Linux is not installed from a flash drive. Installing Ubuntu LINUX from a flash drive - instructions

It is hardly worth explaining the advantages of an operating system located on a compact removable media. It is perfect for a variety of purposes, and for advanced technical specialists it can be indispensable. Running Ubuntu from a flash drive without installing it is more than possible - all Linux users are well aware of this. But such a system has a minimal software package. While command line work is supported, the functionality of the solution may not be enough. But this is also easy to fix.

Please note that USB drives are not designed for this role. The number of write cycles for them is small, and they are not very resistant to breakage. This is a price for cheapness and mobility. Therefore, it is not worth installing an OS on an external drive for permanent and serious work. The reason is simple - any operating system constantly saves temporary data to the media. The file system and changes are also logged. If you use a flash drive in a typical role, it will last for a long time.

IMPORTANT. It is better not to store important files on a flash drive with an OS. By running the OS, you can work with them in the cloud, or keep them on a separate drive.

What about solid state drives, you ask? The thing is, they are much more reliable. SSD drives are rated for billions of write cycles. Although they work on the same technology, they include useful “self-protection” features against wear.

The variety of features of Linux - a reason for the "envy" of other operating systems. We can not use special tools in order to launch Ubuntu from a USB flash drive, but get by with standard tools.

IMPORTANT. At the beginning of the OS installation on external media, make sure that the system is not currently running from it.

After that, you can proceed with the installation as you would normally do it - from the "desktop" operating system. The setting will be needed only at the disk partitioning stage. Automatic layout must be disabled, and instead, select its manual method. If the media is correctly identified, then it should be visible in the drive selection window as /dev/sdb (/dev/sda is your primary drive with the system installed).

System improvement

Installing Ubuntu on a flash drive as a full-fledged OS turned out to be quite simple, right? But that's not all. You need to make sure that the speed of operation will be acceptable, and increase the life of the drive. Now we will "conjure" over the system already installed on the USB flash drive.

To get started, open the following configuration file:

Enter on the command line:

/dev/sdb1 / btrfs errors=remount-ro,noatime,nodiratime,compress=lzo,ssd,commit=60 0 1

This is the optimal set of instructions for working with SSD drives. We “equal” precisely to them, because installing the OS on a USB flash drive is not provided initially.

You can also add settings for accessing RAM. They will help the system access the disk less often, using RAM more often for the same purposes:

$ sudo sysctl -w vm.laptop_mode=120
$ sudo sysctl -w vm.dirty_writeback_centisecs=12000
$ sudo sysctl -w vm.dirty_expire_centisecs=12000

ATTENTION. Do not forget to back up your personal data on a flash drive more often! She will not be able to warn you before the final wear and "death" of memory blocks.

Possible problems

If it is important for you to install Ubuntu on a flash drive as a full-fledged OS, we remind you again - yes, you will get the same OS as on a desktop computer. She will be stable and safe. may not suit you.

Also, beware of these issues:

1. Do not use journaled file systems for portable drives. This will have a very bad effect on their survivability. Journaling greatly increases the number of file system accesses.
2. It is advisable to abandon the swap partition (swap). It also generates a huge number of memory accesses. The installer will ask you to create it again. Give a negative answer.

IMPORTANT. If you accept the default settings, the PC will not be able to boot without an external drive.

conclusions

As you can see, if Ubuntu is installed correctly on a USB flash drive, it is not difficult to use it as a full-fledged OS, only the desire and availability of a free USB drive are important. Some precautions are only important at first - later on you will be able to use a portable distribution just like any other. Just remember to back up your data.

Do you want to learn more Linux tricks? Then read the materials of our site, communicate with users in the comments and visit us more often!

Ubuntu is an operating system. Before installing the Ubuntu OS, you need to figure out where the boot will come from. If you have a disk drive, it is better to use a disk with boot files. If you don't have a floppy drive or disk to burn Ubuntu to, you'll have to create a bootable flash drive.
A bootable flash drive is more practical and more convenient than a disk

Bootable flash drive for Ubuntu

Before we figure out how to install the operating system, let's create a bootable USB drive. To do this, we need an ISO image with the latest version of Ubuntu. If you don't have it, download from the official site. Next, we find the Unetbootin program. Now let's format the flash drive, as indicated below.

