Howto make USB boot drives

[vidtek]

I use this on a regular basis, it works well.

At the very end, an information box pops up with a font that is so tiny it is unreadable. It does not affect usage, but I wonder if anyone else has noticed it.

Keep up the good work. Tony

[sudodus]

@vidtek,

Thanks for the feedback

Please tell me what you have (flavour and version of Ubuntu) and what you did (how you used mkusb), and what mkusb wrote before and if possible, attach a screenshot of the information box that pops up.

[vidtek]

Will do, next available spare time to do it will be Sunday! Equipment and ubuntu flavour in my signature.
Tony.

[vidtek]

OK well I had a go today with an 8gb microsd through a trancend usb adaptor.

My system:-

$ inxi -F
System:
  Host: linuxmint Kernel: 5.15.0-84-generic x86_64 bits: 64
    Desktop: KDE Plasma 5.24.7 Distro: Ubuntu 22.04.3 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish)
Machine:
  Type: Desktop Mobo: ASUSTeK model: STRIX Z270E GAMING v: Rev 1.xx
    serial: <superuser required> UEFI: American Megatrends v: 1501
    date: 07/13/2021
CPU:
  Info: quad core model: Intel Core i7-7700K bits: 64 type: MT MCP cache:
    L2: 1024 KiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 4500 min/max: 800/4500 cores: 1: 4500 2: 4500 3: 4500
    4: 4500 5: 4500 6: 4500 7: 4500 8: 4500
Graphics:
  Device-1: NVIDIA TU116 [GeForce GTX 1660] driver: nouveau v: kernel
  Device-2: Conexant Systems CX23887/8 PCIe Broadcast Audio and Video
    Decoder with 3D Comb
    driver: cx23885 v: 0.0.4
  Device-3: Conexant Systems CX23887/8 PCIe Broadcast Audio and Video
    Decoder with 3D Comb
    driver: cx23885 v: 0.0.4
  Device-4: GEMBIRD Generic UVC 1.00 camera [AppoTech AX2311] type: USB
    driver: uvcvideo
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.4 driver: X: loaded: modesetting
    unloaded: fbdev,vesa gpu: nouveau resolution: 1920x1080
  OpenGL: renderer: NV168 v: 4.3 Mesa 23.0.4-0ubuntu1~22.04.1
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 200 Series PCH HD Audio driver: snd_hda_intel
  Device-2: NVIDIA TU116 High Definition Audio driver: snd_hda_intel
  Device-3: Conexant Systems CX23887/8 PCIe Broadcast Audio and Video
    Decoder with 3D Comb
    driver: cx23885
  Device-4: Conexant Systems CX23887/8 PCIe Broadcast Audio and Video
    Decoder with 3D Comb
    driver: cx23885
  Sound Server-1: ALSA v: k5.15.0-84-generic running: yes
  Sound Server-2: PulseAudio v: 15.99.1 running: yes
  Sound Server-3: PipeWire v: 0.3.48 running: yes
Network:
  Device-1: Intel Ethernet I219-V driver: e1000e
  IF: eth0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: 10:7b:44:f2:50:51
  IF-ID-1: lxcbr0 state: down mac: 00:16:3e:00:00:00
  IF-ID-2: vmnet1 state: unknown speed: N/A duplex: N/A
    mac: 00:50:56:c0:00:01
  IF-ID-3: vmnet8 state: unknown speed: N/A duplex: N/A
    mac: 00:50:56:c0:00:08
Bluetooth:
  Device-1: Cambridge Silicon Radio Bluetooth Dongle (HCI mode) type: USB
    driver: btusb
  Report: hciconfig ID: hci0 state: up address: 00:1A:7D:DA:71:03 bt-v: 2.1
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 9.34 TiB used: 7.47 TiB (80.0%)
  ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 vendor: Sabrent model: Rocket Q size: 1.82 TiB
  ID-2: /dev/nvme1n1 vendor: Crucial model: CT2000P3PSSD8 size: 1.82 TiB
  ID-3: /dev/nvme2n1 vendor: SK Hynix model: PC401 HFS256GD9TNG-62A0A
    size: 238.47 GiB
  ID-4: /dev/nvme3n1 vendor: Crucial model: CT2000P3SSD8 size: 1.82 TiB
  ID-5: /dev/sda vendor: Toshiba model: HDWE140 size: 3.64 TiB
  ID-6: /dev/sdf type: USB vendor: Transcend model: TS-RDF5A Transcend
    size: 7.42 GiB
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 48.3 GiB used: 33.64 GiB (69.7%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/nvme2n1p5
  ID-2: /boot/efi size: 96 MiB used: 35.4 MiB (36.9%) fs: vfat
    dev: /dev/nvme2n1p1
  ID-3: /home size: 109.44 GiB used: 42.98 GiB (39.3%) fs: ext4
    dev: /dev/nvme2n1p6
Swap:
  ID-1: swap-1 type: file size: 2 GiB used: 324.8 MiB (15.9%) file: /swapfile
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 57.0 C mobo: N/A gpu: nouveau temp: 35.0 C
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A gpu: nouveau fan: 0
Info:
  Processes: 338 Uptime: 1h 1m Memory: 15.55 GiB used: 6.17 GiB (39.7%)
  Shell: Bash inxi: 3.3.13

