Persistent Meerkat on USB Skip the Menu


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Thread: Persistent Meerkat on USB Skip the Menu

  1. #1
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    Persistent Meerkat on USB Skip the Menu

    If I put Ubuntu on a USB stick (10.10) so I have a desktop I can carry around with a persistent setup on it, is there a way to make it boot right to the desktop rather than always going through the "Try out Ubuntu or Install it" choice window?
    Linux user #367409

  2. #2
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    Not a solution but some experience of my own attempts.

    You can always install any Linux in a USB device just as though it is just a block device. Whether the distro will boot is another matter. This is because in order to boot from a USB device the initrd needs certain drivers pre-installed. Not all distros do that.

    I believe when a Linux is loaded into the system memory the response from the USB device, especially the normal flash drives, is too slow. When parts of some components are not available, due to late arrival, the kernel may issue a panic warning. Thus a distro needs special considerations if it is intended to be bootable in a USB device. Small distros are therefore easier. I did a trial before and found 60% of distros I tried were not bootable even all of them can be installed.

    The other important consideration is a full installation will expand the distro footprint to 3 to 5 times and that can take a long time to install and boot. Normally a distro designed to be installable on a USB only uses the device as a transitory storage media instead the normal CD. It works exactly as a CD and not installed permanently.

    The persistent version only saves the settings for you like the bookmarks. It is one of the extra facilities provided by the distro itself and will be distro-specific.

    I frequently describe the USB version of running a Linux is like operating a hot dog stand at the street corner. When it is booted everything is there like selling the hot dogs. When finished everything is rolled up in a container and the street is empty without ant trace of activity there before. The persistent USB Linux also has the working files all compressed in a tar ball file and the information is available only when you re-boot it next time.
    Linux user started Jun 2004 - No. 361921
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  3. #3
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    I haven't tried 10.10 yet, but I seem to recall 10.04 also had this menu, but my remastered version (done using remastersys) doesn't. It may not be the best solution, but you could perhaps try remastering it with remastersys to remove this menu; remastersys also changes the bootloader menu, so my remastered version not bringing up this choice window could simply be a function of altered boot parameters in the bootloader, I don't really know. Anyway, it may be worth a try if no-one else can present a simpler solution.

  4. #4
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    you would think there is some init script somewhere that can be edited to just skip right to "try Ubuntu".

    Linux user #367409

  5. #5
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    You can edit the entry out in /isolinux/ txt.cfg
    Linux user started Jun 2004 - No. 361921
    Using a Linux live CD to clone XP
    To install Linux and keep Windows MBR untouched
    Adding extra Linux & Doing it in a lazy way
    A Grub menu booting 100+ systems & A "Howto" to install and boot 145 systems
    Just cloning tips Just booting tips A collection of booting tips

    Judge asked Linux "You are being charged murdering Windoze by stabbing its heart with a weapon, what was it?" Replied Linux "A Live CD"

  6. #6
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    I don't have an /isolinux/txt.cfg; I have a /boot/grub/loopback.cfg that says:


    Code:
    menuentry "Try Ubuntu without installing" {
    	linux	/casper/vmlinuz  file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper iso-scan/filename=${iso_path} quiet splash --
    	initrd	/casper/initrd.lz
    }
    menuentry "Install Ubuntu" {
    	linux	/casper/vmlinuz  file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper only-ubiquity iso-scan/filename=${iso_path} quiet splash --
    	initrd	/casper/initrd.lz
    }
    menuentry "Check disc for defects" {
    	linux	/casper/vmlinuz  boot=casper integrity-check iso-scan/filename=${iso_path} quiet splash --
    	initrd	/casper/initrd.lz
    }
    menuentry "Test memory" {
    	linux16	/install/mt86plus
    }
    same thing??
    Linux user #367409

  7. #7
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    Yep.

    Just commenting out the first booting entry by putting a "#" in front of the 4 lines and save the file.

    Come to think of it if you have already booting it from a USB then it should Grub2 you should amend and the file would be /boot/grub/grub.cfg if it exists.

    Isolinux is used on CD only.
    Linux user started Jun 2004 - No. 361921
    Using a Linux live CD to clone XP
    To install Linux and keep Windows MBR untouched
    Adding extra Linux & Doing it in a lazy way
    A Grub menu booting 100+ systems & A "Howto" to install and boot 145 systems
    Just cloning tips Just booting tips A collection of booting tips

    Judge asked Linux "You are being charged murdering Windoze by stabbing its heart with a weapon, what was it?" Replied Linux "A Live CD"

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