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TL;DR: How do I install Linux directly onto a NVMe for a different PC?

I am trying to fix a laptop (Microsoft Surface Go 2) where I needed to replace the NVMe & the single USB A port has decided to crap out* too (and it won't boot off the USB C port w/o or w/ a docking dongle attached--I tried a USB C thumbdrive right into the USB C port, as well as USB A thumbdrives plugged into it).

I typically use openSUSE Tumbleweed w/ KDE. I don't think this is a distro/DE specific issue.

I have a working desktop w/ openSUSE TW, and, as of now, an external USB3 NVMe adapter. I am thinking that I can just install the OS to the laptop, but it has some different components from my home-made workstation, and I don't want to confuse my little installer.

Anyone know if there is a way to pull this off?

Can I just write a live distro to it, or do a multiboot ISO (I think I have a few options on how to do that already installed, and could boot into Windows and use one of the swell multi-boot installers) w/ either a live edition ISO or install ISO?

I just don't want grub to fire up and be all disappointed that there really isn't an NVIDIA card when it goes to switch from framebuffer to full GUI mode. It isn't a particularly special set of components, except a very irritating Microsoft BIOS.

*Known QC problem.

PS: NVMe doesn't even have a partition table and I don't plan on installing Windows, even if it is MS HW.

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  • I always gpt partition in advance. Even used gpt for UEFI came out back in 2010. And I have not used a USB flash drive for an install in ages. Usually boot ISO with grub2's loopmount from a folder or partition on drive that has various ISO. With gpt you can install to same drive as long as not changing any existing partitions. askubuntu.com/questions/1269462/… & askubuntu.com/questions/1380683/… Install on desktop of 22.10 from NVMe to NVMe was 4 minutes.
    – oldfred
    Commented Oct 21, 2022 at 15:17
  • I might need a few more clues. I am bailing on the old surface and just hoping to get by w/ my aging workstation (still runs openSUSE w/ KDE reasonably well as long as I have <100 tabs open in Firefox and Baloo is killing me!) . I am trying to do the same now for a RPi 4 w/ the snazy Argon m.2 case. It has a 512gb NVMe drive connected via a plug to one of the USB3 ports.
    – DrKC
    Commented Feb 5, 2023 at 21:34
  • I might need a few more clues. How would I copy the ISO to the NVMe drive and then boot from it? Might need some hand holding here. I am bailing on the old surface and just hoping to get by until I have enough for some sort of Linux tablet (might be a Surface Pro, but so far not real keen). I am trying to do the same now for a RPi 4 w/ the snazzy Argon m.2 case. It has a 512gb NVMe drive connected via a plug to one of the USB3 ports. I want to install openSUSE on the SSD, but cannot figure out how to do that from the microSD and think I should just run the installer.
    – DrKC
    Commented Feb 5, 2023 at 21:49
  • Did you review the links in first comment. I typically now have a full install & mount a folder with the ISO to use grub2's loopmount. Before with smaller flash drives, it just installed grub using removable command and manually created my own grub.cfg. I also have extracted ISO to a larger FAT32 partition, moved esp,boot flags to it temporarily and had that work. help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2/ISOBoot & help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2/ISOBoot/Examples Getting path correct & having correct parameters for different ISO are usually the biggest issues.
    – oldfred
    Commented Feb 5, 2023 at 22:50
  • I take it then my first step is to pull the NVMe out of the Surface/RPi case and plug them into my working openSUSE computer.
    – DrKC
    Commented Mar 17, 2023 at 21:23

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