Here are the results,

1. I first chose install make a boot device
2. then again as it was repeated
3. the next box I chose the second option, "Live only"
4. the next item was critical, I chose the first item which turned out to be incorrect "dus ISO2grub"
5. the second attempt after the first failed was the second choice "dus live" cloning method this worked.
6. the next box asked to confirm the install location the trancend usb device
7. then a stop/go box choice
8. a pop up information progress box appeared then disappeared as "done" was written in the terminal.
9. Immediately the finish box with the tiny fonts came up.

That's it, check out the pictures I took.

Hope this helps, Tony.IMG_20231022_174224.jpgIMG_20231022_173637.jpgIMG_20231022_174316.jpgIMG_20231022_174021.jpgIMG_20231022_173637.jpg

[sudodus]

@vidtek,

I notice that four of the five pop-up windows have very small text font. I guess that is what you want to me see, and if possible, fix.

This depends on the screen resolution. zenity is used to create the pop up windows (messages, dialogues etc). In some of the zenity windows, it is possible to select font, but I have not discovered how to change the font of all zenity windows.

How many pixels: width x height do you use? 3840 x 2160 or higher resolution? How big is the monitor?

I notice that there is no problem with the terminal window. You can run dus with the option -d

dus -d file.iso

and get most of the dialogue with the TUI program dialog (replacing the GUI dialogue of zenity).

---

I might try with yad to make it easy to control the font size (and get more options) according to this link

www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-newbie-8/custom-zenity-menu-how-to-increase-font-size-4175653829

I am afraid, that it will be a lot of tweaking until mkusb is stable using yad, but it might be necessary in the near future, when also relatively small screens have very high resolution (and small pixel size).

[vidtek]

How many pixels: width x height do you use? 3840 x 2160 or higher resolution? How big is the monitor?

1920 x 1080 It is screened on a 55" Samsung tv Model no. QE55QN95BATXXU in my living room (I live in a grandad/granny flat). All the rest of the gear is in the loft. It is piped via HDMI (arc2) and switched for various inputs through my Yamaha RX-V781 home theatre amp. Two computers and HD homerun are the sources. I do not use the Samsung for off-air or streaming, just Mythtv through my main computer. I can't stand Samsung's crappy interface where they throw all their advertising and streaming stuff at you. I just use it as a monitor and it's great for that. At 1920 x 1080 I can read text and watch stuff without glasses (I'm 73 btw).

I have seen the term Zenity pop up when starting Dus, but I have no idea what it is, googling is the thing I suppose.

The issue does not detract from the programmes usefulness, just a minor irritation. I'll give TUI a go, although once again haven't a clue what it is! The same applies to YAD!

Cheers Tony.

[sudodus]

@vidtek,

Thanks for the details We are about the same age, I'm 76.

- Zenity is the name of the linux program, that creates the pop-up windows to create the graphical user interface (GUI) of mkusb. Zenity is included in the main repository of Ubuntu and used by many GUI programs (not only mkusb).

- Dialog is the name of a corresponding program that creates a text user interface (TUI) with similar functions as the GUI made by zenity.

- Yad is is the name of the linux program, that creates the pop-up windows to create a graphical user interface (GUI). It is similar to zenity, but has more 'bells and whistles', so I think it can be used to create windows with text that is suitable also on screens with high resolution or when you need extra big text. (But I am afraid that it is a lot of work to modify the program code of mkusb to use yad instead of zenity.)

---

It is also possible to work around the problem with small fonts in the pop-up windows temporarily while using mkusb and reset to your favourite setting afterwards. See how to do it via the settings menu according to the attached screenshot: 200% means that the width and height of everything, including text, are twice as big as before. I don't know how to do it in Kubuntu, but there should be a tool that can do the same job as the settings menu of gnome-control-center in standard Ubuntu Desktop.

Edit: I modified the fonts in Kubuntu, which had an influence on most but not all pop-up windows of dus. See the second attached screenshot.

I think Kubuntu uses Xorg (not Wayland), and then it should be possible to change the resolution of the screen (how many pixels that are sent to the screen), and it can also be a workaround to increase the size of the text in the pop-up windows. It should be easy to change back to the full resolution of the screen.

[vidtek]

@vidtek,

Thanks for the details We are about the same age, I'm 76.

- Zenity is the name of the linux program, that creates the pop-up windows to create the graphical user interface (GUI) of mkusb. Zenity is included in the main repository of Ubuntu and used by many GUI programs (not only mkusb).

- Dialog is the name of a corresponding program that creates a text user interface (TUI) with similar functions as the GUI made by zenity.

- Yad is is the name of the linux program, that creates the pop-up windows to create a graphical user interface (GUI). It is similar to zenity, but has more 'bells and whistles', so I think it can be used to create windows with text that is suitable also on screens with high resolution or when you need extra big text. (But I am afraid that it is a lot of work to modify the program code of mkusb to use yad instead of zenity.)

