Pendrive Linux

As the founder of Pen Drive Linux, I dream that some day, a majority of the population might be able to carry Linux with them on a portable USB device such as a flash drive. Boasting the ability to walk up to any PC or terminal, USB boot and run their own operating environment, remove the device when finished, and walk away. Leaving no information behind on the PC or terminal they used.

How to Make a USB NimbleX Bootable Flash Drive

nimblex

Make a USB NimbleX; The following covers the process of creating a NimbleX bootable USB flash drive by using the Live CD. Much like SLAX, this tiny Slackware based release is (less than 200MB). It was originally designed to fit on a 8cm CD. The steps using the cd method was originally put together and submitted by Georgescu Ciprian, and edited by Lance.

Install Deb Packages with Dependencies

Install Deb Packages with Dependencies

Using Ubuntu or Debian and need to install a .deb file manually? While most applications can be installed directly from official repositories using apt or the App Center, you may occasionally download standalone .deb packages from developer websites or third-party sources. This guide covers every method for installing, managing, and removing Debian packages on Ubuntu and Debian-based Linux systems.

Quick answer: The recommended command for most users is sudo apt install ./packagename.deb - it installs the file and handles dependencies automatically. Use sudo dpkg -i packagename.deb if you need lower-level control, then run sudo apt install -f to fix any missing dependencies afterward.

Upgrade NVIDIA Drivers in Debian After Kernel Update

Reinstall Nvidia Drivers in Debian after kernel update

Upgrade or Reinstall NVIDIA Drivers in Debian After Kernel Update: After a recent kernel update in Debian, you might find that your system no longer boots into the graphical interface. This is a common issue when using proprietary NVIDIA drivers, as they're tightly linked to the Linux kernel. When your boot screen hangs or you're stuck in a terminal only interface, it likely means you need to reinstall or recompile your NVIDIA drivers to match the updated kernel.

Erasing a Flash Drive - Permanently Delete Files

erasing a flash drive

Permanently erasing a flash drive: Have you ever wondered how to permanently delete files from a USB drive so no one can recover them? In this tutorial, we show you how to wipe USB drives using Linux, making sure that your files are gone for good.

How to use a Floppy to Boot from USB

Floppy Boot USB - volume label

How to Use a Floppy to Boot from USB: If your system does not support booting from a USB device but does have a floppy drive, this guide will show you how to create a floppy boot disk to boot Linux from a USB flash drive using a Grub Boot floppy disk.

Pendrivelinux V1 install to a portable USB hard drive

The following tutorial will show you how to install Pendrivelinux V1 Full Blown (non compressed) to an external USB Hard Drive (Rotating Platter, not a USB flash drive or flash memory stick) via Pendrivelinux V1. To do this, we create an ext2 partition on the USB Hard Drive. Next we extract or decompress filesystem.squashfs, add a Grub Boot Menu and reconfigure xserver-xorg.

Fully Install Ubuntu from USB

Add First Part

Fully Install Ubuntu from USB to a hard drive or a USB flash drive using the live media. Believe it or not, creating a completely Portable Ubuntu Installation on USB is a relatively simple process. As a matter of fact, it is almost as simple as a regular Ubuntu internal hard drive installation.

Create a Local Debian Mirror or Ubuntu Repository

create a local debian mirror repository

Looking to set up and create a local Ubuntu mirror or Debian mirror or host your own Debian repository or Ubuntu Repository? You can use your local hard drive or a network drive and share your mirror over a network or even on the internet. Having your own Debian Linux or Ubuntu mirrors enables you to drastically speed up the process of installing packages or complete netbuilds on one or more networked Linux PCs.

How to install Intel PRO ipw3945 wireless drivers

ipw wireless networks

The following tutorial covers the process of installing ipw3945 wireless drivers in Debian, Ubuntu or CentOS. Enabling you to get your Intel® PRO Wireless 3945ABG Wireless network card working in Debian or CentOS. The Intel® PRO Wireless 3945ABG network cards are older cards that were commonly used in various laptops ranging from HP to Dell.

How to Exit Man Page in Terminal

exit man page

How do I exit man page from the terminal? Once you have finished viewing a Linux manual page (man page) for a command or program, you will usually want to exit or quit the manual so you can return to your terminal and continue working. While this is a simple step, many new Linux users frequently ask: "How do I exit the man page?"

