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minimal / live installer usb: pre-adding tools

Having problems with the Gentoo Handbook? If you're still working your way through it, or just need some info before you start your install, this is the place. All other questions go elsewhere.
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lazardo
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minimal / live installer usb: pre-adding tools

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Post by lazardo » Tue Mar 03, 2026 7:38 pm

The current minimal installer fonts are uncomfortably small. Rather than eye struggle with networking et al, a partition was added to the installer USB so terminus font is available after boot by mounting the added partition, all without altering the ISO image.

The key is to use

Code: Select all

fdisk --wipe=never <usb_device>
(or a similar dist util), which preserves USB boot capibllity. Add + format a new partition at the end, then and copy scripts, tools, notes, etc. Especially useful if networking/internet is not available early on, or to save USE flags, config files, bash history, typescript logs as you go so your next install attempt is easier than this one :)

Code: Select all

fdisk -l /dev/sda
Disk /dev/sda: 7.45 GiB, 8004304896 bytes, 15633408 sectors
Disk model: Cruzer          
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: gpt
Disk identifier: 0FD78455-6794-43B9-9CFC-A4A191821C1D

Device       Start      End  Sectors   Size Type
/dev/sda1       64      583      520   260K Microsoft basic data
/dev/sda2      584     6343     5760   2.8M EFI System
/dev/sda3     6344  1899207  1892864 924.3M Apple HFS/HFS+
/dev/sda4  1899208  1899807      600   300K Microsoft basic data
/dev/sda5  1900544 15633362 13732819   6.5G Linux filesystem
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lazardo
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Posts: 10
Joined: Mon Sep 29, 2025 11:39 pm

[self_reply_bump]

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Post by lazardo » Fri Mar 13, 2026 4:26 pm

off the zero reply list :)
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2 posts • Page 1 of 1

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