Configure Mobile Linux and Data Partition for External Drive – Choneas
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Configure Mobile Linux and Data Partition for External Drive
Posted at Mar 29 · Edited at Mar 29
Introduction
Recently, I replaced my computer's hard drive and decided to use the old 500GB drive as an external mobile drive. Since I need to develop at school where the computer lab systems are highly restrictive, I planned to install a ready-to-use Linux (Ubuntu) system on it.
The final partition plan is as follows:
Partition
Size
File System
Notes
ESP
256 MB
FAT32
-
SWAP
8 GB
Swap
-
Root (/)
57.51 GB (50GB)
Ext4
Linux Core
Home
50 GB
Ext4
Development Environment
Data Partition
Remaining
ExFAT
Accessible on PC, Phone, etc.
Why separate the Root and Home partitions?
It allows for a cleaner experience and isolates the system from user data. I also wanted to experiment with this specific configuration.
Why create a Data Partition with the exFAT file system?
The data partition acts like a standard mobile drive or USB stick. exFAT is similar to FAT32 but without the file size limitations, and it is compatible with Android, macOS, Windows, and Linux (kernel version ≥ 5.7).
Practice
Preparation
Know which key opens your BIOS and Boot Menu.
Partitioning software (DiskGenius or Windows Disk Management).
An Ubuntu 22.04 or higher installation USB (or extra internal drive space).
A clever brain and flexible hands.
I will use an internal disk to install Ubuntu instead of a USB. If you use a USB, you might need Rufus to create a bootable drive.
Creating the Bootable Partition
Download the Ubuntu Desktop ISO from Ubuntu. I used Ubuntu 25.04.
Press Win + X, then K to open Disk Management.
Select a partition with free space, right-click, and select Shrink Volume. Shrink it by at least the size of the ISO (I used 6400MB).
Right-click the Unallocated Space and select New Simple Volume.
Follow the wizard, assign a drive letter, and select FAT32 as the file system.
Use extraction software (like Bandzip) to extract all contents of the ISO to this new partition.
Save your work and restart. Use the boot menu key to boot from the mobile drive or partition.
Installing Ubuntu
If everything goes well, you should see the installer.
Choose your language.
Select Install Ubuntu.
Choose your software and drivers as needed.
At the Installation Type screen, choose Manual Installation.
CRITICAL: In the manual partitioning interface, set the Device for boot loader installation to your external mobile disk.
Select the EFI partition, click Change, and set it to 256 MB (FAT32).
Create an 8GB Swap partition.
Create a 50GB Ext4 partition mounted at /.
⚠️
Windows and Linux use different units (GB vs GiB). Reference this table if you want exactly 50GB in Windows:
Windows Unit
Linux Unit
Actual Bytes
Conversion
1 GB
~0.9313 GiB
1,000,000,000
1 GB (Win) ≈ 0.9313 GiB
1 MB
~0.9537 MiB
1,000,000
1 MB (Win) ≈ 0.9537 MiB
1 GiB
~1.0737 GB
1,073,741,824
1 GiB (Linux) ≈ 1.0737 GB
1 MiB
~1.0486 MB
1,048,576
1 MiB (Linux) ≈ 1.0486 MB
Create a 50GB Ext4 partition mounted at /home.
💡
You can assign more mount points like /usr or /boot to separate partitions, but it is not recommended for this setup.
Complete account settings and timezone selection.
Review settings and click Install.
Once finished, Restart.
Use the boot menu to select your mobile disk (usually named Ubuntu). You can now use this system on different computers.
Planning Remaining Space
In Windows, use DiskGenius or similar. Select the free space on your mobile drive.
Create a new partition using the ExFAT file system with all remaining space.
Aftermath
Now, this mobile disk has the following features:
A portable Linux system ready for "on-the-go" development.
An ExFAT partition that works as a standard external drive (e.g., for iPhone ProRes recording).
FAT32 vs. ExFAT vs. NTFS: Which Format Is Best for Your Storage Drive?
When you are reformatting a drive, memory card, or flash drive you need to pick a file format. If you see FAT32, exFAT, and NTFS, but don't know which one to pick, here's what you need to know.