How to install and enable Compiz in Debian

Make Bootable USB Drives - Easily Boot from USB - Pendrive Linux Live

Installing Compiz in Debian is a relatively simple process. It can be used to enhance the visual experience and usability of the Linux desktop environment. Probably one of the most popular effects is to create a Desktop Cube to navigate multiple screens or virtual desktops in a 3D space like shown in the Pendrivelinux homepage picture.

Installing NVIDIA Drivers on Debian Linux

install nvidia drivers on debian

Installing NVIDIA Drivers on Debian Linux: How do I Install Linux NVIDIA Video Card Drivers on Debian? This guide explains a modern way to install proprietary NVIDIA graphics drivers on Debian Linux. Debian now provides official NVIDIA driver packages that integrate cleanly with the kernel, DKMS, and system updates. Manual installers from NVIDIA's website are no longer recommended.

How to Remove Old Linux Kernels

Remove Old Linux Kernels

Looking to remove old Linux kernels? At some point in time, almost every Linux user will have updated their kernel image. After you've used Linux with the new kernel for a while and are confident everything works, you might want to remove the old kernel versions still on your system. This helps free disk space and declutters your GRUB boot menu.

Mouse pointer disappears after switching users

Fix Missing Mouse Pointer in Linux

Mouse Pointer Disappears after switching users in Linux? Has your mouse cursor disappeared in Linux after logging in, switching users, or waking from suspend? If your mouse still moves but the pointer is invisible, this issue is usually caused by a graphics driver, display server (Wayland/Xorg), or cursor rendering glitch.

This updated guide covers modern fixes for Ubuntu, Debian, and other Linux distributions, including systems using Wayland, Xorg, NVIDIA, and open source drivers.

How to change the Debian Menu Icon and Name

change the Debian menu icon

Change the Debian Menu Icon and Name: This tutorial covers the process of changing the default Debian Menu Icon to a custom icon and optionally changing the Debian Menu name. This guide is for users who enjoy customizing their environment while using a pure Debian Linux setup or a remix based on Debian.

Changing the Ubuntu Start Menu Panel Icon

ubuntu start menu panel icon

Changing the Ubuntu Start Menu Panel Icon: Want to remove the default Ubuntu branding and give your desktop a unique look? While modern Ubuntu no longer uses the classic GNOME 2 "Start Menu," every Ubuntu flavor still provides ways to customize or replace its application launcher. Depending on your desktop environment, you can swap the default Ubuntu logo, use a custom icon, install a different application menu, or even change your entire icon theme for a completely personalized appearance.

This guide covers both modern and legacy versions of Ubuntu. You'll learn the recommended methods for changing menu icons in GNOME Shell, KDE Plasma, Xfce, Cinnamon, MATE, Budgie, and LXQt, along with the classic GNOME 2 technique used on older Ubuntu releases.

How to Fix Compiz Missing Title Bar

The following explains how to fix the Compiz missing title bar problem in Ubuntu. If you've been toying around with Ubuntu and have enabled Desktop Effects "Compiz", you might notice that the title bar or window decorations have disappeared. This is a fairly common problem amongst systems using ATI or Nvidia video cards and commonly occurs after switching to a higher resolution.

Ubuntu: Bypass or Remove the prompt to eject CD

Remove Prompt To Eject CD

Prompt to eject CD: How to Bypass or Remove the "Please Remove the Disk and Press Enter" Prompt in Ubuntu. If you're booting Ubuntu from a USB drive and tired of seeing the "Please remove the disk, close the tray (if any) and press ENTER to continue" message every time you shut down or restart, you're not alone. This tutorial will walk you through how to remove the eject CD prompt in Ubuntu entirely. It's especially useful for users running Ubuntu from a bootable USB drive, as there's no CD to eject in that case.

Ubuntu toram - Make Ubuntu Boot to Ram

Ubuntu toRAM

How to Boot Ubuntu to RAM (Ubuntu toram) from a Live USB: In this tutorial, you'll learn how to boot Ubuntu entirely into system memory using the toram boot parameter. During startup, Ubuntu copies the live operating system into RAM, allowing the USB drive to be removed once booting has finished. Running Ubuntu from memory can improve responsiveness after startup, reduce USB drive access, and free the USB port for other uses.

