HowTo install Ubuntu 9.04 to a USB or SDHC disk (flash memory) on an Asus EeePC 1000H.

As EeePC 1000H has 3 USB ports, 1 SDHC card reader, and no CD drive, we have to make a 9.04 LiveUSB and then run it to install Ubuntu on USB or SDHC disk.

1. Check the speed of the USB/SDHC disk that will be used for the installation

At first you have to check if your USB/SDHC disk is fast enough for your PC. The drive by itself could have an enormous specification read/write speeds over 15MB/s) but it is better to know the actual data throughput on the target PC using the ext2 or fat32 filling system. There is always a possibility your card reader (especially on SDHC cards) to be slower than the cards specification.

Read more at http://acomelectronics.com/GeorgeVita/Gdsk_bnch.txt


2. Make an Ubuntu 9.04 LiveUSB

Download Ubuntu 9.04 LiveCD .iso (ubuntu-9.04-desktop-i386.iso). Check it with md5sum. Burn a CD. Boot it to any PC.
Attach a USB disk (at least 1GB) to that PC. When it's icon appears, right click it and "Unmount Volume".
System > Administration > USB startup creator 
Select the "Source disc image (.iso) or CD" showing the running LiveCD (I prefer to copy somewhere the downloaded .iso and use this here).
>>> Be careful: select appropriate "USB disk to use" (the one to become your LiveUSB)
Follow instructions till the end of this procedure. Then shut down and take off the LiveUSB.


3. Install 9.04 desktop on USB or SDHC disk

Attach LiveUSB to EeePC 1000H. Power ON, press ESC and choose to boot from the LiveUSB disk.
Choose "Try Ubuntu ...", wait for the system to fully load.
Attach the USB/SDHC drive where you will install Ubuntu ("target USB/SDHC")
If it's icon appear, right click it and "Unmount Volume"
System > administration > Install

Note: If the window is larger than the free desktop page, you can right click on the bottom panel, "Properties", "Show Hide Buttons", "Close", click on the bottom left button to hide it.

English > Forward > click on your Time Zone (City) > Forward > Keyboard Layout USA > Forward
... setting up partitioner
... prepare disk space

>>> Be careful: Choose your "target USB/SDHC" disk at the menu (around the center of that window) you can check the Size the device name (sdb or sdc) or the product name (ex. JetFlash...)

click on "specify Partitions Manual" and Forward
... scanning disks

>>> Be careful: click on /dev/sdb or /dev/sdc (whatever is your "target USB/SDHC" disk) not at the /dev/sda which is your 
Hard Disk. Check again the size.

Click on "New Partition table" > continue (it clears the old partitions if any)

>>> Be careful: click on "free space" under the /dev/sdb or /dev/sdc ("target USB/SDHC")
Click on "New Partition"
... create partition
Click on Primary
Enter New Partition Size = Total Disk Capacity minus 350...400MB (in case of 8178MB disk, this is 7800)
Click on Beginning
Choose Ext2 format (Speedest) or FAT32 (slower but possibly readable from windows?) 
Choose Mount Point = /
Click OK
... wait ... scanning disks

>>> Be careful: click on "free space" the 2nd line after the /dev/sdb or /dev/sdc ("target USB/SDHC") the size is between 350 and 400 MB

Click on "New partition"
Click on Primary
Leave the New Partition Size = as is (350...400MB)
Click on Beginning
Choose swap area
Click OK
... wait ... scanning disks

>>> Be careful: click on "format box" at the ext2 line of /dev/sdb or /dev/sdc ("target USB/SDHC")

>>> Be careful: click on the /dev/sdb or /dev/sdc ("target USB/SDHC"), check the graph at top of the window which represents the final partitioning of the "target USB/SDHC" disk

Click Forward

Enter your name (or initials), Password, again Password
Place a "name of this computer" which reminds you the "target USB/SDHC" (I am using SD)
Click on "Require a password to login" and forward

If your "Password found weak" but is OK for you, click Continue
If a message says "Migrate documents and settings" do NOT tick anything (or untick all) to have a typical start point
Click Forward
... Ready to install

>>> Be careful: CHECK the resume for your disk: SCSI xxx (sdb or sdc), ext2, swap

Click Install
... installing system

When Finished, "Restart Now".

After shut down, remove the LiveUSB and press ESC to boot from the "Ubuntu 9.04 installation on USB/SDHC".


Still under construction...
http://acomelectronics.com/GeorgeVita/G904_USB_sdhc.txt