Manual File Based Installation

Manual file-based installation

This MiniOS installation method copies the system files to a normal filesystem and installs the bootloader there instead of writing the ISO block-for-block. The remaining space on the filesystem stays available for ordinary files, so the device can continue to be used as a normal USB drive as well as a MiniOS boot device.

This method is especially useful when you want direct access to the MiniOS files, normal data storage on the same partition, or a writable layout for persistent sessions. It uses the SYSLINUX bootloader and is intended for Windows and Linux.

Important

Warning: This procedure repartitions and formats the selected device. It is destructive to the whole device, not just the files currently visible on it. Back up important data and verify the exact device path, model, capacity, partition, and mount point before running fdisk, mkfs, or bootinst. Disconnect other removable drives when possible.

Drive requirements

Drive size

See Hardware compatibility guide for detailed system requirements and drive sizes.

Technical requirements

• File systems: FAT32, NTFS, ext2/3/4, Btrfs
• Partition scheme: MBR
• EFI booting: When using NTFS, exFAT, or ext2/3/4 file systems, EFI mode booting may be unavailable. For EFI support, FAT32 is recommended.

Creating a bootable USB drive

Step 1: Prepare the drive

Windows:

1. Open "Disk Management" (Win+R, then diskmgmt.msc)
2. Verify the USB device by its disk number, model, and capacity. Do not continue if any detail is uncertain.
3. Right-click its volume and select "Delete Volume"
4. Right-click on unallocated space and select "New Simple Volume"
5. Choose file system: FAT32 (recommended) or NTFS

Linux:

Set TARGET_DISK and TARGET_PARTITION to exact paths only after matching the device model and capacity in lsblk. The fdisk write replaces the partition table on the entire target disk. Run only one mkfs command for the filesystem you want.

lsblk -o NAME,PATH,SIZE,FSTYPE,LABEL,MOUNTPOINTS,MODEL
TARGET_DISK=/dev/sdX
TARGET_PARTITION=/dev/sdX1
lsblk -o NAME,PATH,SIZE,FSTYPE,LABEL,MOUNTPOINTS,MODEL "$TARGET_DISK"

# Create new MBR partition table
sudo fdisk "$TARGET_DISK"
# In fdisk: o (new table), n (new partition), p (primary), a (bootable), w (write)

# Verify the new partition, then create one filesystem
lsblk -o NAME,PATH,SIZE,FSTYPE,LABEL,MOUNTPOINTS,MODEL "$TARGET_DISK"
sudo mkfs.vfat -F 32 "$TARGET_PARTITION"  # For FAT32
# Or: sudo mkfs.ext4 "$TARGET_PARTITION"  # For ext4

Step 2: Extract and copy files

Mounting ISO:

Windows:

• Right-click the ISO file and select "Mount"

Linux:

sudo mkdir /mnt/minios-iso
sudo mount -o loop MiniOS.iso /mnt/minios-iso

TARGET_PARTITION=/dev/sdX1
sudo mkdir /mnt/minios-target
sudo mount "$TARGET_PARTITION" /mnt/minios-target
findmnt --mountpoint /mnt/minios-target

Copying Files:

1. Find the /minios/ folder in the mounted ISO
2. Copy the entire /minios/ folder to the root of the USB drive

On Linux, the target root in the example above is /mnt/minios-target. Confirm that findmnt --mountpoint /mnt/minios-target reports the exact partition selected in Step 1 before copying files.

Step 3: Install the bootloader

Navigate to the /minios/boot/syslinux/ folder on the drive and run the installer:

bootinst writes boot code to the disk derived from the installer's location. Read Troubleshooting before changing boot code, and do not run the installer until its device and mount point have been verified.

Windows:

• Open the verified USB drive by its exact drive letter, navigate to minios\boot\syslinux, and run bootinst.bat as administrator.

Linux:

TARGET_MOUNT=/mnt/minios-target
findmnt --mountpoint "$TARGET_MOUNT"
lsblk -o NAME,PATH,SIZE,FSTYPE,LABEL,MOUNTPOINTS,MODEL
cd "$TARGET_MOUNT/minios/boot/syslinux"
chmod +x bootinst.sh
sudo ./bootinst.sh

Do not substitute a wildcard for the mount point. The script derives the target disk from its own location and writes boot code to that disk.

Result and persistence

This procedure creates a file-based live installation by placing the minios/ tree and bootloader on a normal filesystem. It is not a raw ISO write, an ISO-file multiboot setup, or a MiniOS Installer deployment.

The chosen filesystem affects which persistence backends can work, but it does not enable persistence or guarantee that a session will be created. Persistence is enabled only when a boot entry or kernel command line requests it, and activation still requires suitable writable storage. See Boot modes and Initrd persistence before relying on saved changes.