How to Create a Bootable USB Computer with Linux

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Creating a bootable USB computer involves installing a full Linux operating system directly onto a USB drive. This way, you can carry your personalized Linux system with you, plug it into any computer, and boot from it to access your OS and files. Follow this guide to create a portable Linux system on a USB drive.

Prerequisites

Before getting started, ensure you have the following:

  • A USB drive with at least 16GB of storage (preferably 32GB or more for extra space)
  • A USB drive with around 4-8GB of storage
  • A computer with internet access
  • An ISO file of the Linux distribution you want to install (we will use Ubuntu for this guide)
  • A tool to create a bootable USB (e.g., Rufus for Windows or Etcher for macOS/Linux)

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Download the Linux Distribution ISO

  1. Go to the Ubuntu download page and download the latest version of the Ubuntu ISO file.
  2. Ensure you are downloading the correct version (e.g., 64-bit) for your system.

Step 2: Create a Bootable USB Installer

Use Etcher to create the bootable USB installer. Follow these steps to create the installer:

Using Etcher
  1. Insert the smaller USB drive for the installer into your computer.
  2. Open Etcher.
  3. Click “Flash from file” and choose the Ubuntu ISO file.
  4. Select the USB drive as the target.
  5. Click “Flash!” to create the bootable installer.
  6. Wait until the process is complete and close Etcher.

Step 3: Install Linux onto the Larger USB Drive

  1. Insert the larger USB drive (at least 16GB) into your computer.
  2. Insert the smaller USB drive (the installer) into your computer as well.
  3. Restart your computer and boot from the USB installer (which is on the smaller USB). Access the boot menu by pressing the appropriate key during startup (common keys include F2, F12, Esc, or Del).
  4. Select the USB drive containing the installer to start the Ubuntu live environment.
  5. Once in the live environment, click on “Install Ubuntu.”
Installation Steps
  1. Proceed with the installation process. When asked about installation type, choose “Something else” to manually partition the drives.
  2. Identify the larger USB drive in the list of storage devices. It may be listed as /dev/sdb, /dev/sdc, etc. Be careful not to select your computer’s internal drive as this may wipe out your whole system.
  3. Select the larger USB drive and create the following partitions:

    • Root (/) partition: Allocate at least 8GB (or more, depending on your needs) and use the ext4 filesystem.
    • Swap partition: Allocate swap size equal to about 4GB (unless you have a lot of space on your USB drive).
    • Home (/home) partition: Allocate the remaining space for this partition if you want a separate home directory (around 20GB or more would be nice, which is why a USB drive with 32GB or more is recommended).
  4. Set the bootloader installation location to your larger USB drive (e.g., /dev/sdb, /dev/sdc, etc.).
  5. Follow the prompts to complete the installation process.

Step 4: Boot from the Larger USB Drive

  1. Remove the smaller USB drive (the installer) and leave the larger USB drive in the computer.
  2. Restart the computer and boot from the larger USB drive, following the same procedure to access the boot menu and select the USB drive.
  3. Your computer should now boot into the full Ubuntu installation on your USB drive.

Conclusion

You have now created a bootable USB computer with a full installation of Linux (Ubuntu). This portable system allows you to take your OS and files with you, and use it on any computer that supports USB booting. This USB will use the hardware of the computer it is plugged into, while having your same Linux operating system with all of your files. Enjoy the flexibility and convenience of having your personalized Linux environment at your fingertips anywhere!

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