HowTo: Install and boot RIPLinux

RPLinux is a sysadmin distribution which comes with a vast array of tools for disk management, backup and troubleshooting. Despite the impressive number of tools it is still slim, fast and very well put together.

Bellow are the steps I took to install it from Windows XP to an USB flash drive and boot it in my laptop.

• download the archive from http://www.tux.org/pub/people/kent-robotti/looplinux/rip/linux.exe
• create a folder and move linux.exe into it
  
• double-click to auto extract the contents of linux.exe (notice that a new linux folder was created)
  
• insert an USB flash drive in the computer
• click START -> MY COMPUTER -> right-click on the USB flash drive and select FORMAT -> choose FAT32 -> click OK
• take notice of the drive letter of the USB flash drive
• START -> Run
• change directory of the created linux folder, typically it should be something like cd Desktop\linux
• on the prompt type mkusb.bat h: in which h is the drive letter

Now we've created an USB flash drive capable of booting into RPLinux.

To boot it up, restart the computer and follow your BIOS instructions on how to boot from an USB device. On my laptop, a Dell Latitude D620, I simply press F12 and select the USB device and press ENTER; this of course changes from laptop to laptop so read your computer motherboard manual.

Resources:
http://www.tux.org/pub/people/kent-robotti/looplinux/rip/