<div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Jan 31, 2012 at 21:22, Liam Proven <<a href="mailto:lproven@gmail.com">lproven@gmail.com</a>> wrote: <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"> <div class="im">On 1 February 2012 01:39, Sam Sebastian <<a href="mailto:sebastiansam55@gmail.com">sebastiansam55@gmail.com</a>> wrote: > the problem with this is that the one time i did it, when i was really new > to ubuntu/linux in general it install GRUB on the USB and the computer would > not boot at all without having the USB stick plugged in </div>Please /bottom/ post on the list. You have the problem the wrong way around here. GRUB on the hard disk is the problem; GRUB on the USB stick is what you want. If GRUB is on the hard disk *and it points to a Linux installation on the hard disk*, no problem. If GRUB is on the hard disk *and it points to a Linux installation on the Flash drive*, then the machine will not boot if the Flash drive is not connected. If GRUB is on the Flash drive and it points to a Linux installation on the Flash drive as well, no problem. The hard disk is not affected. <div class="im HOEnZb"> -- Liam Proven • Profile: <a href="http://lproven.livejournal.com/profile" target="_blank">http://lproven.livejournal.com/profile</a> Email: <a href="mailto:lproven@cix.co.uk">lproven@cix.co.uk</a> • GMail/G+/Twitter/Flickr/Facebook: lproven MSN: <a href="mailto:lproven@hotmail.com">lproven@hotmail.com</a> • Skype/AIM/Yahoo/LinkedIn: liamproven Tel: +44 20-8685-0498 • Cell: +44 7939-087884 </div><div class="HOEnZb"><div class="h5">-- ubuntu-users mailing list <a href="mailto:ubuntu-users@lists.ubuntu.com">ubuntu-users@lists.ubuntu.com</a> Modify settings or unsubscribe at: <a href="https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-users" target="_blank">https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-users</a> </div></div></blockquote></div> 1) I only suggested FAT 32 since it works, but in the past I have had difficulties writing iso's to USB thumb drives unless they were first formatted FAT 32. Also, in the past I recall reading instructions that would often say to format using FAT 32. Of course, the Ubuntu installation program will allow the user to select whatever filesystem the want, and I do not disagree with your recommendations. 2) I recently did an install of Ubuntu 11.10 on an 8gb flash drive. IIRC, I did: apt-get clean apt-get autoclean but I did NOT do: apt-get autoremove apt-get purge I ended up with only about 399mb free, not enough for my purposes. That's why I said I didn't think 8gb would be enough. 3) I just can't resist: "I have a dream; that one day all of God's children will be judged by the content of their character, not by whether they top-post or bottom post." :-)