Installing Tiny Core Manually
From the Tiny Core Linux Website at http://gr8idea.info/os/tutorials/tiny-core/install-usb.html
Before installation, save a copy of all files you want to keep. All files on the USB drive will be lost.
Filesystems
Tiny Core can be installed on various filesystems. For more information, see Filesystems.
Installation
Tiny Core can be installed on a USB drive while running Tiny Core installed on a computer, or while running Tiny Core from a live CD, and connected to the internet using a broadband internet connection.
Before installing Tiny Core, Install the extensions "dosfstools" and "syslinux." UPDATE - use GRUB4DOS not SYSLINUX. If selecting ZIP, also Install "per15."
Form the menu, select Tools -> USB Installation.
Another option is to open the terminal and type:
sudo usbinstall
Enter appropriate information as prompted.
Microcore
Microcore may be installed on a USB drive using the same method. You need Microcore installed on a computer. For more information, see Install Microcore.
Run from the USB drive
With the USB drive connected to the computer, turn the computer off and restart.
If the computer won't start from the USB drive, visit www.tinycorelinux.com for more information.
Be aware, the BIOS in older computers cannot be set up to start an operating system from a USB drive.
If the BIOS cannot be set up to start an operating system from a USB drive, you can use PLoP Boot Manager to start the operating system from the USB drive.
Backup or Persistent /home and /opt
USB drives can only be written to a limited number of times (normally thousands), then they will not work.
You can reduce the number of times a usb drive is written to by using backup, and not having a persistent /home and /opt. This is how Tiny Core is installed by default.
However, if you use Tiny Core on a usb drive to browse the internet, a lot of information is saved by internet browsers. As a result backup will take a long time. Starting Tiny Core will also take a long time.
If you have a persistent /home and /opt, and exclude browser cache and settings from backup, or not use backup at all. Starting and shutting down Tiny Core will be quick, but the usb drive may not last as long.
Following is an explanation of how to have persistent /home and /opt on a usb drive.
After installing Tiny Core, as explained above, the file extlinux.conf should look something like this (the Ext filesystem was used).
DEFAULT tinycore
Using a Root Text Editor, edit this to be like this.
DEFAULT tinycore
The end of the line beginning with "APPEND" will normally return and be on the next line(s). If you enter it that way, it will not work. It must be on one line.
Use the UUID number of your usb drive, not the one shown here.
If you don't use Backup to save and restore settings, include "norestore" in the line which begins with "APPEND."
Alternate Method Using Label
To label the partition on the usb drive, open the terminal and type:
sudo su
If not sda1, use the appropriate partition.
To check the label on the usb drive, using the terminal, type:
blkid -s LABEL /dev/sda1
After labelling the partition on the usb drive, edit extlinux.conf to be like this.
DEFAULT tinycore
The end of the line beginning with "APPEND" may return and be on the next line(s). If you enter it that way, it will not work. It must be on one line.
If you don't use Backup to save and restore settings, include "norestore" in the line which begins with "APPEND."
For more information, see Backup.
Swap Partition
A computer uses a swap partition like extra RAM.
If you install Tiny Core on a USB drive, do not make a swap partition on the USB drive, as it will greatly shorten the life of the USB drive. If Linux is installed on the hard drive, it will have a swap partition and Tiny Core will use it. If there is no swap partition, make one on the hard drive.
Notes from the Techs at Pocket Rocket Linux:
For example, the instructions mention PLOP (above), but a recent
release of Tiny Core now uses GRUB, as do many other Linux
versions.
Visit www.pocketrocketlinux.com for simple downloads
that can take care of all of these steps automatically.
Be advised: just because you get the install to work DOES NOT
mean you will be able to configure Tiny Core Linux. Just the
process of getting a persistent WALLPAPER on a Dell Laptop took
three months of daily attempts. The wifi utility (wifi-radar),
does not work well in certain conditions and you are likely to find
many utilities in Tiny Core are for "Techs Only".
Many Linux distributions have a similar attitude. Fortunately, that
is changing and even Tiny Core - generally thought to be a high-performance, "Techs-Only" distribution - is changing and becoming
easier for anyone to install.
The method you use is up to you. If you have problems, please visit
us at www.pocketrocketlinux.com for automated utilities to walk
you through the most important parts of installing and configuring
both Tiny Core and other Linux Distributions.
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