The Unetbootin program does not require installation, so after downloading, run it. Now we follow the steps:

• Specify the location of the image with the software
• The program finds the flash drive on its own, or we indicate the letter with which it is designated
• Click "OK" and wait for the work to complete.

When working with Unetbootin, a hang occurs during the installation phase. Do not rush to cancel the action. You may have to wait 10 minutes for the program to hang and continue working.

Now it remains to install the operating system on the computer. How to do this, we will understand further.

BIOS to help

Installation will not cause you any difficulties, except for directly booting the USB drive. If you have not encountered a similar issue, then you will have difficulties. If you insert a bootable USB flash drive into the computer and reboot, then not in all cases the automatic installation of the operating system will start. To do this, you will have to go into BIOS mode and there configure the PC to boot from the desired media.

To enter this mode immediately after turning on the PC, press Del or F2. These are common keys for entering BIOS. If you didn’t succeed, when you boot your PC, carefully look at the startup screen, there is a button that will start the mode. Depending on your PC model, you will see a menu where you can change the startup order.

In addition to BIOS, the Boot Menu can help you. It is by calling it at the beginning of the boot that you can specify the desired way to start the PC. This method is used for a one-time change:

1. password change
2. OS installation
3. Virus Scan

Therefore, this method is better to use in our case. To call the Boot Menu, you need to immediately after turning on, click on:

Installing Ubuntu from a flash drive: step by step instructions

Installing OS from a USB flash drive can also be done on an empty hard drive. This process is simple, you only have to click "Next" and select the values ​​\u200b\u200bthat you need. In the "Installation Type" section, you can select "Other Option". You will see a sign indicating the hard drive. Now let's create some more sections. Click "New Partition Table". Let's create three sections:

• Root with OS location

• home partition where files will be stored

• swap partition - the same one, in case of lack of memory

For each of them, you need to select a certain amount of memory, depending on the capabilities of the PC. We define 30GB for the location of the OS, 2 GB is enough for the auxiliary one, but we distribute the rest of the memory to the home one, to accommodate personal files. Then we determine the location of the bootloader (this is the hard drive) and click "Install now".

How to install Ubuntu side by side with another OS

If your PC is running Windows but you want to install a second operating system, you need to know how to do it without losing data. The installer itself will determine and indicate that another OS is present on the PC. You will be offered an automatic installation, a complete removal of the previous version, and manual configuration. We select the last "Other option".

Before us is the most difficult step of loading - disk partitioning. Due to the fact that we need another OS, we will have to allocate another partition on the hard drive for the new OS. Before us is a table with an already existing disk or disks. All partitions are allocated for the current OS, so we need to allocate space for the one being installed. Next, choose:

• "Free space" - "Add".
• As in the first case, we create the root partition "/". We choose the volume, from 20 to 30 GB.
• Add a home partition and allocate the necessary possible amount (you can allocate all the remaining memory, just remember to leave 2GB)
• We need these 2 GB for the swap partition.
• Select the hard drive as the bootloader storage location and click "Install Now"

WATCH VIDEO

Installing ubuntu next to windows 7 is a dangerous business for beginners, and if you are not familiar with this, it is better to turn to professionals. After all, in the event of some kind of error, all your data from the PC can fly off. By the way, installing windows on ubuntu thanks to VirtualBox does not take much time either.

Installation by other methods

There is a way in this thread: installing ubuntu over network. This option takes a very long time and requires certain knowledge. Therefore, if you do not have a store of knowledge in this area, then it is better not to take it. It is much easier to install the OS through a disk or USB flash drive.

Once the download completes, the setup after installing ubuntu is simple. You complete all required steps during installation. This is the choice of interface language, the choice of location, time, PC naming and setting a password. Otherwise, the required initial programs will be provided to you.

And finally

You may need a dedicated server. Installing ubuntu server will solve this problem. But the process itself is very difficult. In addition to the ubuntu server program, you will need patience and knowledge to help you understand this topic. After installation, you are waiting for setting up the ubuntu server network. As a result, you will get your own dedicated server on Ubuntu OS for work and your own projects.

Now you know everything about installing Ubuntu from a flash drive.

Ubuntu - takes an honorable third place in the world of operating systems, and probably every experienced PC user has ever thought about experiencing new user experiences from using it. Below we will show you how to install Ubuntu on your computer using a USB flash drive.

