Title.

I know there are tools to set up a linux distro’s installer on a USB flashdrive. What I’m looking for is slightly different: I want to install a linux distro (a Debian derivative, but am still unsure which) on a USB hard drive, but I want to do it from a running system, rather that have to boot into installer mode.

The rationale is that this is the only active machine I have ATM. I guess this exists since that’s how “live distros” with installers even function in the first place, but I haven’t had much luck searching for information.

  • Veraxis@lemmy.worldEnglish
    5·
    17 days ago

    I’m not sure that I follow the rationale. If this is your only active machine, what is the issue with having to shut down and boot into an installer to install Linux?

    Is your goal to overwrite your existing OS with Linux, or to dual boot?

    • lambisio@feddit.clOPEnglish
      3·
      16 days ago

      No, my goal is to set up a portable hard drive to use as an external system (to eg.: connect to machines to repair/diagnose them) without having to spend the 2+ hours of install and configure off my one working machine ATM.

      • Veraxis@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        16 days ago

        Ah, okay. Then yes, as others have mentioned, it sounds like you want a portable linux install.

        I keep around install USBs of both Arch Linux and Mint, as both boot into a live version of the distro, and I can either open a terminal to debug things, or arch-chroot into my arch install if I broke my bootloader or something.