Run Linux from a USB memory key

Q Is it possible to install Ubuntu Linux on an external hard disk and how would it affect my computer?
Edgar Mills

A It is possible to run Linux from an external USB hard disk or memory key as long as it has enough space. Some versions of Linux (also called distributions) have been designed with this in mind.

You will need to check that your computer can run from a USB disk before making a decision about which version of Linux to use. This information should be available in the motherboard manual.
If this is not available, look for an option to boot from USB in the Bios.

Restart the computer and press the Del and F2 keys repeatedly. There may be a message on the screen stating which button to press to enter the settings. Look for the Boot options and see which devices are available.

If USB is an option, make sure it is set before the hard disk or CD-Rom. The simplest way to install Ubuntu on a USB hard disk is to disconnect all the normal hard disks inside the computer and install Ubuntu as normal.

It will detect the USB hard disk and use that without making any changes to Windows. Reconnect the hard disks once the installation has finished. To boot into Windows, disconnect the USB hard disk from the computer.

If the computer cannot boot from a USB hard disk or memory key, there are some versions of Linux that can run from a USB memory key in Windows. One of these is called Damn Small Linux.

Go to www.snipurl.com/9mp5m. Left-click on Current and then on dsl-4.4.10-embedded.zip. The actual numbers may change with new versions but it must end in ­embedded.zip. When the download has finished double-click on it and extract the files to a folder on the USB key.

Double-click on the dsl-base.bat file to launch the operating system. The advantage of using Linux this way is that there is no need to set up networking because it runs inside Windows.

More information can be found in the readme.txt file in the folder and at www.damnsmalllinux.org. A more capable version of Linux, called Mandriva, is available installed on an 8GB USB key for €44 at www.snipurl.com/9mpdm.