kubuntu install on USB external HDD

[Mike Teehan]

On Friday 04 May 2007 08:28:16 am dave selby wrote:
> I am trying to install kubuntu 7.04 on a USB external HDD on my
> company laptop without overwriting the laptop HDD :)
>
> laptop hdd is hda1,2,3
> ext hdd is hdb1
>
> While trying to install I got to boot loader - "help for grub driver
> selection goes here" "(hd0)" - I assume the laptop HDD is hd0, I
> changed it to hd1 but chickened out !
>
> I assume this is where kubuntu wants to install the boot loader - if
> it goes on my laptops HDD goodbye XP & I am fried.
>
> If I install Kubuntu on the external USB HDD on my home machine, then
> plug it into my laptop I guess it will have the wrong drivers etc ...
>
> Anybody managed to do what I am trying (without getting fired !)
>

I think you are on the right track, but you need to make sure that your laptop 
supports usb booting.  If it does, you should install the bootloader on your 
usb drive (hd1) and be able to boot from it.  Otherwise, I think you're in 
trouble.

I know grub doesn't support booting from usb (it can't see them -- no 
drivers), so you'd probably have to create a boot partition on your internal 
hard drive, and start from there.  Once the kernel is loaded from your 
internal drive (which grub can see), you'd be able to mount the usb drive and 
use it as your filesystem root.  Unfortunately, this involves modifying the 
internal hd (creating a new linux boot partition and installing the new 
bootloader).

Don't lose your job over this!  On the other hand, resizing ntfs is easy and 
very RARELY results in data loss...  Good luck.

--- eMpTy
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