What you will need:

• USB stick with 4 to 9 GB of memory on board. During the installation process, the flash drive will be formatted - make sure that there are no important files on it. Create a backup just in case;
• computer with an operating system already installed. Microsoft Windows, Mac OS or OS Linux;
• a backup copy of the “native system”, if it contains important data.

Case 1. Starting point - Windows 10,8.1, 7, Vista or XP

Installing Linux Live USB Creator

Step 1. Download Linux Live USB Creator. It is distributed free of charge and is available from the official website of the developer.

Step 2

Step 3 We read useful information and click "Next".

Step 4 Specify the path where the program will be located after installation - "Install". Installation starts.

Step 5 After the download line has reached its end, click on the "Next" button.

Step 6 Close the installer by clicking on the "Finish" button.

Downloading an Ubuntu Disk Image (ISO) File

The ISO file is, in fact, your OS. The hallmark of the Ubuntu operating system is its openness. You can download it absolutely free from the official website.

Create an installation USB flash drive

Step 1. Open the program Linux Live USB Creator.

Step 2 We insert an empty flash drive into the USB port of the PC.

Step 3

Step 4 In the column "CHOOSE A SOURCE", click on the first icon of the disk image and specify the path to the ISO file.

Step 5 We leave the next two columns unchanged - STEP 3 and STEP 4, respectively.
Step 6 The program will check the amount of available memory on the drive and give you the result.

Step 7 In the "STEP 5" column, left-click on the lightning bolt icon. The program will start creating a bootable USB flash drive. The process can take from several minutes to 15, depending on the power of the PC.

When the download is complete, the program will notify you of its successful completion. If you are a Windows user, skip the following sections up to "Part 2: Installing the OS".

Case 2: Starting point - Mac OS

Step 1.

Step 2 We open the terminal. The key combination Ctrl + spacebar will open the search for the Spotlight system, type “Terminal” in the input field and click on the corresponding icon.

Step 3 In the window that opens, enter the following text:

The installation flash drive has been created! If you have a Mac, skip the next part.

Case 3. Starting point - OS Linux

Step 1.

Step 2 We insert the flash drive into the PC.

Step 3 Open the terminal with the key combination Ctrl + Alt + F1-F12 or through the application menu "Dash".

Step 4 In the window that opens, enter the following text:

Ready! The computer has written the installation data to a flash drive.

Part 2. Installing the OS

Step 1. Open the BIOS menu. To do this, during system boot, press the key on the keyboard corresponding to your brand. We list a few of these keys in the table below.

Step 2

Step 3 Press Enter - the system reboots and starts

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

Step 8 Select your time zone and click "Continue".

Step 9

Step 10 Create an Ubuntu account and click on the familiar button in the lower left corner of the window.

Step 11 A window will appear with a download line. Wait until it reaches the end and click on the "Restart Now" button.

The system will turn on after which you will only have to log in and start working in a new environment. Congratulations! You have successfully installed Ubuntu on your computer.

Read the detailed, step-by-step instructions in the new article -

Video - Installing Ubuntu from a flash drive

If you decide to install Ubuntu, but your computer does not have a laser disc drive, you should not run to friends or the store. Today, installing Ubuntu does not require a floppy drive, you can easily create a bootable USB flash drive.

Creating a bootable USB flash drive using WinSetupFromUSB

1. Download the Ubuntu image, fortunately, this OS is free, so there can be no problems at this step.
2. Download WinSetupFromUSB. It can be found on the official Microsoft website.
3. Run WinSetupFromUSB.
4. On the main window, select the USB flash drive you want to use as bootable. (Back up all important data stored on the drive first, because it will be formatted during the program).
5. Check the box next to "Auto format".
6. Check the box next to "Linux ISO".
7. Click on the button with three dots and tell the program the location of the Ubuntu image.
8. A dialog box will appear on the screen asking you to name the Grub bootloader item. You can write any phrase, for example, "Installing ubuntu from a flash drive". It will not affect the installation process in any way.
9. Click on the "Go" button, after which the application will notify that all data on the flash drive will be deleted. Confirm your choice and wait for the process to finish.