Although commonly associated with Ubuntu Desktop, the toram option is also supported by many official Ubuntu flavors that use the same live boot infrastructure, including Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Lubuntu, Ubuntu MATE, Ubuntu Budgie, Ubuntu Studio, and others. Support ultimately depends on the specific release and live boot system being used.

How to Untar, Unzip, or Extract Tar.gz Files in Linux

How to Extract Open or Untar Tar File in Linux or Unix

Learn how to untar, extract tar, decompress, or open tar files and tar.gz archives, aka: untar gz files in Linux or Unix. Whether you are managing software packages, backups, or downloaded content, mastering Linux tar commands is essential.

Make Totem Media Player play encrypted DVD

totem xine playing stepmom decrypted

The following tutorial covers the process of making Totem Media Player play encrypted DVD's. This tutorial assumes that your using Debian Linux or a distro based purely on Debian. It will allow you to have your own Debian DVD portable media center.

How to Upgrade Debian Versions

upgrade debian versions

How to Upgrade Debian Versions (Step-by-Step Guide): Looking to upgrade your Debian Linux system to the latest stable release? You're not alone! One of our subscribers recently asked, "How can I upgrade to a newer Debian version without reinstalling the OS?" The good news is, if you're using a full local installation of Debian (on a desktop or server), upgrading to a newer release is easier than you might think.

How to Add User to Sudoers File or Wheel Group

add user to sudoers list

Add User to Sudoers File in Linux: Giving a user admin rights on Linux starts with adding them to the sudoers file or the right group-like "wheel." That's how you let someone run commands as root. Here's what you need to know: the easiest and safest method is using the visudo command. It's designed for editing sudo permissions without breaking anything.

This guide walks you through both adding users to the right groups and editing the sudoers file directly, covering the most popular Linux distros-Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Arch, CentOS, openSUSE, and Gentoo. You'll find distro-specific instructions too, so you're set no matter what system you're on.

Open Files as Root via Right Mouse Click

Open As Administrator

How to easily add a context menu item that enables a Linux user to open files as root or administrator via right mouse click when browsing a file system. This feature allows the user to navigate their file system and open or edit any file or directory as the root user or admin of the system. It is a great solution for those that are not completely comfortable using terminal commands.

Accessing Linux Files from Windows

accessing linux files from windows

Accessing Linux Files from Windows (Linux to Windows File Sharing): How do I read Linux files from Windows or access files from Linux on Windows? This comprehensive guide explains multiple proven methods for accessing Linux filesystems from Windows, including both legacy direct filesystem tools and modern Windows native solutions. Whether you are dual booting, using a Linux formatted USB drive, recovering data, or sharing files across systems, this article shows how to safely and effectively access Linux Ext2, Ext3, and Ext4 partitions on Windows.

Mount NTFS Partition in Linux: Access Windows Files

Mount NTFS Partition in Linux

How to Mount NTFS Partition in Linux to Access Windows Files: In this simple guide, we cover how to easily mount and access a Windows NTFS partition from a running Linux environment. Whether you need to repair a Windows system, recover files, or just share and access data in a dual boot setup, knowing how to work with NTFS partitions on Linux can be invaluable.

Testing for USB Boot compatibility

Memtest86+ USB Installer

Testing for USB Boot compatibility using a bootable USB tester tool; This segment covers methods to help you check if a computer system BIOS can boot from a USB device. It can be used to determine if the computer can boot a Linux version from a bootable USB. In most cases if the test is successful, you should have no problem running a Live USB Linux.

Grub Error 21 after full install to USB hard drive

grub error

Help, I'm getting a GRUB Error 21 after a Ubuntu USB Hard Drive Install. We recently received an inquiry from someone who experienced a GRUB Error 21 after attempting to install Ubuntu on an external USB hard drive.

How to Reset USB Flash Drives: Restore Lost Space

USB Flash Drive Recovery

How to Restore USB drives to full capacity, recover lost storage space and reset a flash drive to its original state. This post is for those who used tools like Etcher, Win32Disk Imager or dd to copy ISO to USB, overwriting the partition on a flash drive, and now want to format a USB drive and repair it by going back to a single FAT, FAT32, exFAT or NTFS partition.