---

It is also possible to work around the problem with small fonts in the pop-up windows temporarily while using mkusb and reset to your favourite setting afterwards. See how to do it via the settings menu according to the attached screenshot: 200% means that the width and height of everything, including text, are twice as big as before. I don't know how to do it in Kubuntu, but there should be a tool that can do the same job as the settings menu of gnome-control-center in standard Ubuntu Desktop.

Edit: I modified the fonts in Kubuntu, which had an influence on most but not all pop-up windows of dus. See the second attached screenshot.

I think Kubuntu uses Xorg (not Wayland), and then it should be possible to change the resolution of the screen (how many pixels that are sent to the screen), and it can also be a workaround to increase the size of the text in the pop-up windows. It should be easy to change back to the full resolution of the screen.

I did do a Googling of zenity TUI and YAD. I haven't done any programming since writing my own service programme in Database3 + in the 1980's for my Video wall/projector repair and installation business in Australia, so I am a bit rusty to say the least. It's been years since I used Gnome, so I have no idea what tools are available there. Kubuntu with plasma is just so much better than anything else I have tried that it's been my default for years now.

Kubuntu gives a choice on the login screen of xorg, wayland and something else I can't remember the name of at the moment (don't get old - oh dear sorry too late for you as well as I!). I use xorg with nouveau. I had too many issues with Nvidia's proprietary drivers and the latest Nouveau driver works just fine for my purposes.

I'll give your latest build a go when it has the new options added, I'll look out for it, actually I'll do the PPA thing so it comes automatically, and let you know how it turns out on my system.
Cheers Tony.

[sudodus]

mkusb version 24.0.1

- mkusb 24.0.1 . modications in dus-iso2usb: .. tweak_grub: tweak 5: no persistent option when 'persistent is false'

Improvement in program package mkusb version 24.0.1

This upgrade of dus-iso2usb removes the menuentry for persistence, when a live-only system is created. (Nothing is modified when a persistent live system is created.)

---

Unstable: You get/update this new version of mkusb from the unstable PPA via the following commands

sudo add-apt-repository universe     # this line only for standard Ubuntu

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mkusb/unstable
sudo apt update
sudo apt install mkusb           # to install
# sudo apt full-upgrade          # upgrade to current version (with all other upgrades), only for installed systems

sudo apt install mkusb guidus dus mkusb-common  # to upgrade all mkusb basic components including dus

sudo apt install usb-pack-efi    # for persistent live drives that work in UEFI and BIOS mode with 32-bit iso files

You get only the version dus (alone or with guidus) via one of the following commands (without the whole set of mkusb tools). dus and mkusb-nox are useful for systems without a graphic environment, for example Ubuntu Server.

sudo apt install dus
sudo apt install guidus
sudo apt install mkusb-nox

You get only the version mkusb-plug via [the update command and] the following command,

sudo apt update
sudo apt install mkusb-plug

Alternative way to get mkusb: There are tarballs at

- help.ubuntu.com/community/mkusb/gui/tarball with only dus and guidus (mkusb version 22),

- help.ubuntu.com/community/mkusb/plug with only mkusb-plug.

---

Stable: mkusb version 23.2.0 is in the stable PPA. The policy is to test mkusb for a long time and in several environments before it is uploaded to the stable PPA (unless there are minor tweaks or bug-fixes).

You get/update this version via the following commands

sudo add-apt-repository universe      # this line only for standard Ubuntu

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mkusb/ppa
sudo apt update
sudo apt install mkusb            # to install
# sudo apt full-upgrade           # upgrade to current version (with all other upgrades), only for installed systems

sudo apt install usb-pack-efi     # for persistent live drives that work in UEFI and BIOS mode with 32-bit iso files

You get only the version dus (alone or with guidus) via one of the following commands (without the whole set of mkusb tools). dus and mkusb-nox are useful for systems without a graphic environment, for example Ubuntu Server.

sudo apt install dus
sudo apt install guidus
sudo apt install mkusb-nox

You get only the version mkusb-plug via [the update command and] the following command,

sudo apt update
sudo apt install mkusb-plug

Usually there is drive space enough to install all the following mkusb packages explicitly:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install mkusb guidus mkusb-plug usb-pack-efi

Please notice that if you have already installed mkusb-plug or dus/guidus from a tarball, you had better remove that version when you install via PPA. The advantage with the PPA version is that it gets updated/upgraded automatically along with other program packages that are installed from the Ubuntu repositories.

[1fallen]

I've been busy elsewhere, but sudodus this version shows how nice it has matured.

 mkusb-dus --version
 mkusb-dus - Do USB Stuff 
mkusb-dus needs superuser permissions (sudo) for some tasks,
in order to prepare and write to the target, a block device.
 dus 24.0.1 
live system or temporary superuser permissions
--version is neither an iso file nor an img.{gz,xz} file
 Press Enter to finish mkusb-dus

Also this is on Arch, nice to have choices.