The final version of Dreamlinux 3.0 comes with a new installer designed solely to install Dreamlinux into a Pen-Drive.
This is a very convenient way to carry your Linux distro with you easily.

Another advantage of a USB Pen-Drive Dreamlinux is that it loads and runs ways faster than running from a LiveCD/DVD media.

Pen-Drive installed Dreamlinux has yet another huge advantage over its LiveCD/DVD counterpart:

you can update it without the need to reinstall on the USB Stick.
It's just a matter of change modules and files by copying them over the old versions. 





Using Dreamlinux Pen-Drive Installer

1 - Installing from a LiveCD session

The installer can be run from a LiveCD/DVD session as well as from an HDD installed Dreamlinux.


Fig. 1 below shows Pen-DLI screen open on a LiveCD/DVD session, and fig. 2 shows it open on an HDD install.




Fig.2 - Pen-DLI running HDD Install



Note that Pen-DLI detects the pen-drive and exhibits some information about it in the frame labeled "USB Pen-Drive Info". 

Even in a LiveCd session you can do the same kind of use you do in the installed distro. For this click on that giant button with the
semi-opened folder and follow the same instructions to use it on an installed distro.

If you don't want to use any other iso image other than the LiveCd session itself, it's just a matter of clicking on the Apply button and that's all.
Remember that if you don't like "Dream_On_A_Pen" as the label for your beloved pen-drive, you can edit that entry box "Label to name Pen"
and change it to whatever you want.

After clicking on the Apply button, you'll see that fantastic blue bar bouncing and bouncing and, to its left, mesages indicating what's
being done. At the end of the process a message stating that "your pen-drive is ready" will show, Please, don't unplug your pen
immediately after this message, for usually there's still some activity running - verify when its led turns off. 

If you intend to unplug the stick, it's advisable to unmount it first. For this, issue umount -l /dev/[h|s]d[a-z][1-9].

Example:

umount -l /dev/hdb1

If you'd like to check if you are now a happy owner of Dreamlinux 3.0 Pen-Drive Edition, restart your computer.

Yes, it's simple like that!

 
2 - Installing from a HDD installed Dreamlinux

While in the LiveCd session you run Pen-DLI by clicking on its icon on Desktop. In the HDD installed distro you
will find this option under the Systems menu - no matter what window manager you're using.

After clicking on it you'll have this window:


Fig. 3 - Running from HDD installed Dreamlinux


You will need a DL 3.0 iso image to proceed upon. For getting it you will click on the semi-opened folder button and navigate to
the iso image location. See next figure:

 
Fig.4 - Selecting the iso file



 After this step, just click on the Apply button and wait for the process to be finished. You'll be informed of that condition.

If you're gonna to unplug the pen-drive, please, don't do it immediately after you get the message that everything is ok. Wait the
pen-drive led to indicate that there's no more activity (possibly stopping flashing). And unmount it in terminal, using umount -l /dev/sdb1,
for instance, for unmounting clicking on its Desktop icon won't work at this stage.

You'd better restart your computer, eject the LiveCD and see if everything is working properly with the LiveUSB Dreamlinux.

Be advised that not all USB Pen-Drives work properly since some producers don't follow the convention of mapping sectors of 512 bytes each.
On those Pen-Drives with sectors size larger than 512 bytes, forget it, you'll never have Dreamlinux running on them. So, when buying a pen-drive
make sure it belongs to the 512-byte sector size class.


3 - Updating Pen-Drive Dreamlinux

As stated previously, Pen-Drive installed Dreamlinux has a tremendous advantage over it's LiveCD/DVD: there's no need to reburn Dreamlinux iso file and reinstall it on the USB stick. The way we did it allows you to make only the first installation although you're not impeded of doing it again, if you'd like.

Any update you do to any of the Dreamlinux modules or individual files you need only to copy it over the previous one inside Pen-Drive installed Dreamlinux.

As a practical example, let's make an addition to the current Dreamlinux 3.0:

First of all download the multimedia module from Dreamlinux Developers site: http://www.ngsys.eti.br/pub/miscelaneous/multimedia

This module comprises all the multimedia applications present in the former Dreamlinux edition (2.2MMGL) plus some additions, that we didn't include
in the current version due to space constraints.

After have downloaded multimedia module, insert your working Dreamlinux pen-drive in any USB port. It will be probably mounted under the
/media directory, with its labeled name (default Dream_On_A_Pen) showing in the Desktop. Next, launch any file manager as root and copy or
move this module to the /modules/apps directory in your mounted pen-drive. Close the file manager, unmount the pen-drive and reboot, leaving
the pen-drive inserted.

You will notice in the multimedia menu all the extra applicattions contained inside the multimedia modules.

It is really that easy!



See for yourself. Give it a try.

  
The Dreamlinux Development Team