Creating a boot drive with Unetbootin

1. As in the previous case, first download the Ubuntu OS image.
2. Download the Unetbootin program from the official website. It is distributed under the GPL license, so it can be used for free.
3. In order to install Ubuntu from a USB flash drive without any problems, you will need to format it before creating a bootable USB drive.
4. Double click on the "Computer" icon. Right-click on the USB drive icon and select "Format".
5. After specifying the format "FAT32", click on the "Start" button. (Formatting will delete all data on the flash drive, copy all the necessary files in advance).
6. Start Unetbootin. In this case, the program will immediately appear in full combat readiness, you do not need to install it.
7. The application is a single window in which you will have to define all the settings. In general, there are three steps to set up the settings.
8. First of all, specify the path where the Ubuntu image is stored.
9. Then select the flash drive you want to use.
10. Click "OK" and wait for the process to complete. You may think that the program is frozen. Even Windows, when trying to access an application, will note that the process is not responding. Be patient, Unetbootin often behaves this way while writing data.
11. If you do not have an Ubuntu disk image, you can select the distribution kit at the very top of the window, which will be automatically downloaded by the program. This installation method is suitable only for those who have data exchange with the Internet at high speed.

BIOS settings

After creating a bootable flash drive, you need to go into the BIOS and change the settings a little, otherwise installing Ubuntu from a flash drive will not be possible. To do this, restart your computer and follow the messages on the screen. Sometimes you need to press the F2 key to enter the BIOS settings, but most often manufacturers set the use of the "DEL" button. Here, go to the "Advanced" tab, and set the boot device (First Boot Device) to USB. Exit the BIOS and save the changes (usually this can be done by pressing the "F10" button or by selecting the appropriate item on the "Quit" tab).

Training

1. After completing all the manipulations in the BIOS settings and booting the computer, a selection menu will appear on the screen, which will prompt you to either install Ubuntu from a USB flash drive or run a LiveCD. Choose an installation.
2. Once selected, a preparation window will open. In it, the user will be asked to make sure that there is enough free space on the HDD, and in addition to connect the computer to the Internet.
3. Often it will not be possible to connect to the Internet, except when using a Wi-Fi router. If you leave the installer without the ability to connect to the world wide web, no errors will occur in the process, just the latest updates will not be downloaded. They can be installed later.
4. At the bottom of the window will be the inscription "install third-party software". Check the box next to it: third-party software is considered here that is not distributed under the GPL license.

Editing HDD Partitions

1. The window that opens will offer several options to choose from: installing Ubuntu from a USB flash drive next to another operating system, installing Linux as the main OS, or self-partitioning the hard drive.
2. Whichever option you choose, the next step will load the partition editor. In it, the user will have to choose how much space to allocate for Ubuntu. If the option with self-layout is selected, the user will be given the opportunity to completely redraw the partition table (delete existing ones, create new ones, change the size, specify the format, set the cluster size).
3. After clicking the "Install" button, the program will display a warning on the screen, saying that the partition table will be manipulated. They can take a significant amount of time.
4. Click "Continue".

Completion of preparation and installation

1. Some amount of time will pass (the duration depends on the size of the HDD, data exchange rate, fragmentation), and a new window will appear on the screen prompting you to select the language, region, keyboard layout, time zone.
2. At the next stage, the program will ask you to enter the name of the new user and his password. After filling in these details, click "Continue".
3. Preparations are complete, the installation of Ubuntu from a USB flash drive has begun. After its completion, a message will appear on the monitor screen prompting you to restart the computer.
4. After rebooting, do not forget to remove the flash drive or return the BIOS settings to their original state.

Linux can be useful to you for many reasons. For example, your old computer can't be upgraded to new versions of Windows or macOS, or you need Linux-specific apps, or you're just curious to try something new. Or maybe you just bought a new computer without an operating system and want to save money by choosing free Linux.

Installing Linux is easy. Of course, there are distributions like Arch that are quite difficult to install for a beginner. But most modern distributions are very easy to install. Perhaps even easier and faster than Windows.

Before you install Linux on your main computer, back up your important data. When working with partitions on your hard drive, you can inadvertently erase something important. Of course, if you follow the instructions and read carefully what you are doing, then nothing unexpected will happen. But - not superfluous piece in any case.

You can install Linux on computers running Windows and macOS, or on an empty hard drive. You can choose Linux as your primary system, or you can use it side by side with your old system.

1. Download the Linux distribution

First of all, you need to choose a Linux distribution. The DistroWatch.com rating will help you decide.

Then you need to download the selected distribution. It's easy to do this: open the site of the desired distribution, find the download section and choose what suits the bitness of your processor.

