MX Linux Forum

How to make a MX live usb from a windows installation? If I don't have any other linux install.
Is Rufus sufficient to get persistence? I could not find any relevant information for someone in this situation

Not directly. You will need 2 USB sticks of at least 8 GB (actually 4 GB if you have it).
Rufus will create a Live USB that is bootable but not writeable for persistence.

Boot the 1st USB, insert the second USB
Use the MX Live USB Maker (LUM) to create a writeable, second MX Live USB with Persistence.
(This can only be done with LUM, to the best of my knowledge.)

Boot the LUM created 2nd Live USB and read about Persistence in Secion 6.6 of the MX User Manual.

Make a full-featured antiX/MX live-usb when all you have is one read-only live-usb with "toram"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGVgGMhP1d4&t=3s

Richard wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 10:27 am Rufus will create a Live USB that is bootable but not writeable for persistence.

?

Vipul88 wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 10:09 am Is Rufus sufficient to get persistence?

Yep.

Huckleberry Finn wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 11:00 am

Richard wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 10:27 am Rufus will create a Live USB that is bootable but not writeable for persistence.

?

Vipul88 wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 10:09 am Is Rufus sufficient to get persistence?

Yep.

Thanks. My assumption was wrong.

Shortly: Rufus creates a "writable" usb , just uses fat32 (when MXLUM uses ext4). Then you select persistence options according to your taste . (Their differences are here)

Huckleberry Finn wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 11:41 am Shortly: Rufus creates a "writable" usb , just uses fat32 (when MXLUM uses ext4). Then you select persistence options according to your taste . (Their differences are here)

Thanks for the heads up. Haven't looked at Rufus for a while.
I do prefer ext4 format.

anticapitalista wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 10:37 am Make a full-featured antiX/MX live-usb when all you have is one read-only live-usb with "toram"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGVgGMhP1d4&t=3s

Thanks, anti. Had forgotten about that.

Meanwhile (before I forget) the only con or disadvantage is: Fat32 has a file-size limit of 4GB . Therefore if your persistence (squashed) files (or any others) get bigger in time, then it won't let you or give errors etc.. Therefore LUM is the preferred way.

Also, you can start pc with just a live usb (you can also use antiX Base for that as it's small in size) and boot with "toram" parameter if you don't want to use an additional stick (assuming the amount of ram is not bad), then start Live Usb Maker on live session ... (shortly, an "installed" MX / antiX / Linux isn't a "must") (As already stated and linked by anti above :) )

You can't expect a Rufus created live-usb to survive for the long term. Besides, it will have significant limitations, as noted above.

Also, you need at least a 16 GB flash drive to create a live-usb with persistence that you intend to keep to the point of remastering; and then only with a 4 GB or smaller persistence file(s). You need the extra elbow room in that 16 GB flash drive for remastering. Otherwise, you can easily make a full MX-Live-usb drive with persistence on a 4GB or 8GB flash drive with appropriately smaller persistence files, but you will not be able to remaster it, and will shortly become out-of-date.

One also need to plan to backup a valuable live-usb by either making a snapshot or by creating another live-usb from the first, preferably right after the first boot after remastering.