Load and run Debian from a USB stick

["Michael Martinell" <mike@dakotasioux.com>]

I am attempting to get debian to run completely from an USB hard drive.

I have followed the instructions at
http://www.debian.org/releases/sarge/i386/ch04s04.html with success.
However this only enables me to boot from the usb drive and then do a full
install to the hard drives.  I want the entire boot sequence to run from
usb.  The only thing that I want on the actual hard drives are installed
applications and data.

I have tried created an USB boot disk like I would a floppy with the idea
that I could put the /boot partition on the usb however I have failed with
this.

Is this possible to accomplish?  Does anybody have any documentation on
how they did this?