As a rule, Linux distributions on official sites are offered to download in two ways. The first way is a normal download. The second is through P2P using a torrent client. The second way is, of course, faster. So choose it if you want to save time.

When the distribution in ISO format is downloaded, you need to burn it to a CD or a regular USB flash drive.

Burning to a CD can be done using standard system tools: Windows Disc Image Burn or macOS Disk Utility. It is enough to click on the downloaded image with the right mouse button and select the appropriate item in the menu.

To write ISO to a USB flash drive, you will need special utilities. For Windows, it's best to choose Rufus, and for macOS, UNetbootin. These programs have a very simple interface, it is quite difficult to get confused in them.

3. Prepare disk partition

This step should be followed if you want to keep your system installed and use Linux at the same time as it. If you decide to transfer your computer to Linux completely or install the OS on an empty hard drive, skip the paragraph.

Windows

Open Windows Disk Management. Select the drive or partition from which you plan to carve some space for your Linux installation. Most distributions will be fine with 10 GB. But if you plan on installing a lot of apps, take more. Right-click on the partition and select Shrink Volume. Enter a size and click OK.

The process can take quite some time, so please be patient.

When Disk Management has finished resizing the partitions, the disk will have empty unallocated space marked in black. This is where we will install Linux.

Later, if you don’t need Linux, you can delete partitions with it and give the freed space back to Windows using the same Disk Management Tool.

macOS

You can allocate a place for installing Linux through the "Disk Utility" macOS. Select your drive and click on the "+" sign to create a partition for Linux. It may take some time to create a new partition.

4. Prepare the bootloader

Windows

This item only applies to new computers that are pre-installed with Windows 10, 8.1, or 8. These computers use a UEFI bootloader that will not allow you to boot to any system other than Windows.

To fix this, go to your computer's BIOS settings and disable the Secure Boot option. Then reboot. Done, you can now download and install other systems alongside your Windows.

macOS

Unlike most computers, a Mac requires a couple of extra steps to install Linux in a dual boot with macOS.

First of all, disable SIP. Restart your Mac and press Cmd + R. The Recovery menu will appear. Select "Terminal" in it and enter csrutil disable .

Restart your Mac again. SIP is disabled.

Manual

Suitable if you want to set the sizes for your partitions yourself or, for example, create a separate partition for your files. To do this, select "Other option" and click "Continue".

Linux will display what partitions you have on your computer. You can delete them, format them, or, conversely, leave the sections with the information you want to keep intact.

To install Linux instead of your system, select the partition with the installed system and delete it with the "-" button. Then create new partitions on the freed space.

• Root partition for Linux system files. Select the Ext4 file system and mount point /.
• A swap partition, or a swap partition, comes in handy if you don't have enough RAM, but a fast SSD drive. In the list of file systems, select Swap Partition.
• The Home section is where your files will be stored. Select an Ext4 file system and a /home mount point.

Click "Continue" and confirm the changes. The installer will erase the partitions you selected and create new ones in the freed space.

How to install Linux next to the current system

There are two ways to install Linux next to your system.

Auto

Most Linux installers detect the systems you have installed right away. If you have not created a separate disk space for Linux, you can try selecting the "Install next to Windows" option. The installer will automatically create the necessary partitions, and you do not have to do anything manually.

Manual

If you want to determine how much space to allocate the system yourself, and followed the instructions in step 3, click "Another option" and click "Continue". You will see your disk partitions and the empty space we prepared for Linux. Create a root partition there (mount point /) as described above. The home partition is not required in this case: you will be able to copy and modify files on your main system.

Click Continue. The installer will leave your files where they are. It will simply create new partitions in the free space. You will be able to choose which system you want to boot at startup.

8. Complete the Linux installation

You will then be asked to introduce yourself. Enter your name and create a password. Don't forget your password, as you will need it at all times to complete tasks on behalf of everyone. Optionally, you can encrypt your home folder.

Then just wait. When the installation completes, you will be prompted to remove the installation disk and reboot. Do not forget to disable booting from external drives in the BIOS if you enabled it.

What to do after installation

When you reboot and your Linux desktop appears in front of you, you will be able to do everything you can on Windows and macOS: surf the web, edit documents, and listen to music. Don't forget to update and look in the "App Store" (or its equivalent, depending on the distribution) to install the applications you need.

Try Linux and you will see that in everyday life it is no more complicated than Windows or macOS.