Install Q4OS on an USB stick

SignorCastello · 2022-03-19 11:48

How to install Q4OS on a 15g USB stick?

hchiper · 2022-03-19 12:57

If I had to do that, I would have prepared a first bootable USB stick (A) containing Q4OS iso image (live or install version) and a second USB stick (B) where to install Q4OS. Then I would have booted my computer on A-stick and designated B-stick when asked the target where to install Q4OS, being extremely careful to not designate my internal HD or SSD.
Did you try such thing or something else?

SignorCastello · 2022-03-19 16:40

I tried this on VIRTUALBOX and on BARE METAL, and it doesn't boot. It boots directly to my hdd when I try to select the usb in boot menu

hchiper · 2022-03-19 17:08

SignorCastello wrote:

How to install Q4OS on a 15g USB stick?

It looks like I totally misunderstood your initial question. Can you explain further?

SignorCastello wrote:

I tried this on VIRTUALBOX and on BARE METAL, and it doesn't boot. It boots directly to my hdd when I try to select the usb in boot menu

What has VirtualBox to do in the story? Do you want to install Q4OS into a virtual machine whose virtual disk is stored on an USB stick?

hchiper · 2022-03-19 17:16

SignorCastello wrote:

It boots directly to my hdd when I try to select the usb in boot menu

Of course you need to create an USB stick which is bootable. Did you?
Creating a bootable USB stick is not just copying/pasting or saving the .iso file to the stick.

Last edited by hchiper (2022-03-19 17:23)

SignorCastello · 2022-03-19 18:21

I installed Q4OS by going on the installer, selecting 'install on disc' and then 'store n go 15g'

SignorCastello · 2022-03-19 18:23

hchiper wrote:

SignorCastello wrote:
How to install Q4OS on a 15g USB stick?
It looks like I totally misunderstood your initial question. Can you explain further?
SignorCastello wrote:
I tried this on VIRTUALBOX and on BARE METAL, and it doesn't boot. It boots directly to my hdd when I try to select the usb in boot menu
What has VirtualBox to do in the story? Do you want to install Q4OS into a virtual machine whose virtual disk is stored on an USB stick?

I have to install q4os on a 15g usb drive. I tried to install it with the setup utility and selected USB as disk. And I retryed that on virtualbox

hchiper · 2022-03-19 20:51

SignorCastello wrote:

[I have to install q4os on a 15g usb drive. I tried to install it with the setup utility and selected USB as disk. And I retryed that on virtualbox

Still not clear. What do you expect to happen with your USB stick after install? Do you want to be able to boot on the stick rather than on your hard disk? I believe that it's not what the setup utility is intended for (to be confirmed):

https://www.q4os.org/dqa014.html
Q4OS is installed inside Windows as any other application, no separate partitions, just a folder in the Windows filesystem.

If you really want to be able to boot Q4OS from your USB stick I suggest you try the 2 USB sticks method.

Anyway, if your installation terminated successfully and you're not able (menu not displayed) to boot Q4OS (from your hard disk), have a look at this page.

Last edited by hchiper (2022-03-19 20:52)

SignorCastello · 2022-03-19 22:03

hchiper wrote:

SignorCastello wrote:
[I have to install q4os on a 15g usb drive. I tried to install it with the setup utility and selected USB as disk. And I retryed that on virtualbox
Still not clear. What do you expect to happen with your USB stick after install? Do you want to be able to boot on the stick rather than on your hard disk? I believe that it's not what the setup utility is intended for (to be confirmed):
https://www.q4os.org/dqa014.html
Q4OS is installed inside Windows as any other application, no separate partitions, just a folder in the Windows filesystem.
If you really want to be able to boot Q4OS from your USB stick I suggest you try the 2 USB sticks method.
Anyway, if your installation terminated successfully and you're not able (menu not displayed) to boot Q4OS (from your hard disk), have a look at this page.

We're on a misunderstanding.
i want an USB drive with q4os to plug on a pc (like a school one), use the os, shut down and plug off usb, and have my work saved on usb and ready to use on another pc

hchiper · 2022-03-20 09:01

SignorCastello wrote:

i want an USB drive with q4os to plug on a pc (like a school one), use the os, shut down and plug off usb, and have my work saved on usb and ready to use on another pc

That's exactly what I supposed when I replied to your first post. My answer is in post #2, which I reminded in post #8. I have no idea of another method and I can't help further.

Last things:

with USB 2 (stick or PC slot) the performance will be low; use preferably USB 3 stick if you'll use it on computers with USB 3 slots;
you might consider to have your /home directory on a separate FAT partition of your USB stick to access easily your personal files from a computer running Windows.

Last edited by hchiper (2022-03-20 09:02)

SignorCastello · 2022-03-20 09:49

Ok, let's try that.

SignorCastello · 2022-03-20 20:16

It said, after some time, ERROR WITH THE COMMAND UPDATE-INITRAMFS.
AAAAH sadness, btw it's a USB 2

Midas · 2022-03-21 00:14

Quick alternative: install Ventoy to the USB pendrive, copy Q4OS live ISO, and boot...

hchiper · 2022-03-21 17:00

SignorCastello wrote:

It said, after some time, ERROR WITH THE COMMAND UPDATE-INITRAMFS.
AAAAH sadness, btw it's a USB 2

I didn't encounter this error.
But during the install, GRUB couldn't be installed on the target USB stick. The solution came from this thread: remove the HD/SSD before beginning installation.

With USB2, boot is sooooooo slooooooow (4 min from USB2 instead of < 20 s from internal SSD). By the way, install too was veeeery sloooow. I have no USB3 stick to make a comparison.

Last edited by hchiper (2022-03-21 17:54)

Q4OS Forum

#1 2022-03-19 11:48

Install Q4OS on an USB stick

#2 2022-03-19 12:57

Re: Install Q4OS on an USB stick

#3 2022-03-19 16:40

Re: Install Q4OS on an USB stick

#4 2022-03-19 17:08

Re: Install Q4OS on an USB stick

#5 2022-03-19 17:16

Re: Install Q4OS on an USB stick

#6 2022-03-19 18:21

Re: Install Q4OS on an USB stick

#7 2022-03-19 18:23

Re: Install Q4OS on an USB stick

#8 2022-03-19 20:51

Re: Install Q4OS on an USB stick

#9 2022-03-19 22:03

Re: Install Q4OS on an USB stick

#10 2022-03-20 09:01

Re: Install Q4OS on an USB stick

#11 2022-03-20 09:49

Re: Install Q4OS on an USB stick

#12 2022-03-20 20:16

Re: Install Q4OS on an USB stick

#13 2022-03-21 00:14

Re: Install Q4OS on an USB stick

#14 2022-03-21 17:00

Re: Install Q4OS on an USB stick

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