Rufus - minios-linux/minios-live GitHub Wiki

Using Rufus (Windows)

Rufus is a popular utility for Windows that helps format and create bootable USB drives.

Important

⚠️ Warning: Incorrect device selection will result in data loss! Always double-check the selected drive and backup important data.

Drive Requirements

Drive Size

See Hardware Compatibility Guide for detailed system requirements and drive sizes.

Installing Rufus

  1. Download Rufus from the official website
  2. Run the program - Rufus doesn't require installation, it's a portable application

Creating Bootable USB Drive

Rufus offers two methods for writing MiniOS to a USB drive:

Method 1: DD Mode (Recommended)

  1. Launch Rufus as administrator
  2. Select the USB drive in the "Device" field
  3. Select the MiniOS ISO file:
    • Click the "SELECT" button
    • Find and select the downloaded MiniOS ISO file
  4. Choose write mode:
    • In the "Hybrid ISO image detected" dialog, select "Write in DD Image mode"
  5. Start the process: Click the "START" button
  6. Confirm the action - all data on the drive will be deleted
  7. Wait for completion of the writing process

Method 2: ISO Mode (Alternative)

  1. Launch Rufus as administrator
  2. Select the USB drive in the "Device" field
  3. Select the MiniOS ISO file:
    • Click the "SELECT" button
    • Find and select the downloaded MiniOS ISO file
  4. Choose write mode:
    • In the "Hybrid ISO image detected" dialog, select "Write in ISO Image mode"
  5. Configure settings:
    • File system: FAT32 (recommended) or NTFS
    • ⚠️ When choosing NTFS: EFI mode booting may be unavailable
  6. Start the process: Click the "START" button
  7. Confirm formatting - all data on the drive will be deleted

Automatic Change Persistence

MiniOS will automatically detect the writing method and configure change persistence:

  • DD mode: If free space is available, will create an ext4 partition for maximum performance
  • ISO mode: Uses a dynamic file for saving changes

Parameter Configuration (for Advanced Users)

When precise persistence configuration is needed, boot parameters can be used:

  • perchmode=native - Direct saving to partition (for DD mode)
  • perchmode=dynfilefs - Dynamically expandable file
  • perchmode=raw - Fixed-size file
  • perchsize=8000 - Data storage space size in MB

Details in boot parameters.