Booting Ubuntu from External Hard Drive

[noxiousraccoon]

Is it possible? Recently, I dual booted my laptop with Vista and Ubuntu. However, I have ran out of hard drive space dramatically. Since I already have an external hard drive, I feel no need to upgrade my hard drive already on the laptop. I would rather use Ubuntu at home, (which is where I use it the most), and just use windows when I am away. Or vice versa, if possible. Has anyone here attempted/successfully done this? Any help would be appreciated.

[FleetAdmiralBacon]

Can you easily configure the hard drive to be the primary boot device? (Ie, from a bios boot menu)

[noxiousraccoon]

I believe my computer has a boot from usb, I will look later. I know, in discussion with friends, they have booted from a flash drive, so I'm almost 100% it can be done, though external hard drives might be more equipped. If so, I wouldn't know where to being on partitioning the external hard drive.

[Ketchup_Bomb]

I booted Damn Small Linux off of a flash drive a few years ago, and tried it on an external hard drive (iPod) and it did work.
Though that was at school on their computers running a specific BIOS that supported booting from USB. My current computer and BIOS does not support it, so like you said, you'll have to find out if it's supported.

Now when I booted it off my iPod, I had the iPod formatted then dragged the files over while I was in Windows.
I assume an iPod and an external HDD would run the exact same way, so I will see if I can find the walkthrough I had for it.

[noxiousraccoon]

Interesting. I'm still working on it, hopefully I can get some good results. I would like to try multiple operating systems if possible on my hard drive. Mac, Solaris, Ubuntu Mint, Vista, Windows 7. Will be very cool.

[Ketchup_Bomb]

Yeah, I had a streak going with formatting PCs and installing a wide array of operating systems.
Then I came to the realization that Windows is really what you use when you want to get work done, and anything else is just stuff to play around on.

But boy do I love to play around on my Mac. ^_^

[noxiousraccoon]

I haven't figured it out yet. Except, I am having trouble with the formatting of the hard drive. It doesn't want to work well switching between Windows and Linux.

[Ketchup_Bomb]

I've been poking around a little bit and I've got some questions for you.
First, have we found out if your computer supports USB as a boot sequence option?
It would be REALLY nice if this was the case, but there are workarounds out there if it doesn't support USB.

Second, what kind of external HDD is it? Can I get brand and item #/SKU?
Some drives are super picky and might not run too well with an Operating System installed on them.

Third, which version of Ubuntu are you planning on installing?

Fourth, are you planning to use it as a storage device while in Windows? or JUST as Ubuntu's drive?

With that, here's what I've found so far:
(Make sure when you plug in your USB HDD it is attached to a USB drive from the motherboard and not a PCI card elsewhere.)
(Also, begin this process with it DISCONNECTED from your machine.)
Start by booting into your Ubuntu Live CD and browse to System>Preferences>Removable Drive and Media. (Depending on your version of Ubuntu, it might be located elsewhere.)
Once here, UNcheck the following options:
1) Mount removable drives when hot-plugged,
2) Mount removable media when inserted,
3) Browse removable media when inserted.

Then plug in your USB HDD. (Remember, plug it into a USB drive off of the motherboard, NOT a hub or PCI card.)
Wait while the drive is recognized--it may not be listed, but it's LED should blink when inserted and when it stops that's when you're good to continue.
Next, find 'Install' and give it a whirl.
It will then start gathering your info; name, location, username, password, time zone, etc.

Now it will list available drives to be installed to. One should be your PC's internal drive (listed as 'hd0') and the other should be your USB HDD listed as it's brand/manufacturer name (Example: '160 GB Seagate').
When you go to install, make sure that it's installing to 'SCSI and/or sda', and NOT 'hd0'. ('SCSI and/or sda' is another name for your USB HDD.) If you install to 'hd0', say goodbye to Windows.

It will then confirm that you want to install to ('160 GB Seagate')/('SCSI and/or sda'). Note that depending on the version of Ubuntu, it might be labeled differently. Just be sure to avoid 'hd0'.
Install will take however long. I tried installing a game to my iPod a while ago--granted it was USB 1.0--and it took HELLA long. So hope it goes fast for you. If not, get some popcorn. =p
After install, it will ask to reboot. Be sure to remove the Live Ubuntu CD and cross your fingers as your PC tries to boot Ubuntu.

[noxiousraccoon]

1. Yes, it does. I actually recently had to reset the MBR via a usb drive. Vista decided to overwrite the MBR.
2. http://www.simpletech.com/parts/spu35320.htm
3. Ubuntu 8.10 64 bit, Laptop: Intel t7100, 4g Ram
4. Why not both?

