Full installation of Linux on a Flash drive. Bootable USB flash drive with Linux Mint

Ubuntu is an operating system. Before installing Ubuntu OS, you need to understand where the boot will come from. If you have a disk drive, it is better to use a disk with boot files. If you do not have a floppy drive or disk on which you can burn Ubuntu, you will have to create a bootable USB flash drive.
A bootable flash drive is more practical and convenient than a disk

Bootable USB flash drive for Ubuntu

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

The Unetbootin program does not require installation, so after downloading we launch 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 by which it is designated.
Click “Ok” and wait for the work to complete.

When working with Unetbootin, there is a hang during the installation phase. Don't rush to cancel the action. You may have to wait 10 minutes until the program hangs and continues working.

Unetbootin does not require installation

Now all that remains is to install the operating system on the computer. Let's figure out how to do this further.

BIOS to help

The installation will not cause you any difficulties, except for the initial boot of the USB drive. If you have not encountered a similar question, then you will have difficulties. If you insert a bootable USB flash drive into your computer and reboot, the operating system will not automatically install in all cases. To do this, you will have to go into BIOS mode and configure the PC to boot from the desired media.

To enter the BIOS immediately after turning on the PC, press Del or F2

To enter this mode immediately after turning on the PC, press Del or F2. These are common keys for entering BIOS. If it doesn’t work out for you, when the PC boots up, carefully look at the startup screen, it indicates the button that will launch the mode. Depending on your PC model, a menu will open in which you can change the startup order.

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

Change Password
OS installation
Virus scan

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

One of these buttons will bring up a blue Boot Menu window

Installing Ubuntu from a USB flash drive: step-by-step instructions

Installing OSes from a flash drive can also be done on an empty hard drive. The process is simple, you just have to click “Next” and select the values you need. In the Installation Type section, you can select Other Option. A sign indicating your hard drive will appear in front of you. Now let's create a few more sections. Click “New partition table”. Let's create three sections:

Root with OS location

creating partitions in Ubuntu is easy

home partition where files will be stored

home partition where files will be stored

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

swap partition when there is not enough memory

For each of them you need to select a certain amount of memory, depending on the capabilities of the PC. For the OS location we define 30 GB, for the auxiliary memory 2 GB is enough, but we distribute the rest of the memory to the home memory 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 next to another OS

If you have Windows on your PC, but you want to install a second operating system, you need to find out how to do this without losing data. The installer will determine and indicate that there is another OS on the PC. You will be offered automatic installation, complete removal of the previous version and manual configuration. Select the last option “Other option”.

We are faced with the most difficult boot step - disk partitioning. Due to the fact that we need a different OS, we will have to allocate another partition on the hard drive for the new OS. We have a table with an existing disk or disks. All partitions are allocated for the current OS, so we need to allocate space for the one being installed. Next we select:

“Free space” – “Add”.
As in the first case, create a root partition “/”. Select the volume, from 20 to 30 GB.
Add a home partition and allocate the required possible volume (you can allocate all the remaining memory, just don’t forget to leave 2GB)
We need these 2 GB for the swap partition.
Select the hard drive as the storage location for the bootloader and click “Install Now”

WATCH THE VIDEO

Installing ubuntu next to windows 7 is a dangerous task for beginners, and if you do not understand this, it is better to turn to professionals. After all, in the event of some error, all your data from your PC may be lost. By the way, installing windows on ubuntu thanks to VirtualBox will also not take much time.

Installation by other methods

There is a method in this topic: installing ubuntu over the network. This option takes a lot of time and requires certain knowledge. Therefore, if you do not have a wealth of knowledge in this area, then it is better not to take it on. It is much easier to install the OS via a disk or flash drive.

Once the download is complete, the setup after installing ubuntu is simple. You complete all the required steps during installation. This is the choice of interface language, choice of location, time, naming the PC 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 to have patience and knowledge that will allow you to understand this topic. After installation, you will have to configure 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.

It often happens that when wanting to install an OS, a person is faced with the fact that his disk drive is broken or missing. This problem occurs especially often among laptop owners. But don’t be upset, because there is an alternative - installation from flash driveLinux. To do this, you don’t need much programming knowledge, because there are special programs that will “burn” a Linux image onto your flash drive just like a disk. All you have to do is start the installation process.

So, before how to installLinuxfrom a flash drive, you will need a flash drive with the image recorded on it. If you don't know how to do this, get all the information you need at .

Step 1 – preparationBIOSfor installation

As an example, consider installing the Linux Mint distribution. In order to installationLinuxMintfrom a flash drive started, you need to configure startup settings.

We insert the flash drive into the computer, turn it on and at the very beginning, when the screen is black and there is a lot of text, press the F2 button. Depending on the BIOS version and the computer, this may be another button - F10, Delete or Esc.

