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I failed to upgrade from 12.04 to 12.10, so I decide to make a fresh install of 12.10. My old computer doesn't support boot from usb, and its cd-rom is broken.
I know Plop Boot Manager can make my computer boot from usb. I know how to use it in Windows, and I did use it when I tranfer from Win-XP to Ubuntu 12.04. But now, I don't know how to use it under Linux.

As far as I know, despite of the lengthy documentation, using Plop to boot from usb under Windows is as simple as double clicking a bat file. But doc for linux is not that straitfoward and contains daunting terminologies such as LILO for a Linux newbie. What makes it worse is that I'm not a native English speaker.

So could someone show me a brief and concise instruction how to boot from usb?

Tim
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duleshi
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5 Answers5

2

This should work if you have GRUB2. Follow the source link to see other methods using LILO and other options.

Quote from the PLOP Boot manager site.

Download the current boot manager plpbt-5.0.14.zip. Extract it to get the boot manager install program. You find the install program plpinstc.com in the install directory.

Copy plpinstc.com to /boot.

Example file /etc/grub.d/40_custom

#!/bin/sh
exec tail -n +3 $0

menuentry "Install Plop Boot Manager" {
    set root='(hd0,1)'
    linux16 /boot/plpinstc.com
}

Then run update-grub2 or update-grub.

When you reboot, you should be able to choose the install program from your grub menu.

Info: You have to choose the correct root settings in your configuration or you get a "Error: file not found". See also this Forum entry.

japzone
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1

Rather late, but see following:_ https://www.linux.com/learn/tutorials/445010:weekend-project-use-the-plop-boot-manager-to-boot-older-computers-from-usb

comm.sanjay
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0

As I remember, using plop boot to boot Ubuntu is as simple as

  1. creating a bootable USB drive with Ubuntu on it. If you are using Windows, go to pendrive Linux and there is a utility to put it on your USB for you.

  2. Be sure your BIOS is set up to boot from CD/DVD.

  3. Boot with plop boot CD in the drive and the USB stick in and select "boot usb".

Kevin Bowen
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Scott Goodgame
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0

Alternative: If the PC has a floppy drive, you'll have to prepare a Plop floppy to boot from (if you still can access Plop at boot, if not, you'll have to prepare it from another PC that has a floppy drive). From there, you can chose to boot from USB (you can prepare the USB with Ubuntu 12.04 LTS in your newer PC).

papukaija
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xilomann
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-2

First, you need to get Plop Boot Manager.

As far as I know, despite of the lengthy documentation, using Plop to boot from usb under Windows is as simple as double clicking a bat file. But the doc for Linux is not that straight forward and contains daunting terminologies such as LILO for a Linux newbie.

Well, straight forward, LILO is a boot manager. Basically, it's saying it will boot into LILO. It's a bit like GRUB. Plop Boot Manager comes with LILO, so it will install it with Plop Boot Manager. That will go into the USB. Then, when you boot, LILO will come up.

So could someone show me a brief and concise instruction how to boot from usb?

Well, to boot off the USB, you need to go into the BIOS.

At the screen, go into the Boot section.

Put the USB in the Boot order. Remember to put the USB before your SSD/HHD.

Then save changes and re-boot.

Hope this helps!

horIzoN
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