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Date:	Mon, 25 Apr 2011 08:05:00 +0100
From:	Fergus <fergus AT bonhard DOT uklinux DOT net>
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To:	Cygwin ML <cygwin AT cygwin DOT com>
CC:	Fergus <fergus AT bonhard DOT uklinux DOT net>
Subject:	Re: an updated howto on a portable/usb cygwin installguide?
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 > Is there an updated howto on a portable/usb cygwin installguide? 
Since 1.7
 > cygwin no longer writes to the registry so I was curious if there 
were any
 > changed on making a portable install and/or a end all guide on the 
process.

I run routinely off a portable stick. Installing cygwin direct to H: (or 
whatever) is straightforward but the writing can be time-consuming and 
an alternative approach is to install to HD and then move the entire 
construction to stick. Anything additional you want under /home/ or 
/usr/local/ is just copied to the stick in the usual way.

   1. In my case I use the setup command
      setup -P <comma-separated required packages>
      as a Full Install would need a very hi-capacity stick.
   2. Incidentally despite concentrated effort during installation to
      personalise location I often find a first install lands up under
      c:\cygwin, regardless of instructions otherwise. I think others
      occasionally find this too. See say
      http://cygwin.com/ml/cygwin/2011-01/msg00088.html and
      http://cygwin.com/ml/cygwin/2011-01/msg00091.html (but these are
      very minor isolated glitches and I have no idea how common an
      experience this is).
   3. Once installed I delete /etc/group and /etc/passwd and /etc/fstab
      for a truly portable system.
   4. Once installed, start up by double-clicking on h:/bash.cmd as
      follows (which is actually drivename independent so it doesn't
      matter whether the host machine names your stick h: or m: or ...),
      setting HOME appropriately for your username. This is my
      h:/bash.cmd, you could invent h:/mintty.cmd or even h:/xterm.cmd
      to start up in mintty or xterm respectively if you wanted to. I've
      got all 3 startup modes.
      @set SHELL=/bin/bash
      @set HOME=/home/user
      @start /wait %CD%\bin\bash
      @set HOME=
      @set SHELL=
   5. Otherwise as far as I recall ~/.bashrc, ~/.Xdefaults, ~/.inputrc
      are nothing special or different but two lines in (my) ~/.bashrc are
      PATH="$HOME/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin:/usr/bin"
      /bin/mount -c "/"
      (I have been using this portable architecture for so long that
      (line 1) I can't remember where PATH is conventionally set; also
      (line 2) I prefer accessing other drives from / rather than
      /cygdrive/.)


Hope this helps.
Fergus

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