We find ourselves in the settings menu and now we need to find the “Boot” item. Again, it may be called differently in different BIOS versions, but use this word as a guide. After we have found the autorun menu, a list of priorities appears before our eyes. It contains: hard drive, floppy drive, removable hard drive, USB inputs, etc. Our task is to find a flash drive in this list and put it in 1st place as a priority.

This is done like this - point the arrows at the name (for example: “USB 40GB DEVICE”) and move it by pressing the F5 and F6 buttons until the flash drive is in 1st place.

Now the system will launch the flash drive first. Press F10 and confirm the exit by entering the Y (Yes) key and pressing the Enter button.

Reboot the computer.

Step 2 – Start the installation process

After your computer restarts, you will see the startup menu. It is often decorated with various images, so you will know exactly what it is. Press Enter.

If nothing has changed or something went wrong, restart your computer and review the menu list in detail. Perhaps the recorded image contains not only, but also various programs.

Step 3 – installation from a flash driveLinux

All the suffering is over! Already at the beginning of installation you are greeted by a friendly Russian-language interface. Start by selecting your language - select your desired language.

Next, you need to make sure that your computer has enough free hard drive memory, is connected to a power source, and is connected to the Internet. You can immediately agree to have the latest updates automatically downloaded during installation.

Click "Forward". We get to the hard drive selection menu. In it you can format and split sections, if desired. Specify the partition (disk) in which you want to install the operating system and click the “Install Now” button.

We get to the section change menu. Here you can increase the amount of memory, change the file system type, format the partition and specify the mount point. We use the “Ext4” file system and set the mount point “/”. If there is no valuable information on the hard drive, it is advisable to format the partition. Click “Install Now”.

Now we select the country and city of residence so that the system automatically sets the time and other indicators to suit your personal needs. We also indicate the keyboard layout. All you have to do is enter the desired name for your computer, username and password (optional). Click “Forward” and start the installation process.

After installation is complete, restart your computer, remove the USB flash drive and wait for the Linux operating system to start.

Congratulations! Installation completed successfully!

We assume a situation where Windows is installed on the user's computer. And immediate advice: keep this system, at least for the first time. Linux and, above all, Ubuntu presented in this article, are of course user-oriented, but in some cases they are strikingly different from Windows.

First you need to know that you and your equipment can handle the system. This is where the first major advantage of Ubuntu comes into play: you can absolutely safely try a new system without harming the already installed Windows. Linux on a USB drive Users can download the system for free from the manufacturer's website (ubuntu.com/download/desktop).

Attention! Both 32-bit and 64-bit versions are available. If you have 4 GB of RAM or more, take the 64-bit version. One way or another, this version is more modern because it can even handle modern UEFI firmware, which will be an advantage if you need to install Ubuntu in parallel with your existing Windows.

The file from Ubuntu will be downloaded to your computer in ISO format, after which you can burn it to a USB drive using a free program, for example, Universal USB Installer(goo.gl/dXQ9yw). The size of the flash drive must be at least 2 GB. Configure the Universal USB Installer as follows: for “Step 1” select “Ubuntu”, for “Step 2” through the “Browse” button go to the ISO file with Ubuntu that you want to burn to the USB drive, select it and click on “Open” .

For “Step 3” you need to select a USB drive from the drop-down menu. Clicking “Create” starts the recording process. Please note that this action will permanently delete all data previously saved on the flash drive. Therefore, at this moment you will see a warning that you need to close by clicking on the “Yes” button. After about 3-5 minutes, the USB drive is ready for use.

Starting the system in Live CD mode

Ubuntu runs from a USB stick or our premium DVD without affecting Windows. To boot from a flash drive, you need to change the startup order of your computer. This is done in the BIOS/UEFI menu, usually called up by the “Del”, “F2” or “F12” keys; in special cases, the correct key will be prompted by startup messages; some laptops have a special button above the keyboard for this.

In the BIOS/UEFI, look for menu items such as “Boot” or “Startup” and place external media in front of the built-in SSD or hard drive. When exiting the BIOS/UEFI, the changes should be confirmed, and then reboot the computer with the connected flash drive or DVD installed.

If everything worked out for you, Ubuntu should start instead of Windows. When you select the “Try Ubuntu without installing” option from the boot menu, the system will start in Live CD mode. Please note that this will make the system much slower than a normal installation.

First of all, this concerns slow USB 2.0 connections. Using a USB 3.0 connector would solve this problem.

Hardware Compliance Check

The benefit of using a USB stick or DVD is that you'll know right away whether your hardware can handle Ubuntu. Whether the screen resolution is supported, whether the Bluetooth keyboard is recognized and whether it connects to the Internet via Wi-Fi.

If such testing is not important to you for now, you can run Ubuntu in a virtual machine to evaluate the system first. For this purpose, we recommend VirtualBox (virtualbox.org) on Windows because it is very easy to set up. In the program, click on “Create”, in the “Name” line enter “Ubuntu 16.04” and accept all the Wizard’s suggestions with a few clicks on “Next”.

