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Maximum size of bootable USB key?
Posted: Wed 25 Jul 2007, 23:51
by crosscountry
I have seen references to there being a limit to the size of USB key that we can boot puppy from. 1gig maybe? Does anyone know if this is actually true? Can I use a 2 gig or 4 gig memory key?
Currently Puppy 1.16.1 on Dell D620 booting from Kingston DataTraveller 1Gig. Works GREAT including wireless but not audio input.
Thanks, and thanks to everyone who works on Puppy and helps in the forum!
Posted: Thu 26 Jul 2007, 00:20
by Leachim
The size of the boot media is only restricted by the file-system you're using.
My Puppy runs from a FAT-32-formatted 16GB-USB-stick!
Posted: Fri 27 Jul 2007, 02:20
by crosscountry
Thanks! Gonna get me one of those.
It was this comment in the Puppy Resize Persona Storage File utility that made me wonder about the size limit:
So, you need to make a decision. If you see that you are running
low on space in pup_save.3fs, you can make it bigger, but of course
there must be enough space in sdb1.
Note, it was reported on the Forum that pup_save.3fs should not be
made bigger than 1GB, but I have yet to confirm this limitation.
Thanks again!
Posted: Fri 27 Jul 2007, 09:42
by Leachim
Due to the file size restrictions of FAT32, the save file cannot exceed a size of 4GB (I use a save file with a size of about 3.8GB). But you can use the rest of the USB-stick for other data. For example there is no need to store your MP3-collection in the save file! Just store it directly on the stick and create a symbolic link.
Posted: Sat 28 Jul 2007, 03:54
by Crash
I've had good luck with booting Puppy Linux on a 4 GB USB stick (Sandisk Micro). It's plenty big and the prices are getting reasonable. It works OK with either FAT16 or FAT32. Its format out of the box is FAT32.
In order to make it bootable, I had to get rid of the U3 software - well, actually I think the U3 software is permanantly in a read-only section of these critters nowadays. At any rate, I deleted the 4 GB partition and re-created it using GParted, then set the "boot" flag. Then Puppy's Universal Installer worked like a champ on it.
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P.S. ( Edited August 18 )
If you really, really want to get rid of the U3 stuff on your USB stick, there is a program called "u3 uninstall.exe" that you can get at:
http://www.u3.com/uninstall/
It makes U3 (and everything else on your USB drive) go away for good. I re-installed Puppy on the thumb drive after I got rid of the U3 stuff and it works fine still.
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