Install Zorin to external ssd

Installing Zorin OS
1

Hi is there a way of installing Zorin to external ssd without installing grub to windows so i can plug and play but keep all files and settings i have tried multiple times with no success your help will be appreciated.

2

Yes. When you are in the installer, choose something else, create a 500mb fat32 partition on the external drive then a single or multiple ext4 partitions for root and home (a part of root is set aside for swap). Don't get click happy, after root and home are set to mount you will be asked for grub placement... choose the 500mb partition you created in the partitioning part of this installation on the external drive.

When you start the computer press f12 (or your bios's boot order shortcut) and choose the external drive.

Everything else will work as normal whether connected or not if you don't choose the external drive to boot.

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3

Thanks for the reply i am just going to try now

4

I did it on my acer... but i got tired of hitting f12 so reinstalled grub on the main drive. Let us know if you have any issues.

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5

Went through the install selected grub replacement 500mb and booted back in and for some reason it still installed grub on windows.

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6

You'll have to remove grub then reinstall, don't format root and home partitions, then choose the second disk when it asks for the grub installation.

It was right after home in the installer and looks the same... like it didn't accept your first click on ok.... read it carefully when you go through.

7

Thanks

8

I used clonezilla to copy my O/S to a USB HDD. The USB HDD was as it came, I did no formatting. Once the USB HDD had been mounted on the host computer and the host computer was powered down - on the next power on the USB HDD took over.

Perhaps this would work with SSDs.

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9

thanks i have finally sorted it hooray

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10

how did you do @chaz1956 ? boot of zorin os only appear on my main sdd , my ext sdd dont have , when i boot zorin throught zorin boot on main sdd, it have some error , kernel linux cant be read

11

You can use the something else installation method to specify the installation location (disk and partition). You can use the [HOW TO] Partition & Install Zorin 16 as a guide, and choose the disk you want it on.

Realize that if you place grub on an internal drive and the external drive is disconnected, it could error, possibly even refuse to boot. Every system reacts differently to such situations.

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12

Did you verify the checksum of the downloaded iso prior to installation? Downloads do get corrupted sometimes. This would ensure it wasn't modified, something missed, during the download.

13

Same here, i used the external drive for testing stuff before i used it on my main installment.

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