Pen Drive GNU/Linux – GnewSense
Here is an how to for booting GnewSense from usb drive. GNewSense is a complete Free Operating System and is recommended by Free 
Software Foundation (FSF). It is derived from Ubuntu. The current version is 2.2 as of writing this post. Since the proprietary components are removed from the Kernel (Linux) and the OS it boots much faster.
Let us start. First of all download GNewSense ISO from http://www.gnewsense.org/Download. Then mount the ISO image.
mount -o loop gnewsense-livecd-deltah-i386-2.2.iso /mnt/temp/01
Next copy the contents of ISO image to pendrive.
cp -vR /mnt/temp/01/* /media/disk
Next rename the directory “isolinux” to syslinux
mv /media/disk/isolinux /media/disk/syslinux
Next rename the file “isolinux.cfg” to “extlinux.conf” if you are using “ext” partition or syslinux.cfg if using FAT partition.
mv /media/disk/syslinux/isolinux.cfg /media/disk/syslinux/syslinux.cfg (if fat
OR
mv /media/disk/syslinux/isolinux.cfg /media/disk/syslinux/extlinux.conf
Next run the command
extlinux –install /media/disk/syslinux ( if ext partition )
OR
syslinux -sfr -d syslinux /dev/sdb1
where /dev/sdb1 is the partition of your usb drive.
Next make your usb drives partition bootable. To make the partition bootable run the command
cfdisk /dev/sdb
select “bootable” press “Enter”. Then select “write” press “enter”.
type “yes” and press “enter” to confirm.
Next run the command.
cat /usr/lib/syslinux/mbr.bin > /dev/sdb
Then run the command “sync”.
Unmount the usb drive
umount /media/disk
Reboot the pc
Change the first boot device to your pen drive. In some systems change the first boot device to USB. and in some other systems don’t forget to enable “boot to removable devices”.
Happy Hacking.
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Hi, great article, how would I go about setting up encryption for the gNewSense install? Thanks in advance.
Hi Dave, I have not tried encrypted installation of any GNU/Linux distro. I think you can use any tutorial about encrypted installation of any debian based distro. There are lot of tutorials available on the net. find it and use the same for Gnewsense.
thanks for your comment.
Thanks for your tutorial.
It worked fine for me, except for two points:
1) ''rename the directory "isolinux" to syslinux'' should be done on /media/disk instead of on /mnt/temp/01 — easily found since /mnt/temp/01 is read-only;
2) some systems (like mine) have not cfdisk: anyway /sbin/fdisk does the same job (type 'm' for see its options on its command-line; type 'a' to label as bootable the pendrive; type 'w' to write and end with fdisk)
The big problem, is that the resulting live pendrive does NOT save any modification. I tried installing some package, and creating some user, but nope. After the reboot, all was as if it never happened.
Any suggestion?
It will be very appreciated!
@Anonymous
1) /mnt/temp/01 is the mount point where pen drive partition is mounted. Normally your pen drive get automounted and you get a temporary mount point usually in /media.
2) you can use any partition tools. cfdisk, fdisk, gparted, qtparted etc.
Since this setup is using the readonly squashfs filesystem changes to the live will not be persistent.
There are such kind of setup for making the changes persistent. check pendrivelinux.org
Thank you.
With respect to item 1), /mnt/temp/01 is not the mount point where pen drive partition is mounted. It is the mount point where you mounted the .iso:
mount -o loop gnewsense-livecd-deltah-i386-2.2.iso /mnt/temp/01
@Anonymous
Thanks for pointing my mistake. changed to
mv /media/disk/isolinux /media/disk/syslinux
Happy Hacking.