AV Linux 23.1 on external SSD

[Liu-Bi-Sha]

I'm planning to install newest AV Linux on external drive (SSD, connected via USB 3.0 port).
It would mainly be used on my Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 laptop.
I'm also using that same laptop for work related stuff, so Windows 10 Pro instalation should not be messed up in any way.
The plan is to set up BIOS to look for external drive first while booting, so, i'm thinking on instaling AV Linux's bootloader on external drive.
The idea is, if the external drive is connected, AV Linux would be booted, and if it's not, laptop simply continues booting windows.

So, the question is - is this a good idea?
Can AV Linux's bootloader be installed on external drive (i don't konw which one is it at the moment - GRUB maybe?)
What should i be aware of?
What about windows defender, antivirus or similar software - i mean, if i boot up Windows, and use that external drive as a data storage, would windows mess anything up in my Linux installation ?
Would there be noticable latency while recording/monitoring due to additional (USB 3.0) connection to SSD?
What about using that same external drive later on another computer (booting with different hardware)?
Known issues?

[GMaq]

Hi,

I think this is possible and on a USB3 system would probably work quite well especially if you run the OS off the SSD and have the data on the laptop hard drive.. You could achieve much the same thing simply running AVL Live off a large USB3 key with persistence enabled to save your changes.. I'm not sure but it seems like Ventoy may do this on a LiveUSB.

https://www.ventoy.net/en/plugin_persistence.html

I do know that the MX Linux Live USB maker does persistence very well as explained in my AVL release Video here:
https://youtu.be/Fl5TMM7cViI?si=C5cdkW7eD00upvsI

I've never done what you are proposing personally but you definitely would want the GRUB bootloader installed to the ext. SSD and NOT the 'ESP' partition with the Windows bootloader but what I'm not exactly sure about is if GRUB would then be installed to the 'MBR' or not..? I'm not really a specialist on installs and boots etc. because those parts of AVL are MX Linux components.

For a better answer from the folks who make the Installer etc.. I would suggest asking on the MX Linux forum in the 'Respins' section:

https://forum.mxlinux.org/viewforum.php?f=127

[Impostor]

I've never done what you are proposing personally but you definitely would want the GRUB bootloader installed to the ext. SSD and NOT the 'ESP' partition with the Windows bootloader but what I'm not exactly sure about is if GRUB would then be installed to the 'MBR' or not..?

On separate hard drives on can have completely separate boot partitions. They need not even be aware of the other's existence. The boot disk option then should be selected with the BIOS boot menu, not with grub. I had such a setup for a while with windows 8.1 and linux mint. That way windows had no way of fucking up my linux installation: my mint disk was just an empty hd as far as windows was concerned. Of course, windows being the obnoxious self-entitled monstrosity that it has become, it wouldn't surprise me if it started to auto-format all suspected linux drives to ntfs. So beware! :)

[pksings]

This will work. I test all new versions of AV-linux this way.

Here is alternate to think about.

I have a dedicated 2TB SSD for my laptop and have partitioned it 1TB-windows and 1TB-linux.

Installed Windows 10 first and then AV-linux both using UEFI. I had AV-linux install grub to the linux root. And then configured the BIOS to boot linux. To my surprise grub also boots windows. A boot entry was created as part of the install.

To switch between I just have to select the one I want at the grub boot prompt.

To me this was easier.
PK

[glowrak guy]

I have three bootable AVL setups on one computer, one drive is an ssd at /dev/sda

Another drive is an sata at /dev/sdb, with the newest AVL

And another AVL is on an sata drive in a usb case at /dev/sdd.

In the early-boot menu, I can pick the ssd, and in it's grub list is listed the /dev/sdd, with a slightly
different 'name' than the name on the ssd.

The early boot menu has a separate choice for /dev/sdb, and it's grub list does not mention
the other two.

And there is usb storage drive is at /dev/sdc, not bootable.

I personally trust grub about as far as I can toss GMaq's newest truck
But I still got's ta feed the horse I done rode in on

Back up, and back up your backups. And check in the mirror so you don't run over anything when backing up.
Grub is not your friend

[Gerbil]

Just a side note. 4 Years ago I bought a bigger SSD for my Laptop, cloned the existing one and replaced it. Today I used the old SSD in an external adapter (USB 3), connected it to an USB Port and changed in BIOS the boot order to first use this external disk. I could run the old installation without any problem and at least the perceived speed was normal. For sure the UUID has to be used in the fstab.
If it is fast enough for you you have to check by yourself.