If you install your OS to one drive; can you remove the drive, then boot your OS in another computer off of that drive?

Theorically yes. But from BIOS you've to say to make the boot from the USB. I would not recommend it. You can insert that HDD directly in an other PC

depends on the os but in most cases no

@davide why boot from USB instead of my hard drive?

@davide or do I need an additional USB to make it possible?

@Rudi9719 do you want to replace the OS from an existing computer or insert that HD in an other one?

Windows is probably a little more resilient to this as long as the changes aren’t extreme intel to amd etc.

they do this at my university with laptops that have to go in for service! that way you you can just keep on working. (they only do it for university sponsored laptops, so they're all the same model)

I think that as long you have the drivers you need it's ok, theoretically.
Never done that though!

I'm doing this with Debian 9; I already had to install kexts for my laptop. Gonna test the install on my desktop tomorrow and pray. If this works I'll be so happy lol

Let us know!

@magicleon can do!! If this works, my job might adopt it since we all use the same computer. My laptop is different though so fingers crossed.

You need the hardware to be consistent between both computers.
Otherwise, how would your body handle going from earth to space?

windows xp to 10, personally tested, yes, but on startup it will take like half hour to reinstall all the drivers, fail installing some, and generally will cause the system into a state of gradual decomposition into total instability, over the next 6 months

@magicleon update: I've tested it on 2 MacBook Pro's using Debian 9 - a 2011 and 2012, as well as an old ass HP Compaq 6710b. After your comment earlier I abandoned my idea and switched to a 128GB USB 3.0 Sandisk Fit. It's been working on those three machines sans SATA dock. Only issue was I had to install some stuff to /lib/firmware/b43 for WiFi on the Macs. I was not expecting it to work on the Compaq at all because of its age but it ran smooth as butter on a hot summer day. Tomorrow I'm going to test my workstation to see if it will support the USB boot. I'll be using the PCI USB 3.0 Port on my desktop for testing.

@dfox ++'d this 😍😍😍 I must be on to something

@Rudi it's only a matter of drivers then

It's a all about the drivers.
I was able to install a MacOS on a USB drive and plug&play on all Apple devices I had access to (MacBook, MB Pro, iMac).