you can't go wrong with cat.
Re: My adventures making a live USB
When I runsunrat wrote:Here's the exact command I used:Works perfectly.Code: Select all
dd if=MX-17.RC1_x64.iso of=/dev/sdd bs=4M && sync
Code: Select all
dd if=MX-17_x64.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=4M && sync
For the record, my desktop runs Debian Stretch with openbox and my laptop runs Devuan Jessie. Both machines are more than eight years old.
Edit: I changed the laptop BIOS from UEFI to Legacy and it booted the MX live USB. Why does that help?
Re: My adventures making a live USB
Head_on_a_Stick wrote:How dare you!
Chuckle! I dare because I am an old guy and don't care what anyone thinks of me. I am retired and past caring about my rep as it won't affect my income or my ability to enjoy my life on the downhill slope.
I'm sorry for offending you. That explains why I don't remember you from #! forums, I had an install for a while but I always liked real Debian better. It was nice that the developer actually responded to posts sometimes and that is also one of the strengths of MX, developers take part and that may even be one of the reasons that it is so polished.Head_on_a_Stick wrote:I never used #!, I went straight to Arch 'cos Waldorf's crusty old kernel didn't support my hardware
Well, I can't speak for all the ****ing idiots out here but I probably do it from habit, when I find something that works I tend to keep using it. The older I get the more I dislike change.Head_on_a_Stick wrote:Anyway, what sort of ****ing idiot would sit there typing outWhen `cp example.iso /dev/sdb` does exactly the same thing...Code: Select all
# dd if=example.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=4k
I don't at all, I like for people to speak(write) their minds plainly. One of the good things about DUF is that the Moderation is not heavy handed. In my opinion, it is much more like the real world than the forums for that OS that should not be named.Head_on_a_Stick wrote:(Please don't find this disrespectful, I don't mean it to be.)
BTW, I truly meant that comment.
Re: My adventures making a live USB
After I shot my mouth off yesterday, I decided I'd better check to make sure. So I dd'd the ISO I had to a 2G stick and when finished I took it to my netbook and booted it up to that stunning MX desktop.Bulkley wrote: When I runwhat I get is a beautiful antiXlive USB with antiX, boot and EFI directories plus cdrom.ico and version. It looks great! tUnfortunately it is not recognized by either of my computers and won't boot.Code: Select all
dd if=MX-17_x64.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=4M && sync
I used MX-17_January_x64.iso, is that the same version you used?
Maybe stevo can answer that, if he choses to, I am not familiar with UEFI although I've seen quite a few posts about early UEFI on older machines that are not standards compliant.Bulkley wrote:Edit: I changed the laptop BIOS from UEFI to Legacy and it booted the MX live USB. Why does that help?