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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

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Can I just use dd to clone my laptop to a bootable USB stick? (suppo.fi)

submitted 10 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

49 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I know about Clonezilla and copy pasting partitions with gparted, but can I just use dd to copy a partition with batocera to a USB stick and will it then boot from the stick? Do I have to set the boot flag or take any other steps?

Thank you for any tips.

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 10 months ago (3 children)

If you dd your entire laptop drive to the entire flash drive it should be able to boot. It might not work the same with just one partition though. Also, how big is your USB stick!?!?

[–] [email protected] 18 points 10 months ago

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago (1 children)

You can easily get 1TB USB sticks.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

The biggest flash drive I've ever used is 32gb lol

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Lmao they are huge these days! But I'm talking about a 40gb partition, cloning it to a 64gb stick.

You can't even buy 2gb sticks anymore :/

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago

Small USB flash drives are still available, you just won't find them in the local stores. There are expensive, industrial grade drives from places like digikey and dirt cheap, no name drives from Chinese sellers where they will print your logo on them for free if you buy a hundred of them.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

One partition is not enough. You also need to copy a EFI boot partition and create a correct partition table manually. And note that you cannot get a correct result when partitions you are copying are mounted. You need to boot some live system to do this.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I've heard that systemd-boot can do it with just one partition but I don't know howww also somebody please eli5 BTRFS to me, my brain's doing the full-sponge thing.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago

It is possible to boot from a single partition, USB live images work this way. But regular installation that OP wants to clone likely has a separate partition.