Feature added by: Magnus Gustavsson (magnusgus) Feature #308385, revision 1 Title: Easier to install from an USB-flash memory openSUSE-11.3: Unconfirmed Priority Requester: Important Requested by: Magnus Gustavsson (magnusgus) Partner organization: openSUSE.org Description: I want to start with saying my appreciation of all SUSE developers, I really think SUSE is the number one choise, bot for beginners and more advanced users. 11.2 is really a big step forward, thanks a lot to all involved!!! However...following the discussion here; http://forums.opensuse.org/install-boot-login/426568-simplest-way-install-11... , I make here a proposal for improvement when it comes to the installation from other media than the commonly used DVD-disc, that almost all computer users are able to understand and use. The growing numbers of netbooks, without CD ocr DVD-rom built in is pushing the fact that OS:s today lack one important feature, namely an easy installation from USB- or flashmemories of all kinds. It is maybe wise to try to imagine where alternative OS like Linux would stand today, if there was not the possibility to download an .iso, burn it on a blank DVD-disc and then simply put it into a computer before boot. With this in mind, think of how many who really would consider testing linux or SUSE in particular on their netbook as a fist try (maybe because they imagine better performance than with the overloaded MS mostly shipped with the netbook, but are incapable of making the installation due to thee simple fact that their notebook lacks a DVD-drive. Beeing a linuxuser with more than a year of experience (and also a user who have made a USB installation once in fact), I still find the many and difficult stages in making a working, bootable USBstick wich will install a new version of SUSE so hard, that I really can understand why so many still are considering a Vista or a Mac in front of a linux OS. It is too difficult!! Basically I think a installation via USB-stick should not be more complicated than something like this: 1: to to format their stick to FAT16 (if it now really is needed), with any availible program in windows or Linux 2. Make this stick bootable with same formatting program 3. Download and copy the DVD.iso to the stick (or somewhere on the computers harddrive, but this is over manys limit) 4. Download and copy a special "SUSE-USB-stick"-file to the stick, that makes the necessary extra things U described in Ur posts such as extracting installer etc 5. Make the intended computer able to boot from a USB-stick 6. Put the USB-stick in the intended computer and reboot so the prepartion with DD etc is made, possible make the computer reboot again, and finally make the installation to start. These 6 steps would be easy enough to follow for a newbie, as well as for me. And it would work regardless of network or internetconnection for the computer. It would also take full advantage of the torrent technology since all can be downloaded the quickest way via torrent. And it will for sure make at least SUSE a much more attractive option for people searching alternatives to the mainstream OS they have been feed up with since small school. I made this request under SUSE 11.3 but maybe there is a better place for it, please feel free to move this in this case. Appreciate all comments about this. BR/ Magnus Gustavsson Business case (Partner benefit): openSUSE.org: To improve/ make easier installation process for computers without DVD-drive. -- openSUSE Feature: https://features.opensuse.org/308385