HOWTO install/transfer CruxEX 3.7 64bit Build 221031 to a USB Pen Drive (and be happy)

History
My previous remasters of CRUX 64bit, could also be installed to a USB Pen Drive. However, nothing could be saved on the Pen Drive. The installation to a USB Pen Drive was therefore to be seen as an alternative to running CruxEX from disc. Especially if your computer has no cd/dvd drive.

WINDOWS

Install my new version of CruxEX 3.7 64bit from 221031 and save your system changes
My new version comes as a ZIP-file for direct installation/transfer to a USB Pen Drive. You can only install CruxEX to a USB Pen Drive in Windows 8.1/10/11. Install the system like this:
1. Format the USB device with the file system FAT/FAT32. (Right click and select Format)
2. Open the downloaded ZIP file - cruxex-3.7-64bit-lxde-1840mb-221031.zip - with the program 7-Zip (free software) or WinRAR.
3. Extract the contents of ZIP archive to to the root of the USB drive. I.e. the folder cruxex.
4. Open up a command prompt as an administrator (very important) and make sure you are in I: (or the name of your USB stick on your computer). See HERE how it looks.
5. Run the command cd cruxex/boot followed by bootinst.bat. This is to make the USB stick bootable. Important: Do not just run the mentioned command when you are in C:. (If you do, Windows 10 - or whatever you have on the C drive - cannot start anymore). If you get error messages when running the just mentioned command then you should not worry about them. Just click a few times on the "Try again" button. If you still receive an error message that it all failed, do not worry about it either. The Pen Drive is bootable if you have done exactly what I write in paragraph 1-5 above.
6. Set the BIOS so that the computer in the first place is booting from USB HDD (or similar).
7. Restart your computer with the CruxEX USB Pen Drive in place, and so forth.
NOTE: Even if you get a message saying that "Access is denied to MBR" etc the stick has been made bootable!

LINUX

Do it as above 1 - 6 but run the command sh bootinst.sh instead. See this screenshot.



Advantages
Using CruxEX 3.7 version 221031 has the great advantage that all system changes can be saved directly on the Pen Drive! This is also true for new software installations. This means that you can be really portable. A USB Pen Drive with CruxEX 3.7 can run on any "normal" computer. If you later on decide you want to install CruxEX to hard drive from the USB Pen Drive all your system changes will also be installed to the hard drive.

IMPORTANT NOTE: When running CruxEX from a USB Pen Drive and saving your changes you should refrain from upgrading the whole system with prt-get sysup. If you do that there is a great risk that you end up with a non functional system.

Read about how to run CruxEX from a USB stick in VirtualBox. It is really good information not only as regards CruxEX.


231208/exton

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