Running from a usb

[Little_Dice]

I have a couple of questions about backtrack on a usb. Tell me where I am right and where I am wrong.

1. If I use image burning software to burn the image to the usb stick I will be able to boot it at any computer, however if I want to install software I have to do this through moduals. I can't just run it and for example tell firefox to download and install the new update.

2. If I do an install to a usb stick I have to rewrite the mbr in order to boot from it. Meaning I can't plug it into any computer and run it instantly.

[imported_spankdidly]

Whatever computer you are running it on has to have support for booting off USB drives/media/devices. A lot of older machines can't. If you go into your bios does it give you the ability to boot from a usb device?

[shamanvirtuel]

search in the wiki for usb live install
and usb live install with changes saved

[Little_Dice]

Yes the computers support booting off usb.

So I take it I was right. And that if I want to be able to modify the usb it would have to be done through moduals, unless I write to my mbr and tell it that the usb is a bootable device.

[merlin051]

If you are using a USB stick to boot into backtrack you are already writing the the MBR to make it bootable.

You are still able to use the USB stick on other computers as a normal USB stick providing you dont mess wiht any of the files already in place.

Check shamanvirtuel's live usb installer, this will create you a bootable USB device from a BT2 ISO.

[FockeWulf]

1. If I use image burning software to burn the image to the usb stick I will be able to boot it at any computer,

It will work with most computers. However, you need to get into the BIOS like spankdidly said.

Not all dinosaurs can boot off a USB though

Let me know if you need any help.