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💾 Get the Whole Library on a USB Drive

The full library (every book, Wikipedia, offline maps and an offline AI) is too big for a website. You copy it onto a USB drive while you still have internet. After that it works with no internet at all.

⚠️ What you need

You can stop any time and carry on later. Nothing is lost, and nothing on your drive is erased.

📥 Step 1: Download the kit

⬇️ Download the installer kit (ark-illinois-valley-kit.zip)

One zip file, about 40 MB. It works on Windows, Mac and Linux.

🧰 Building the ARK Vault? Use this same kit. See the ARK Vault guide.

🧰 Step 2: Unzip it and start the installer

Windows

  1. In your Downloads folder, right-click ark-illinois-valley-kit → Extract All → Extract.
  2. In the folder that opens, double-click INSTALL-Windows.
  3. If a blue box says Windows protected your PC, click More info, then Run anyway.
  4. A black window opens (leave it open), then a page in your web browser.

Mac

  1. In your Downloads folder, open the ark-illinois-valley-kit folder (double-click the zip first if needed).
  2. Double-click INSTALL-Mac.
  3. If the Mac says it can't open it: click Done, go to Apple menu → System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll down and click Open Anyway.
  4. A Terminal window opens (leave it open), then a page in your web browser.

Linux

Unzip the kit, open a terminal in that folder, type bash INSTALL-Linux.sh and press Enter.

✅ Step 3: Pick your drive and press Start

  1. Plug in your drive and click it in the list.
  2. It has already picked what fits. Leave it, or change the ticks.
  3. Press Start the download and leave the computer on.
  4. When it says The library is on your drive, you're done. Eject the drive before unplugging it.

📏 How big a drive?

Drive size What fits
16 GB All the guides and local books, a small AI, the medical encyclopedia, maps of Oregon
32 GB Adds a short Wikipedia (the opening of every article) and maps of Oregon and California
64 GB Adds the repair encyclopedias, a bigger AI and maps of the whole USA
128 GB Adds all of Wikipedia (words only)
256 GB or more Everything, including Wikipedia with pictures

A small external SSD is faster and tougher than a flash drive, but both work.

If you tick the map viewer for computers, the installer leaves some space empty on purpose (about 30 GB for the whole USA). The viewer uses it the first time you open it.

🔌 Make the drive work everywhere

Use a drive formatted exFAT. It opens on Windows, Mac, Linux and most tablets. Most new drives already are; the installer warns you if yours isn't.

To change a drive to exFAT (this erases it, so copy off anything you want first):

🔁 Using, copying and updating it

❓ If something goes wrong

Problem Fix
The browser warns about the download Choose Keep
Nothing happens, or "files are missing" You opened it inside the zip. Unzip it first (Step 2)
The browser page doesn't open Type the web address shown in the black (or Terminal) window into your browser
My drive isn't listed Wait a few seconds and click look again
It stopped partway Run it again, pick the same drive, press Continue
Some items are missing A few websites didn't answer. Press Try the missing ones again, or run it again later
It says too big Untick something (Wikipedia with pictures and US maps are the biggest)
Lots of space still free when it's done That's the map viewer's space (see above)
A Mac or tablet won't open the drive The drive needs to be exFAT (see above)

Still stuck? Take a photo of the black window and show it to someone helping you.

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