I should know this, but I have not had to make a bootable thumb drive. If someone can please provide a list of instructions, that would be great. I bought an new m.2 drive and need to PureOS on it.
Despite the excellent resource already posted, I will go ahead and leave this. Please tell us first which OS you are trying to use to install Pure OS onto USB Thumb Drive with. I am guessing it is likely Windows 10, in which case.
Supposing that is the case, I would first download the âUniversal USB installerâ software to do the work. I think there is a ban on outside links here, so I will not provide link. The Pure OS site describes their version of doing this, and recommends Etcher for writing to the USB drive. Etcher seems to work the first time, and later attempts to do install with it have issues (my experience). I am sure the more knowledgeable here can tell me what I am doing wrong. No doubt it is an issue with how Windows works with USB drives, as Windows does not play well with others.
Download a copy of Pure OS onto the drive. https://pureos.net/download/
Verify the SHA256SUM: with some type of hashing software. I use âMD5 & SHA Checksum Utility 2.1â which is an older program, still works.
If you now start the Universal USB installer, It will give you options. Where it asks which version of Linux you will be installing, I go very near to the bottom and choose âTry Unlisted Linux iso.â I do not think it effects the install in any way no matter which of these you choose. Choices in UUI feel obvious from then on.
You will then have a Live version of Pure OS. While still in Windows, I would the text editor to create a little file to save onto the file structure of the USB which is saved with the name and version number of the OS you are using. Such as âPureOS 8.0 âPrometheusâ Beta 1â. I have like ten different USB keys of Linux, and it is useful to be able to look at the drive and know which version of Linux is on it.
One can, hopefully start this USB key by going into the BIOS/EFI of the computer and directing it to start from the USB key. That is, one powers down the computer from the start button on the lower left side. Presses the power button on, while pushing the correct function key to get it to start into the BIOS/EFI, every two seconds, do not hold the function key down. Every manufacturer is different, mine is like either the F2 Key or the F12 Key. Likely a little message will flash by that tells you which key you should have been pressing every two seconds, if you can read that fast.
Write a note to yourself as to what you changed. I do this part strangely, I disable the UEFI, and then the Security options, (which then resets itself to âLegacyâ) I admit this is odd, on my computer this steps around the âWindows Boot Managerâ and it automatically defaults to starting from a USB key. One can also, usually find a combination that allows one to point at the USB key with Pure on it. I think the Pure OS has the UEFI key installed. I use some Linux versions that do not have a UEFI key (or whatever it is called) to use the Intel UEFI.
You should be able to, hopefully start, the live version of Pure OS. If you see a message about the hard drive is unstable, or some such nonsense, well this is another Windows 10 Issue. You have go back into Windows 10. Windows 10 does not play well with others. M$ intends it that way. In this case, M$ built into Windows that it does not actually do a full shut down of the hard drive when it is powered off. The hard drive is actually put into âHibernation Mode,â This allows for a faster start up of Windows, and this error message about do not proceed further or you might damage drive. What you must change is inside Windows itself. The little gear/cog that is second up on the Windows start menu is Settings. âSettings/System/Powerâ Then, oddly different manufacturers vary where the tab is to do, âOn ShutDown/Advanced Settings/â Tell it to explicitly shut down the hard drive on Shutdown, in place of âHibernate.â
Now you have to consider whether you have backed up the computer, and how much trouble you are going to go to the attempt to Install goes sideways. For sure, save all the logins and passwords you have, Registrations for software and such. But it is up to you.
Now you will see M$ has a bunch of Partitions you may not have realized were out there. If you modify any of those Partitions in any way, Windows will pitch a hissy fit when you try to start it again. I do not know how to recover from all the possible complaints Windows may have if something is different than how it left it.
You are only concerned with the M2 you put in, and modifying the boot so it will start from where you want it. Some versions of BIOS/EFI are generous is allowing you to do such without requiring you to do something to the Boot Partition that Windows has. I am not qualified to speak on this. Be very wary of which partition you Format and install Pure onto. It is easy to make a mistake.
One can create an installed version of Pure, (not the Live version. Usually Live versions will not keep modifications you make to them, installed versions of Linux will. Installed versions require that you enter your own Passwords.) Problem being that doing an install from USB Flash Drive to USB Flash drive still might allow you to blow up your hard drive, and it is (so I am told) truly a bad idea to overheat the USB system of a computer as you would in trying to install USB to USB).
What you could do, as you seem willing to open the laptop. Go back in, unplug the battery, and unplug your hard drive that has Windows. Plug battery back in, close it up. Then you can not accidentally clobber your Windows Drive doing an install. Doing a dual boot later is another problem.
Actually the best thing you can do now, is wait a day or two so some other folks here, who are more knowledgeable than myself to tell you what stupid things I suggest here, and how to do things correctly. This gives you time to back up, save mutliple copies of what is on your hard drive.
AOMEI has a Partition manager and a clone of hard drives software. I dunno whether it is good to trust it. I am using a 2016 version of Acronis, which does cloning. If you have either a Seagate or WD drive involved, Seagate has software for cloning and such. Might not want to work with M2 though.
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(Ewwwww)
OK. I guessed PureOS and he is just upgrading his disk. So some clarification is needed.
I appreciate everyones help. I used the etcher program within PureOS. I am super stoked about installing my new m.2 drive. I will need a small ram type screw to bolt it down.
