Can I install OpenSUSE on a USB Flash Drive?

[markw10]

I want to install OpenSUSE on a netbook I have that's currently running Mandriva.
I know often with a distro you can run the LiveCD/Live USB version from a USB Flash Drive. I understand maybe I can do that but want I want to do is do an actual install. Is this possible?
I assume I'd need to download the distro to my netbook under Mandriva and then after do an install and choose the USB Flash Drive after inserted as the hard drive to install to. Then when I boot up the computer I'd just choose the USB Drive as the bootup drive.
Is this possible though? Would it damage my Mandriva install? Like I said I know I can use the USB Flash Drive likely as a bootup/Live CD type of solution but since I will be using it semi-regularly and saving data at times I'd like to use it simply like another hard drive. Is this possible?

[HROAdmin26]

Is this possible?

A) You will save yourself some work/headache if you put a liveCD on a USB stick and boot from it. You can look up the tool unetbootin that makes it *very* simple.

B) You *can* install to a USB device. The install process may require manual steps. I have done installs where the internal HDD is full encrypted and the /boot volume resides on a USB stick. However, this will require more understanding/work - including possibly rebuilding the initrd to include USB support.

Keep in mind the using a USB stick may result in a shortened life for the USB stick depending on the filesystem usage.

[D-cat]

May I make a safety suggestion?

I've never tried this, but it might make a good experiment: boot the install media in a VM (like VirtualBox; not the "ose" in the repos, the SUN version with USB sharing). If all that's mounted in the VM is the ISO and the USB target drive, it should do the initial install to the USB... and not confuse the bootloader code location since the actual hard drive will not be visible to the installer. I suggest you override default format to ext2 to save on the excess writes (flash drive killer). Once the initial copy install phase is complete, you shouldn't need the VM any more.

Then, before it'll actually boot, you'll probably have to set up with syslinux instead of grub. This is a manual step, so try booting first, just be aware. The syslinux install can most likely be done from your Mandriva boot. Once working, boot from the USB at the actual hardware setup phase and the rest should be smooth.

Good luck. Like I said, I've never tried this, so I can't really help. I'm just throwing an idea out there.

[rojoblandino]

I want to install OpenSUSE on a netbook I have that's currently running Mandriva.
I know often with a distro you can run the LiveCD/Live USB version from a USB Flash Drive. I understand maybe I can do that but want I want to do is do an actual install. Is this possible?
I assume I'd need to download the distro to my netbook under Mandriva and then after do an install and choose the USB Flash Drive after inserted as the hard drive to install to. Then when I boot up the computer I'd just choose the USB Drive as the bootup drive.
Is this possible though? Would it damage my Mandriva install? Like I said I know I can use the USB Flash Drive likely as a bootup/Live CD type of solution but since I will be using it semi-regularly and saving data at times I'd like to use it simply like another hard drive. Is this possible?

You should read this:
en.opensuse.org/SuSE_install_from_USB_drive

what you will do is to copy the liveCD of opensuse into the pendrive and follow those steps to make it booteable.

It works!