Make a USB Boot CD for CrunchBang Linux ▷ Pendrive Linux

This tutorial will guide you through creating a USB Boot CD that enables you to boot CrunchBang Linux from a USB flash drive on systems that don’t natively support USB booting. By using a GRUB bootloader on the CD, you can load the necessary USB drivers, locate, and extract the compressed filesystem from your flash drive, making CrunchBang Linux accessible even on older hardware. CrunchBang is a unique Linux remix based on Ubuntu, known for its lightweight and efficient design.

USB Boot CD for CrunchBang Linux creation essentials:
Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

A PC with a BIOS that does not support booting from USB
A CrunchBang Live CD
A working CD drive and USB port
A USB flash drive

How to Create a USB Boot CD for CrunchBang Linux

Prepare the Live CD and Terminal:
- Insert the CrunchBang Live CD and restart your computer, booting from the CD.
- Open a terminal once the system is running.
Create the Necessary Directories:
```
mkdir -p usbcdcb/boot/grub
```

Copy GRUB Bootloader:

cp /usr/lib/grub/i386-pc/stage2_eltorito usbcdcb/boot/grub

Configure the GRUB Menu:

gedit usbcdcb/boot/grub/menu.lst

Add the following lines to the menu.lst file, then save:


title Run CrunchBang from USB DISK
root (cd)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/custom.seed boot=casper noprompt cdrom-detect/try-usb=true persistent quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.gz
boot

Copy the Kernel:
```
cp /cdrom/casper/vmlinuz ~/usbcdcb/boot
```

Modify Initramfs Modules:

sudo gedit /etc/initramfs-tools/modules

Add the following lines to the modules file, then save:


usbcore
usb-storage
uhci_hcd
ohci_hcd
ehci_hcd
sd_mod
scsi_mod

Adjust Initramfs Configuration:
```
sudo gedit /etc/initramfs-tools/initramfs.conf
```
Add this line to the bottom of the file, then save:
```
WAIT=8
```

Generate the Initrd Image:

sudo mkinitramfs -o usbcdcb/boot/initrd.gz

Create the ISO Image:

mkisofs -R -b boot/grub/stage2_eltorito -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 -boot-info-table -o usbcdcb.iso usbcdcb

Burn the ISO to a CD:Use your preferred CD burning software to burn usbcdcb.iso to a CD.

Booting from the USB Boot CD for CrunchBang

Prepare to Boot:
- Shutdown your computer.
- Insert the USB Boot CD and your CrunchBang USB drive.
Boot from the CD:
- Set your BIOS or Startup Menu to boot from CD.
- Start your computer.

The USB Boot CD for Crunchbang will load the necessary USB drivers, locate the filesystem.squashfs on your flash drive, and boot CrunchBang Linux from the USB device.