After Ubuntu appears on the main VirtualBox screen, click on the “Media” section, and in it, click on the empty line under “Controller: IDE”. Click on the small disk icon on the right side, and then through "Select optical disk image" find the Ubuntu ISO file.

Using the "Launch" button, you can boot the virtual machine and begin configuring and testing the system.

Alternatives to the Ubuntu system

>Linux Mint along with Ubuntu, it is one of the most popular distribution kits among beginners. Technically, Mint uses Ubuntu, or rather Debian, as its base, and offers different desktop interfaces in Cinnamon and MATE versions. For two years now, Mint has been focusing on stability.

> openSUSE- another popular distribution aimed at stability and comfort. Easy-to-use configuration tools in the YAST (Yet Another Setup Tool) software package are a distinctive feature of the system. hours in pavilion 8, where demonstration implantation will take place.

> Debian- the technical basis of many distributions, including Ubuntu and Mint, with over 20 years of experience. This system is intended primarily for experienced users. The main idea is to use free software, which often means reduced comfort.

Photo: manufacturing company

Background

A “pocket distribution” is quite a convenient thing, because the vast majority of computers run Windows, and many people want to get a familiar working environment outside the home.

For a long time I used an SD card with SLAX. The distribution is convenient, customizable, can completely load into RAM and free up the port. However, the project has been frozen for 3 years and has outdated software. Lack of support for ext4 file systems and new hardware (especially video cards and WI-FI routers) forced me to abandon this system.

UPD: Slax has already been defrosted and a new version has been released. Details.

Next, I had the idea of installing the OS on a flash drive using the built-in tools of the Ubuntu system. But due to irrational preservation of changes, this system had to be abandoned. In the end, it was decided to use an installer called Ubiquity. It is this that is contained in the LiveCD and installs it onto the hard drive. Since this option requires much more space than the default CD image, I purchased a new 16 GB flash drive - Apacer AH325:

The distribution for installation was selected Linux Mint 12, about which already earlier. In general, you can use any Linux system, but it is better to opt for Ubuntu or ubuntu-based distributions.

Note: if you are going to make full use of the temporary partition (for example, watch large videos on YouTube), then it is better to increase the 100 megabyte limit. I don’t recommend removing the limit, because a frozen application can crash the entire system, filling up the temporary folder with its copies.

First boot

...as always, it lasts a long time. The main thing is to wait until the download is complete and do not interrupt it, otherwise the file system of the flash drive may be damaged.

You should then be greeted by the LightDM menu. After entering the password you will receive a fully functional system. You can begin further configuration and downloading packages. However, the best thing to do first is to open Update Manager and bring the system up to date. Everything else depends on your needs and tastes. But that is another story...

Results

So, the end result is a bootable flash drive, which is a full-fledged Linux desktop capable of handling almost any task.

I would advise you to always back up important data “to the cloud” (Ubuntu One,

Very often people have the desire or need to install Ubuntu on a USB drive and be able to use their OS on any computer (as long as it is possible to boot from USB).

This article describes the process of installing Ubuntu on USB drives.

Some important notes and useful information are collected in the article Installing and using Ubuntu on a USB flash drive. It is worth familiarizing yourself with it before you start installing Ubuntu on a USB drive.

Preparing for installation

Download the system image from here. If you do not plan to run the system on machines with more than 4 GB of RAM, it is preferable to choose 32-bit.

Burning an image

After the image has downloaded, it must be burned to a CD or USB drive.

The easiest way to write an image to a USB drive is using UNetbootin. This program is available for most popular operating systems (Windows, Linux, Mac) and is quite easy to use. All you need to do is specify the path to the downloaded image and select the disk on which the image will be written.

You can do without burning the image to any media by using a virtual machine, such as VirtualBox or QEMU. You just need to insert a USB drive into the virtual machine. Further instructions for this method will not change.

Before booting, make sure that the BIOS selects USB or CD-ROM as the first boot device, depending on what you are booting from. You can get into the BIOS by pressing the Del key for desktop computers and F2 or F12 for laptops. For information on how to select a device to download, look on the Internet or read the instructions for your computer.

If everything is done correctly, you will see in front of you loaded with Live CD system.

Preparing a USB Drive

Launch the GParted program.

Select the device you are going to install Ubuntu on.

Format it to Ext2 or Ext4 file system. You can also divide the USB drive into 2 partitions so that it can be used for its intended purpose (transferring files from one computer to another). To do this, format the first partition in FAT32 (so that the partition is visible in Windows), and select the Ext2 or Ext4 file system for Ubuntu as the second partition. It is advisable to allocate at least 6 GB to the second partition so that you don’t have to worry about running out of space to install additional programs.