So, based off of your suggestions, it should reinstall itself on the external and remove the major components from the current partition? Because, I already installed it and I currently dual boot. So, does this mean I would actually have to uninstall ubuntu, don't delete the MBR, but reinstall it on the external?

Also, if your curious at all, I did find this link.

http://www.pendrivelinux.com/ubuntu-804 ... e-install/ (However, that is for 8.04, it should be roughly the same though)

Also, as noted in my last post, the hard drive doesn't work well between the operating systems. For example, for it to operate on Linux, I have to remove it's hardware from Vista. However, I was thinking, if I partitioned the external, it should work on both systems. Linux did give me the option to force the hard drive, however, I was afraid of data loss.

Or, another option, moving Windows to the external? Though, based off my results from google so far, that doesn't seem easy.

[Ketchup_Bomb]

I thought that you wanted your internal HDD to be Windows, and the external to be Ubuntu.
If so, why keep Ubuntu installed on the internal HDD? I'd say free up the space and delete that partition. What's your thoughts about not doing this?

If you wanted to use the external HDD as a storage device while running Windows off your internal HDD, then configuration of the GRUB loader would need to be edited, or you would have to constantly disconnect the external HDD when you turn on your PC, then once Windows is loaded you would have to plug it back in.
That might bug you... (It would me. >_> )

Having Windows on the external HDD instead of Ubuntu would probably work as well... I assume.
Why don't you come up with a configuration that you really want then tell us and I'll experiment with you.
For me, I think having Ubuntu on the external HDD which loads only if it's plugged in and not using it as extra storage would work best. But this is your PC so you pick.

Once we have the details I'll whip out my iPod and 40 gig drive and tinker with you.

[noxiousraccoon]

Well, I was considering both options. It seems harder to put windows on the external. Thus, Ubuntu seems to be the better option.

Linux on the external and Windows on the internal. (Considering sometime in the future, after my purchases, e.g. virus protection, etc., expire, I think I will just completely remove Windows) Teaching myself Unix at the moment, so I don't want to completely separate myself from Windows just yet.

Nonetheless, that is my answer. Linux on the external. However, as I pointed out above, I am already dual booting at the moment. Thus, booting Linux via the CD and changing the storage device doesn't appear to be the option. Or, should I just delete the current partition on the internal and just start all over again on the external?

[Ketchup_Bomb]

...as I pointed out above, I am already dual booting at the moment. Thus, booting Linux via the CD and changing the storage device doesn't appear to be the option. Or, should I just delete the current partition on the internal and just start all over again on the external?

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "changing the storage device", but your last sentence summed it up.
You're going to delete the partition Ubuntu is currently on (on the internal HDD) and you're gonna have to reinstall it on the external HDD.

My post above explained how to install Ubuntu on the external.
To remove the partition from the internal, the quickest way that comes to mind would be to put in a Windows install disc and delete that Ubuntu partition using the Setup Utility.
I am not sure if there are applications out there that you can download onto Windows, run, and that allow you to remove the partition that way, so you don't need a Windows install disc. (There probably is...)

Lastly, I totally forgot my PC doesn't allow me to boot from USB.
So my help is going to be pretty limited with step-by-step walkthroughs. ;_;

PS--Learning Unix is frustrating at first if you're used to dos, but I love it; there are so many useful features Unix just has built in.

[noxiousraccoon]

Will deleting the Partition, reallocate the memory to the initial partition? Also, will it reset the MBR?

[WaeV]

I had no trouble installing and booting to linux on an external usb drive, except on Macs. Boot Camp will boot to Linux and Mac, but only OSX if it's on the external for some reason...

I used the whole drive, then just bumped it up in the boot order in my BIOS.

[Ketchup_Bomb]

Will deleting the Partition, reallocate the memory to the initial partition? Also, will it reset the MBR?

If you delete a partition I believe it will be relocated to the current partition.
The information on the disc will probably stay there, but it will be allowed to be overwritten, so Windows should just incorporate it back in.

And the Master Boot Record should not be affected.

[FleetAdmiralBacon]

Will deleting the Partition, reallocate the memory to the initial partition? Also, will it reset the MBR?

If you delete a partition I believe it will be relocated to the current partition.
The information on the disc will probably stay there, but it will be allowed to be overwritten, so Windows should just incorporate it back in.

And the Master Boot Record should not be affected.

You would be wrong. Simply deleting a partition will not move the remaining space into another partition. It will be left as non-partitioned space. Extending an existing partition over it will most likely overwrite the data.