I will need to buy a screw or two tomorrow.
Quick question: I purchased my Librem15 with an SSD. As I am switching drives, does the SSD have a small laptop screw that holds it in place? If so, I will use it. I do not plan to put the 500GB drive back in. I use the m.2 drive I just bought.
some m2 drives come with THAT particular screw you need inside the package (itâs very small so it could be overlooked or lost - just check carefully) - also itâs a good posibility that you already have such a screw lying somewhere arround (but if not then yes you do have to buy one or more)
It is Samsung m.2 drive. Unfortunately it did not come with one. i will then need to buy one tomorrow. Would you believe I called the good ole Geek Squad at Best Buy and they not have an laptop screws available. The guy tells me they will have to order a screw to sell me. I actually asked him twice and then asked him how they actually make repairs. None the less. I will have to tackle it tomorrow.
Another question: Is there any special set up required other than installation as I am moving from an SSD to the m.2 drive?
ALL m2 drives ARE SSDs itâs just that the connector is different (instead of a sata cable it uses direct pins on the pcb) - it also matters if itâs nvme or sata 3 - do you know what model it is ?
you said itâs samsung - have a look here > https://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/minisite/ssd/product/consumer/overview/
beware ! proprietary javascript probably required to render the page
I bought the Samsung 970 evo plus. I am hopeful I will not have to do anything crazy with it to get the drive to work. I was under the impression that a Samsung m.2 drive was the way to go for our Librem laptops.
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This is an NVMe drive.
Should be fine. I recently installed that drive into a new computer and installed Linux from scratch on it and everything worked completely smoothly. This was Ubuntu, not PureOS, but itâs all Debian based.
and that itâs heaps faster 
and the device naming is different (takes a bit of getting used to).
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I received my drive and attempted to install. It was not recognized. Either there is something wrong my new m.2 drive or there is something I am not doing to get it recognized. I tried between 6-7 times to get the drive recognized. i seated and reseated the drive and nothing happened. I am open to any ideas from the forum. I am thinking it is a bad drive.
Letâs take a step back. You were able to make a bootable thumb drive OK? You booted the thumb drive OK?
From the booted thumb drive, you are trying to do what exactly?
If it is an option, I would drop into a shell and check the system log and/or see what is in /dev. Traditional drives (including probably the thumb drive) will show up with names starting with âsdâ but NVMe drives will show up with names starting with ânvmeâ in my experience.
What does ânot recognizedâ mean? Not recognized by the BIOS? By the installer? (Which BIOS do you have?) What are you doing to see whether it is ârecognizedâ?
For fault isolation you might try a bootable Ubuntu thumb drive. I was using Ubuntu 19.04 in case it matters. If the drive is recognised with Ubuntu at least you know the drive is seated properly.
Another fault isolation option is to put the M.2 NVMe drive in an external enclosure (I would expect USB interface). I assume you donât have such an enclosure but they are not particularly expensive and are handy for testing. If it works in the enclosure at least you know the drive is not faulty. (The only weirdness that I encountered is that on a fairly old computer that I was testing with, the enclosure would not work when plugged in to a USB 3.0 port but would work when plugged in to a USB 2.0 port, albeit 10 times more slowly, but that was fine because I just wanted to put a small amount of stuff on the drive for testing purposes.)
I was able to create a boot disk which works. When it logs in and gets ready to do its thing, it goes into the installation screen. At this point, I see the existing 500GB ssd, but I am not able to drop down and see the 1TB m.2 drive. To tell you truth, it has been rather annoying. I had expected me to drop the drive in, use the USB and voilaâŚstraight to a clean installation. I even attempted to remove the 500gb ssd and see if that was somehow keeping the laptop from seeing the drive.
I have another laptop that could use the m.2 drive. I am thinking I will try that one as well to see if it is something to do with the drive.
I had that experience when I plugged an m.2 SATA drive into and m.2 NVMe port. Both were b keyed so there was no visual indicator of my error. Not saying this is your situation but might be similar. My understanding is the port can either be m.2 NVMe/pcie OR m.2 SATA and will only work with the corresponding SSD.
Good luck, and definitely worth trying in another laptop since you have one.
the 2280 m.2 interface on Librem laptops supports both SATA and NVMe SSDs
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That would be good fault isolation too.
Gentleman. I have diagnosed the issue. It is the laptop. My existing laptop saw it immediately upon booting up the recovery thumb drive. The new laptop did not. Not sure of the issue. To be fair, both laptops are relatively new. I wonder if the port on the board on the new laptop is somehow disconnected or dead. I will contact Customer Service and see what they wish to do about the challenge.
The team with Purism has been fantastic is helping with my challenges I have faced. I would have rather it be something I have done like an unseated drive, than to have the Purism Team have another challenge to work through.
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Not really. You have to rely on the documentation of the board that you are plugging in to. Some will say âSATA onlyâ, some will say âNVMe onlyâ, some will say âbothâ - you then choose (buy) your M.2 SSD accordingly - with NVMe much preferred on performance grounds.
Provided that the software is comparable (or identical). One thing you can definitely say is that it is not the M.2 NVMe drive.
Are these both Purism laptops?
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I stand corrected, I had not known both SATA and NVMe could be supported by a single port. That was my miss-understanding.
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Totally understand your comments. The laptops are identical and the builds are within a few months of one another. That is why I think the port is either âbrokenâ or somehow turned off.
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