Create a Bootable USB Ophcrack for Windows Password Recovery

ophcrack live bootable usb

Ophcrack is a free and open source Windows password recovery tool that uses rainbow tables for efficient password cracking. It can be used to recover lost Windows login passwords from older versions of Windows by utilizing precomputed tables, making the process faster and more efficient. This guide explains how to create a bootable USB drive to recover forgotten passwords without installing the software on the target machine.

Create Your Own Live Linux Distro

create your own live linux distribution

Easily create your own custom Live Linux distribution, remix, or spin. Building your own Live Linux ISO is easier than ever using Debian Live-Build. By building on Debian Stable, your ISO remains secure, supported, and future proof even as new Debian versions are released.

This guide shows you how to create a reproducible Debian Stable Live ISO with optional persistence, custom user settings, wallpaper customization, and support for both modern UEFI and legacy BIOS systems.

Linux VGA Modes Set Screen Resolution at Boot

linux vga modes

Linux VGA modes control screen resolution and color depth at boot. Older Linux versions used the vga= boot parameter to set framebuffer resolution, but modern distributions running kernel 5.x and 6.x rely on GRUB2 and Kernel Mode Setting (KMS) for display configuration. This guide covers all three methods - legacy vga=, GRUB2 GFXMODE, and the kernel video= parameter - so you can set the right boot resolution for your system whether it uses legacy BIOS or modern UEFI.

Clear Terminal History in Linux

clear terminal history

Looking to clear terminal history in Linux? Maybe clear bash history, erase session history, or permanently delete typed commands from the terminal? This guide explains how terminal history works and shows you how to view, manage, and completely clear command history in Linux - including bash, zsh, and Fish shell.

Quick answer: Run history -c && history -w to clear bash history from both memory and disk. For a more thorough wipe, use cat /dev/null > ~/.bash_history && history -c. Keep reading for all methods, including how to delete single commands, clear zsh history, and permanently disable history logging.

What is the Default Root Password in Linux?

default root password linux

What Is the Default Root Password in Linux? Live vs Installed Systems Explained:

Most modern Linux distributions do not ship with a default root password. On Live systems, the root account is typically locked or disabled entirely. Administrative access is instead provided through sudo.

How to find your Linux Kernel Version

Check Linux Kernel Version

How to Check Your Linux Kernel Version: Wondering which Linux kernel version your system is running? Whether you're troubleshooting, installing new drivers, or verifying compatibility with a software package, knowing your exact kernel version can be crucial. Luckily, Linux provides multiple easy ways to find this information directly from the terminal.

The Best Fastest USB Flash Drives are SSD

fastest usb flash drive

Looking for the fastest USB flash drives? Whether you're USB booting an operating system, editing 4K videos, or transferring massive files, Solid State (SSD) based USB drives offer game changing performance, boasting speeds over 1000MB/s in some cases with 600MB/s pretty commonplace and lifespans that far exceed traditional NAND flash memory.

Compiz Ubuntu Beryl installation

ubuntu Compiz beryl cube

This simple Cube Desktop tutorial explains how a user can install Compiz on Ubuntu. Compiz is a composite window manager that allows the Linux user to attain stunning, 3D desktop effects with their personal desktop environment, as can be seen in the example Ubuntu Beryl Cube effect.

How to Run ISO from Windows without Rebooting

Virtualbox choose ISO file

How to Easily Run ISO from Windows Without Rebooting: Running an ISO from Windows allows you to operate a separate operating system or bootable tool without restarting your computer. This guide covers how to use VirtualBox, VMware, Hyper-V, or QEMU to run a bootable ISO from a USB flash drive or local storage, all while continuing to work within an up and running Windows environment. This method is perfect for those who want to have both operating systems running simultaneously, eliminating the need to adjust BIOS or UEFI settings.

Create MBR on a USB Flash Drive

fix mbr   create mbr

Do you need to create MBR (Master Boot Records) on a USB flash drive? Some USB flash drives are notorious for having problems with corrupted Master Boot Records. If your system suddenly refuses to boot from the flash drive, the MBR may be at fault.

Linux File System Hierarchy: Directory Structure

linux filesystem directory structure

Understanding the Linux directory structure is one of the most important steps after migrating from Windows to Linux. Unlike Windows, Linux uses a standardized file system layout defined by the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (FHS). For new Linux users, or those coming from Windows, learning the Linux filesystem hierarchy early on will make navigation, management, and troubleshooting much easier.