Install O.S directly to pendrive???

Please refer to this: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1518273

Davjd:

   Perhaps you've misunderstood my goal. I am not looking to multiboot. Let me explain further. Right now, I'm without an internal HHD. Therefore, in the meantime, I just want an Ubuntu (or Xbuntu) O.S that is 'persistent" when run from a pendrive. Thus, I was wanting to know if I can use "install" from any of the downloads, load it to my pendrive, and have that be a permement and persistent O.S until i can get a new HDD. So, IF I can use the "install" from any of the distro, and have it work on a pendrive, will that "install" be a "persitent file"...so to speak? My thinking is that using a pendrive would'nt be any different than a regular HDD. Am I correct in this assumption? BTW, TNX for the input, but I don't think that thread provided the info I was seeking.

If you have a second pendrive you can instal to that using the first

Sorry Rick Miller, I've certainly misunderstood what you're wanting.

Answering your question, yes, you can. The only difference between a hard drive and a flash drive is the device. If you boot the flash drive directly it will be hd0 in grub.

You can either make a persistent install or a full install. A Persistent install extracts the files from the Live DVD to the USB drive, adds a persistence file or partition named casper-rw and makes the drive bootable usually using syslinux.
A Full install is doing a normal install to USB just like installing to internal drive, as most newer computer BIOS see a USB drive as just another HDD. Both opyions have advantages and disadvantages.

With a persistent install you can use the persistent pendrive to install Ubuntu to another computer, it takes up less space on the pendrive, you can reset the pendrive by overwriting the old casper-rw file with a new one and it takes less time to install it to pendrive.
On the other hand with a full install you can update and upgrade, if problems arise or you wish to modify the system, the solution is the same as with an internal install, you can encrypt home folder, use proprietary drivers hibernation works.

Good Afternoon:

    Thank You Nick and David. You gentlemen have answered my question quickly and effectively. I appreciate your input!!!

Take Care:
Rick

Please mark either answer #4 or answer #5 (choose the one which you think better clarifies your doubt), using for the effect the 'This Solved My Problem' button located at the bottom of the answer, for future-help-others with same problem.

Thanks Nik.Th., that solved my question.