How to install Linux Mint FROM Live Persistent USB TO harddrive?

Linux Mint
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I have a Live Persistent USB with Linux Mint. After working with it, I like it enough to switch from Ubuntu. The drive has that partition (Caspar) that stored my settings and, presumably, programs and updates.

It also shows a link to “Install Linux Mint”, but I just tried that and it only installs the same basic OS that was installed on the original USB. All the “persistent” changes I had added are not there. I know I can re-do everything I had done earlier, but if there is a way to include the changes, that would save me a lot.

Online searching yielded only the direction of installing TO and not FROM. If I missed a FAQ entry, a link or advice would be appreciated.

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It can be done (in theory) but I have never tried it. But it seems like a risky procedure. Make sure you doing it on a spare system.

My advise is similar to this one:

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I looked over this thread, and it’s a bit daunting!!
But my mind wandered. Is this possible?

  • casper has a complete Linux directory structure, INCLUDING Home.
  • Can I move those directories under Home from the USB to the basic Mint installation on teh hard drive? What might be gained or lost?

I am not afraid of losing anything, because the target partition is on an extra hard drive, not the one I use daily.

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I really don’t know the answer to this Cliff, but when I have a Mint specific question I usually head here first and see if it has been answered or I can ask for answer. Most of the time something comes up or someone knows the answer. https://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/search It might help you to there, if not search their forum.
Sorry I can’t offer anything more on this.

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@ElectricDandySlider Dandy, there are lots of tutorials but none for my issue. I posted to their Forum

And following through on a previous point, how can I move//restore the pendrive’s Home directory to the hard drive? I assume that just pasting would cause only misery.
The “casper” partition on the pendrive has a “Home” directory with, I assume, all the updates and preferences. So can I follow the same procedures as “restoring” from a backup?

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Cliff, you could post your question on the community page to get an answer. There is a forum, https://forums.linuxmint.com/ - this tends to cover most things ( see you have posted the question there) - I found this there, if it helps at all. https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=229086, which was included in an answer to this question https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=275337. I hope that I have copied and pasted them correctly, sorry I have a bit of brain fog, the last one contains the tutorial posted about the Persistent that you are asking about - From the main forum page https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewforum.php?f=46&sid=20a2074381f9c4f48a699e98f0df7882 there is a list of things which you can look at. I don’t feel qualified to answer the question if contains the home directory as well and have not been able to find much about it, only that it is a form of ghosting.

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I finally got my query approved, so let’;s see what the wise geeks there have to say.

I also found the following post online. THe author said this method might work in my case, too. I’ll see if I can pull this off, then mark it as “solved” if it works.

https://feeding.cloud.geek.nz/posts/doing_a_fresh_debian_ubuntu_install_without_having_to_reconfigure_everything/

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Let us know how you get on, Cliff.

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