A Live OS in your Pocket

Live CDs need no introduction, and neither does Knoppix, probably the first

live Linux distribution. Live CDs are great as they let you run an entire

Operating System directly from a CD on any machine without tampering with your

existing system settings. However, the drawback is that CDs and DVDs are

read-only. So you can't really write data on a live CD or DVD. So if you want to

carry your OS around with you, and be able to store and change your documents in

it, the CDs and DVDs just won't do. You need something with read/write

capabilities. That's where flash drives come in, and in this article, we'll tell

you how to have your own Linux distro complete with all the apps you need on a

USB-based flash drive.

We have used a Knoppix 5.1 ISO on a USB drive, but ideally this process

should work with any Live distro that uses Isolinux for booting.

Prerequisites



Get a hold of any 1 GB USB flash drive. Download the ISO of Knoppix 5.1 from

http://www.kernel.org/pub/dist/ knoppix/KNOPPIX_V5.1.1CD-2007-01-04-EN.iso. You

will also require a tool called 'fixkp.bat' that will extract and modify the

Knoppix ISO to run from the USB drive. This can be downloaded from



http://pendrivelinux.com/downloads/fixkp.zip.

All you need is a Knoppix ISO and a tool called 'fixkp' to create a Live Linux distro on a USB drive

Creating a bootable USB



Create a new folder named USB Knoppix anywhere on your computer. Let's

assume that you created it at C:\. Move the Knoppix Linux ISO to this folder and

then extract fixkp.zip into the same folder. Since fixkp.bat is a simple batch

file, simply run it from a command prompt. It will extract the Knoppix ISO in

the C:\Knoppix folder and modify it to run from the USB drive. This process will

take around a minute and it will automatically create a new folder named

'knoppix' in the C:\Knoppix folder.

Now format your USB drive with FAT32 file system. Then copy all the contents

from the 'C:\Knoppix\knoppix' folder to your USB drive. Now go to the command

prompt and change the location to your USB drive. Let's assume it's E. From

here, simply run the makeboot.bat batch file. That's it. Your live USB drive is

ready.

Enjoy!



Reboot your PC and enter your BIOS setup. Change the first boot device to

USB drive and reboot. This time when your PC boots up, you should see the

Knoppix boot screen. Pressing enter will start Knoppix. If you are using a USB

2.0 port, then it will be much faster. You can use this drive from any PC or

laptop. Just make the first boot device as the USB drive.