Booting ubuntu on an expresscard with two usb 3.0 ports.

[fasterubuntu]

Hi there.

I like installing ubuntu on usb drives.

My laptop has usb 2.0 ports only. I bought an expresscard that gives my laptop two usb 3.0 ports. It is fantastic and works very well, except I can't boot from these usb 3.0 ports.

I've been experimenting with plop software and...

Plop boot manager 5 doesn't seem to be useful.
Plop boot manager 6 freezes.
Plopkexec works!! , it blew my mind, unfortunately I can boot only ubuntu/lubuntu usb installers.
It doesn't recognize usb drives with ubuntu already installed.

Is there any way to make it boot anything or at least an already installed ubuntu?

I'm not a linux wizard.


Thank you.

[Elmar]

Hello,

Is there any way to make it boot anything or at least an already installed ubuntu?

Yes.

On your Ubuntu installation create the file /boot/plopkexec.cfg

Code Select Expand

label Ubuntu - Hard disk
kernel /boot/vmlinuz
append root=/dev/sda3
initrd /boot/initrd.img

Maybe you have to change the 'append' line and change /dev/sda3 to your Ubuntu partition.


PlopKexec will find this configuration file and you can boot Ubuntu.


Regards
Elmar

[fasterubuntu]

Wow, that worked in a regular ubuntu installation!, boots much faster, it was /dev/sdd2.
Thank you!

However I'm now trying to boot an encrypted installation, with no luck.

The regular ubuntu installation has two partitions, a small FAT partition and a big ext4 partition, I put the plopkexec.cfg file in the ext4 partition, "/boot" folder where the files vmlinuz and initrd.img can be found.

The encrypted installation, has three partitions, the same as above and a third encrypted partition.
There is no "/boot" folder in the ext4 partition, I had to make one to put the plopkexec.cfg file in.

The files vmlinuz and initrd.img are in the "/" folder instead. I changed the plopkexec.cfg file accordingly and the ubuntu installation is detected by plopkexec, and it starts to boot but it doesn't boot correctly, it asks the password in a different way and then it gives some errors and ends up in a "busybox" shell asking for commands.

When booting normally in a usb 2.0 port, whatever I put in the ext4 "/" folder, will appear in the "/boot" folder of "computer".

[Elmar]

The encrypted installation, has three partitions, the same as above and a third encrypted partition.
There is no "/boot" folder in the ext4 partition, I had to make one to put the plopkexec.cfg file in.

For your encrypted system use this plopkexec.cfg

Code Select Expand

label Ubuntu - Encrypted
kernel /vmlinuz
append root=/dev/mapper/vgubuntu-root ro quiet splash
initrd /initrd.img
Write this plopkexec.cfg file into the same directory as vmlinuz is. You will see there also files like vmlinuz-6.5.0-18-generic and so on. vmlinuz is just a symlink to the latest kernel.

[fasterubuntu]

Woooow dude!! It worked just like that! Amazing!

How crazy is to boot an encrypted ubuntu in a tiny usb 3 drive plugged into a cheap expresscard?

And the best thing is the expresscard adds no volume to the laptop.

Thank you!!

Now, I have an ancient desktop PC, I think I can upgrade it with a usb 3.0 ports card.

I wonder if... 

[Elmar]

Woooow dude!! It worked just like that! Amazing!

Great