core2usb - USB installer for Windows

[bmarkus]

First stable version of core2usb is just released. There are many smaller internal changes and a new GUI. Worth to try.



http://sourceforge.net/projects/core2usb/

[bmarkus]

core2usb is selected by the Editorial Team of SoftPedia and available at:

http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/System-Miscellaneous/Tiny-Core-Linux-USB-installer.shtml

[bmarkus]

core2usb-1.1.exe bugfix version uploaded to SourceForge. If you tried 1.0 and didn't work take a look an this. Sorry for inconvenience.

[coreplayer2]

I look at the overwriting of USB label as a positive thing.

Really? I'm pretty sure that if you had set your machine up to automatically perform certain operations
base on the label of a connected USB device, you would change your mind, especially if you had two
of them plugged in at the same time. Of course you could always switch over to using UUID, but as
bmarkus points out:

H'mmm well ok I see your point at last, yes I'm sure that would  be frustrating, luckily for me am not accustomed to using labels, only UUID..  When i see Pendrive as a label I can at least visually and quickly identify which drive just got prepared as compared to a couple of others whose labels are Patriot or something..  It's a visual thing and the way I do things. Still interesting to see how other folks do things.  if the label needs changing then it gets changed.. done with no fuss.

maybe I just turned a potential hazard into a positive thing for me..  I will say this, would have been better had they given a choice or at least an opportunity to write your own label..   Everybody else does that right?  :p

[coreplayer2]

core2usb  looks like it's making good progress, well done.

Any chance of adding the option to add home and opt along with tce please?    That would be useful too.

Be appreciated if the open dialog had an option to open in the same directory as the app was located.  I used an app which had that behavior a while back, boy that was so useful.

[bmarkus]

Still interesting to see how other folks do things.  if the label needs changing then it gets changed.. done with no fuss.

I'm using 3 USB sticks with TC, moving around data between TC/WINDOWS, notebook/desktop, etc. Labels indicate usage and installled opsys if any, like TCE4DEV, TC4rc1, SLAX, ... Imagine all with just PENDRIVE. Well, they look different with different capacity, but sometime they are plugged to the back of my CentOS box what I do not see from my desk and even more than one is plugged. S I need my labels.

[bmarkus]

core2usb  looks like it's making good progress, well done.

Thanks

Any chance of adding the option to add home and opt along with tce please?    That would be useful too.

What do you mean? It is a good idea to make possible to add boot options or edit it.

Or you mean put home directory to the created stick? If so, it is not possible on FAT partion.

[coreplayer2]

Oh yeah you're right, don't know why I was thinking ext2..

must be getting late..


However many (including myself) format a USB thumb drive with ext2 to create a frugal install..  so maybe not such a bad idea after all

[coreplayer2]

... Imagine all with just PENDRIVE.  S I need my labels.

I understand..    In my opinion, no matter how many thumb drives are knocking around my place, there is only a limited number of ports to plug them into, so it's kinda a moot point IMHO.  Where there is a clash just change the label, easy as that right?     Having said that, I understand if you rely on labels, someone interfering with your system would understandably irritate anyone...   

[bmarkus]

Oh yeah you're right, don't know why I was thinking ext2..

must be getting late..


However many (including myself) format a USB thumb drive with ext2 to create a frugal install..  so maybe not such a bad idea after all

primary goal for core2usb was to offer easy start up on windows without CD burning and without manual tweaking like using unetbootin or other windows generic installers.

My standard USB setup is a small, 64MB FAT partition to move data betwwen LINUX and WINDOWS and an EXT4 partition for LINUX itself. Journaling file system is a must have, it saved my life many times. Ext2 is just like a FAT, can be corrupted easily. Reduced life time is just an urban legend. I have never seen any USB stick died due to too much writes. I have seen lost, broken sticks or cheap ones gettin faulty after 2-3 month but not because of intensive use. Also, they are cheap. For sure loss of data is costing more than a theretically demaged USB stick.

However, I have a draft idea fore core2usb which can create a proper USB stick layout and setup with native LINUX file system starting from WINDOWS and downloaded ISO.

BTW, if anyone interested core2usb is a python program.

[coreplayer2]

So

Be appreciated if the open dialog had an option to open in the same directory as the app was located.  I used an app which had that behavior a while back, boy that was so useful.

By that i mean is it's common to drop the iso to usb app in the same directory as the ISO's, I think many do this.   it's really handy then to select browse and have that window open in the same directory as the ISO (the one which we just dropped our new core2usb exe into..?)   A relative path as opposed to a temp dir some random place on the system.?  That would be helpful.

Even better if there were settable default user options    easy for me to say right?  perhaps in a future version.

[bmarkus]

By that i mean is it's common to drop the iso to usb app in the same directory as the ISO's, I think many do this.   it's really handy then to select browse and have that window open in the same directory as the ISO (the one which we just dropped our new core2usb exe into..?)   A relative path as opposed to a temp dir some random place on the system.?  That would be helpful.

Even better if there were settable default user options    easy for me to say right?  perhaps in a future version.

How do I know where ISO's are stored? Agree, tmp directory is ugly and not useful. But ISO can be anywhere on your PC. What would be better to open file browser in the root or the Document folder.

[bmarkus]

New core2usb version, 1.2 released. ISO file browser opens root directory instead of temp dir.

[vinceASPECT]

Markus

this is a very good tool.

Why isn't it on the "installation" and "download" section of the greetings page for
tinycore linux.

I was thinking that thousands of people bump into tinycore linux while web
browsing on a windows computer....and they just want to try Tinycore...
(there are ways to do this with tools...that create a QEMU virtual machine
and you would get tinycore up and running inside win32 instantly...)

but i like your installer  here....as long as peope realize they need to have
a correct partition available on a pen drive....they need to know that the laptop
will boot from USB...(bios settings)  (or they can use PLOP on CD disc or Floppy disk
or on PCMCIA card)

I think there must be many world wide web surfers who come across Tinycore
and want to try it quikly...

i banged on about a CFG LOOP tool that was available in some linux distros....
which was somehow able to allow a person to download an ISO to the linux desktop
and then have the computer actually boot into that new ISO operating system (no burning
or installing was done)    That idea never materialzed with Tinycore.

There are several flavours of Linux that simply install off the web with ONE CLICK...the person
does not need to do anything else other than select certain keyboard layouts and such like.
What they end up with is a dual boot computer....Win32 and Debian  ....OR.... win32 and Ubuntu
etc

Your win32 installer here is a step in the right direction....people will appreciate it i am sure.

Vince

[bmarkus]

Vince,

thanks for the feedback on core2usb. Any feature advice to enhance it?

Regarding WEB, it is mentioned in the FAQ section:

http://distro.ibiblio.org/tinycorelinux/faq.html#pendrives

Keep in mind it is a new tool and so requires time to get known.

Béla