- cross-posted to:
- askbeehaw@beehaw.org
- cross-posted to:
- askbeehaw@beehaw.org
I am working on windows 10 currently. I was wondering if MX Linux could be installed directly from online. Thanks for taking the time to reply.
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The question is confusing, what exactly do you mean by “directly from online”? Just click a button in a web browser and it will install the entire distro? If so, pretty sure the answer is no; if you imagine something else, please clarify.
That’s how I interpreted the statement.
Open web browser
Click install
Files down load and install. Computer reboots with Linux os installed on hard drive
I feel like you should be able to do this tbh.
I can basically do this from Linux. I could build a disk image and extract it right onto my disk and reboot and be in that new system. It would take some work to get right, but it’s basically how the rpi images work.
I think your biggest issue is making sure enough utilities were loaded in ram that you could finish the extraction before the system crashes cause you’ve deleted some important utilities.
The answer is no, because you’d need windows to allow your Linux installer to take over top runtime privilege and modify live partitions while mounted and in use. While i guess it’s technically possible, it’s so much of a hassle i wouldn’t even want to start considering it.
I think you are right. A little bit of research seems to show that windows doesnt allow such things.
On Linux you could make a ramdisk with like BusyBox and your new image (or new image on some other drive) pivot_root then overwrite the entire boot disk to some other disk image.
It would be a bit hairy, but could be done
That’s the reason l wish to do away with windows.
Theoretically it could be done. Microsoft SCCM has allowed in-place full reimaging for a long time. It downloads a WinPE boot image (which loads everything into a RAM disk), reboots into that, and launches all of the rest from there. Even wiping and repartitioning the drive.
I don’t see why that WinPE image couldn’t be replaced by a small Linux image, or that you could install Linux from WinPE. I’ve just never seen it.
That said, no browser should ever have that level of permissions, ever, under any circumstances. The security problems would be staggering.
Well this way you’re writing a boot image to the bootloader right? I mean you’re replacing the usb stick with extra steps but it’s not like you’re running from the installed windows. You are rebooting into something else.
There’s WebUSB on Chromium browsers, a JS API for all kinds of peripherals. I think formatting mass storage is allowed, as long as it’s connected by USB
It is, and the whole permission is being used by Grapheneos to perform the coolest and easiest mobile flashing I’ve ever done. It’s all done through a webpage installer.
If you have a Chromium browser, that is. I’ll prefer installing
libusband usingfastboot flashuntil there’s Firefox support.
Technically there would be network booting. I think it was intended to work over the local network but I don’t see why TFTP wouldn’t work over the Internet (when skimming the Wikipedia article). But be warned, TFTP (and thus netboot) has no security features, so you could receive a manipulated PXE (pre boot execution environment).
netboot.xyz grabs them from HTTPS with cert validation afaik
That is not the kind of Network boot I meant, they ride on the name for the standard IMHO
It is PXE in every sense
Others are answering what you technically asked, but I think that’s not what you’re looking for. What you need is a ‘live USB version’, you run it from a usb stick and can try it without installing anything in your main drive.
Here is the link to the page with the links in mxlinux.com.
Now you have to make another decision, which desktop you want to use. Mx Linux’s got three, xfce (known for being less demanding on resources), kde (bit windows-like, not that resource hungry either. It’s worth a try), and Fluxbox (I don’t know anything about this one). You might as well download and try the three of them. Just flashing them to the usb to try another.
Now the process. First you need one or more iso files (downloaded from trustable sources like the one from mxlinux.org itself, you also can check the checsum, but maybe too nerd just yet), a USB stick (probably 16gb or even 8 could be enough, but I’m not sure exactly. Pick a fast one if you can, it’ll feel quite snappier. THE DATA IN THE DRIVE WILL BE LOST), and Rufus (this is a program to flash the iso into the usb stick).
Now read the pages I linked, and maybe follow the links there for explanations, I cannot tell you how to use rufus since it’s been ages since I’ve touched it, but it’s not so hard. May get a couple tries to flash the iso into a bootable usb (meaning the computer can boot or start running the os in that drive) but you’ve got this! Run rufus and flash one of the isos into the usb stick.
Now try to boot it. Look up how to get into your ‘boot menu’ (preferable if available, and it works. But it might not…) or ‘bios setup’ on the internet. It depends on the brand and model. You’ll have to turn it off, and push some key just immediately after turning it on again, with your flashed usb stick plugged. If we’re lucky you must see some text menu that lets you chose it to boot, and you’ll be running Linux in a few seconds, hopefully.
Now when you’re ready to install one of them into your computer’s drive you have two options, dual booting keeping windows and putting also Linux for which you’ll need a free partition or ssd for it, or if you are convinced of getting rid of windows for good just chose the easy formatting options while installing and that’ll be it (THE DATA IN THE DRIVE WILL BE LOST).
If something doesn’t go as planned or you have any doubts don’t hesitate to make follow up questions, it’s normal if you have to repeat some steps or search the internet to troubleshoot something, but Linux has become super easy to install and use (it really is much worse with windows or Mac…) so good luck and welcome to Linux!
