Advertisement
Help Keep Boards Alive. Support us by going ad free today. See here: https://subscriptions.boards.ie/.
If we do not hit our goal we will be forced to close the site.

Current status: https://keepboardsalive.com/

Annual subs are best for most impact. If you are still undecided on going Ad Free - you can also donate using the Paypal Donate option. All contribution helps. Thank you.
https://www.boards.ie/group/1878-subscribers-forum

Private Group for paid up members of Boards.ie. Join the club.

Question about external hd

  • 19-10-2008 10:13AM
    #1
    corblimey
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,475 ✭✭✭


    I installed Ubuntu to an external drive and it works fine. I have to select the external drive in the boot order when booting up, but after that it's grand (I know I could change it full time, just haven't got around to it yet).

    Anyway, my question is, in theory could I plug that ext/hd into a different PC altogether and as long as I can change the boot order on that PC, I should get everything as it stands right now? It shouldn't make any diff that the other PC is a Vista machine, or is not connected to my broadband or anything, I should be able to at least boot into Ubuntu, right?


Comments

  • #2
    samhail
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,699 ✭✭✭samhail


    it wont matter that the other machine is vista, nor whether it is connected to the internet.

    The only worry that i would have would be that when Ubuntu loaded, i assume you have a GUI on it like X (is that still around). it would have loaded the drivers necessary for the hardware on our previous machine, so when you plug it into your other one there may be a mismatch on hardware/drivers.
    It should pick it up... but i have no experience.

    Im sure someone else would or you could just try it for us :)
    shouldnt break anything.


  • #3
    corblimey
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,475 ✭✭✭corblimey


    notsamhail wrote: »
    The only worry that i would have would be that when Ubuntu loaded, i assume you have a GUI on it like X (is that still around). it would have loaded the drivers necessary for the hardware on our previous machine, so when you plug it into your other one there may be a mismatch on hardware/drivers.
    Hmm, I was kinda hoping for the magical ability to just plug this h/d in wherever I go, and hey presto I have Linux at my disposal. From what you're saying, there may be configuration issues? Will I need the Ubuntu liveCD? I guess the idea is suck it and see?


  • #4
    samhail
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,699 ✭✭✭samhail


    far from it !
    Id love to try it sometime. havnt gotten into this running an OS from anything but a hard drive...

    sure just back up your data from your ubuntu installation and plug it in an dsee what happens ! :)


  • #5
    An Fear Aniar
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,377 ✭✭✭An Fear Aniar


    If you like, play around with Slax booted from a USB first. See how that does.

    http://www.slax.org/



    .


  • #6
    stereo_steve
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,231 ✭✭✭stereo_steve


    corblimey wrote: »
    I installed Ubuntu to an external drive and it works fine. I have to select the external drive in the boot order when booting up, but after that it's grand (I know I could change it full time, just haven't got around to it yet).

    Anyway, my question is, in theory could I plug that ext/hd into a different PC altogether and as long as I can change the boot order on that PC, I should get everything as it stands right now? It shouldn't make any diff that the other PC is a Vista machine, or is not connected to my broadband or anything, I should be able to at least boot into Ubuntu, right?

    I have ubuntu on a 2.5" disk. I bring it everywhere with me. Very handy in work when I change computers. Works perfect


  • Advertisement
  • #7
    corblimey
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,475 ✭✭✭corblimey


    notsamhail wrote: »
    sure just back up your data from your ubuntu installation and plug it in an dsee what happens ! :)

    Just as a matter of interest, what exactly would I need to back up? The entire /home folder? /etc?


  • #8
    An Fear Aniar
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,377 ✭✭✭An Fear Aniar


    corblimey wrote: »
    Just as a matter of interest, what exactly would I need to back up? The entire /home folder? /etc?

    If it's a relatively new installation there's not much you would need to back-up apart from documents, videos, pr0n etc.

    But say you had an installation for a while and you had all your different config settings for your mailbox, your desktop themes, your media player etc... All those config files are stored on /home.

    E.G. I upgraded to Ibex and when I installed Thunderbird again, all I had to do was open it and all my emails were there, as well as POP and SMTP connections. So it was running the same system but with a new engine underneath.


    .


  • #9
    samhail
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,699 ✭✭✭samhail


    couldnt have answered it better (or probably as good :)) as an fear aniar


  • #10
    generalmiaow
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 865 ✭✭✭generalmiaow


    I can confirm this works even on an IDE hard disk, it has to do with how linux loads drivers; as long as you are using an official kernel and no fancy nvidia graphics it has as much chance of working as it would had you installed it there.

    I tried doing this with an XP installation once. Never got to the desktop.


  • #11
    ldr
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 590 ✭✭✭ldr


    this is very interesting.
    i had ubuntu on the laptop and i was loving until i went to use them special keys on the keyboard and went to plug the laptop to the tv woundn`t transfer the picture to the tv, so i took it off.
    but would this mean i could run ubuntu from a 4gb memory card?


  • Advertisement
Advertisement