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Create Ubuntu Install Usb With Read Write Permissions

Brief: This tutorial shows the steps for actually installing Ubuntu Linux on an external US drive with the bootloader installed on the USB. It is NOT live USB set up upward. This USB volition work equally portable operating system and can be used on whatever calculator system.

Allow me think a few things.

A live USB is used for testing the distribution. It is also used for installing Linux on calculator difficult disk. Normally, any changes yous fabricated to your alive distribution is lost and this limits the usage of the live USB.

Several of It's FOSS readers requested a tutorial on installing Linux on a USB. Not the regular live USB with persistence but the bodily Ubuntu installed on a USB disk.

This means having a portable Ubuntu Linux on a USB that you can plug it in to any computer, use information technology, save your work on the USB like it was an actual hard deejay.

The process does not seem very dissimilar from installing Ubuntu on actual hard disk. And this is where people make mistakes.

The available tutorials on the internet miss the nigh crucial role: the bootloader.

Problem with bootloader on UEFI systems

The one major trouble with this setup is bootloader installation on UEFI systems. A system tin can just accept one active ESP partition at a time and it causes issues.

While installing Linux, even if you cull the USB equally the destination for bootloader, the existing ESP sectionalization is withal used for placing the EFI file for the new distribution.

ubuntu installation partition
Even if you choose to install bootloader on the external USB, it doesn't work if hard deejay already has an ESP sectionalisation

This means that the Linux installed on the external USB will be the terminal ane to update and control the bootloader. This may create several bug like:

  • The system you used for installing Linux on USB may non kick and end upward with grub error if you don't take the Linux USB plugged in.
  • The Linux USB you lot created won't boot on other systems because its EFI files are on the ESP partitions of the system which was used to install Linux on USB.

This fails the entire idea of having a portable Linux USB, right?

Worry not. I'll share a dandy trick for installing Ubuntu or other Linux distributions on a USB without messing upwardly with the bootloader of the host organisation and the organization on the USB.

Earlier you start post-obit the tutorial, read it entirely and and then go about doing it on your organization.

Things to know before installing Linux on a USB

install ubuntu on external usb

The solution or workaround to the bootloader problem is that you do non let the installer know that there is already an ESP partitioning.

If you lot take a desktop PC, y'all may remove the hard disk and that could solve the trouble but things will be difficult when it is a laptop. Removing the disk is out of question here.

An easier mode out is to remove the ESP flag from the ESP partition before installing Linux on the USB and put information technology back after installation. This way, you fool the Ubuntu installer into thinking that there is no existing ESP partition and it will create and use a new ESP partition on the USB. The original ESP segmentation on the hard disk is untouched.

Clever play tricks, I know. Let me clear a few more doubts and add some suggestions:

  • You'll need two USB keys. One for live USB and another one where Linux will be installed.
  • Utilize a USB of 4 GB for the live organization and at to the lowest degree a 32 GB USB for the Linux USB.
  • I highly recommend using USB iii.0 for both live USB and the actual Linux USB. USB two.0 will be painfully slow for both installing and using Linux.
  • Fifty-fifty if you use USB 3, installing Linux will exist multiple fold slower than normal Ubuntu installation. Take patience and time.
  • Using a Linux system from USB volition always be slower than actual hard disk and SSD.
  • When you want to utilize the Linux USB on a organisation, you'll have to go to the boot settings to boot from the USB (unless the system is set to boot from USB by default).
  • The Linux USB may non piece of work with systems with secure kick enabled.

About the slower experience with Linux on USB, if your system has a thunderbolt port, I suggest getting a thunderbolt SSD. I have a SanDisk SSD and when I used installed Linux on it, the feel was very smooth, almost similar the SSD on the arrangement.

Installing complete Ubuntu on a flash drive

Now that y'all know what you need, let me lay out the parts of this tutorial:

  • Create a live Ubuntu USB
  • Utilize the alive USB to install Ubuntu on another USB by removing ESP partition flags earlier and after the installation
  • Using the Ubuntu USB on various systems
  • Recovering the USBs

Part 1: Create a live Ubuntu USB

I am not going in details for this part. You are probably aware of the steps anyway. I am going to briefly mention the steps here. If needed, you can read this tutorial on creating live Ubuntu USB.

On your computer, become to Ubuntu's website and download a current Ubuntu release of your option.

There are several tools bachelor for writing the ISO image to the USB. Yous may utilise Etcher which is available for Linux, Windows and macOS.

Download Etcher. Plug in your smaller capacity USB. Run Etcher and browse to the downloaded ISO and USB and hit the flash button. It'south really elementary.

Etcher

When you have created the live USB, information technology'southward time to use it to install Ubuntu on the other USB.

Part 2: Installing Ubuntu on the USB

Alright! And so y'all have a live Ubuntu USB and an empty USB where you'll be installing Ubuntu. Plug both of them to a computer. You take to boot from this live USB now and for that yous'll have to access the boot settings.

Step one: Boot from alive USB

Plug in both USBs to your system and restart information technology. When the system is booting and it shows the manufacturer'south logo, printing F10/F12 keys repeatedly. Different manufacturers fix different keys for accessing the BIOS settings.

Note: Some systems won't allow booting from live USB if secure boot is on. If that's the case, disable secure boot kickoff.

On my Dell arrangement, the boot settings showed this screen. I have Debian installed on this organisation.

boot from live usb
Boot from the live USB

When you are in the live session, become with "Endeavour Ubuntu" option:

try ubuntu install ubuntu
Go with Try Ubuntu option here

Step 2: Disable ESP flags from the ESP partition

Press the Windows fundamental and type Gparted. This will open the Gparted partition manager which is (usually) already present on the Ubuntu ISO.

start gparted ubuntu
Commencement Gparted in Ubuntu

If it is not institute, connect to the internet, open a terminal, run sudo apt update then install gparted on Ubuntu.

In Gparted, brand sure that you lot have selected the organisation's disk. Wait for the sectionalisation of effectually 100-500 MB in size and flagged as ESP. Correct click on this segmentation and select 'Manage Flags':

gparted in ubuntu live usb
Reset flags for the ESP partition

Information technology should show esp and boot flags. If in that location are more flags set, have a screenshot so that yous tin can revert to the same set of flags after the installation is complete.

manage flags esp partition
Remove esp flag from the ESP partitioning

Deselecting the flags usually adds a msftdata flag and you can leave it like that. Changes take into effect immediately.

esp flags removed
ESP flags removed from the ESP partition

Cracking! Now your live system does not see the ESP partitioning and thus the existing boot settings of the calculator. Now is the fourth dimension to start installing Ubuntu on the other USB.

Step 3: Installing Ubuntu on the other USB

Make certain that you have plugged in the other, bigger chapters USB as well. Double click on the install Ubuntu icon on the desktop.

start ubuntu install
Start Ubuntu installation

It will start the installation. You tin can go through the outset few steps of choosing keyboard layout and language.

Retrieve, I told yous in the start that it takes quite a long fourth dimension in installing Ubuntu on a USB? For this reason, I propose going for the minimal install here which comes with a browser and essential utilities but won't include role software, media players etc. You tin can install them later.

Using Minimal Installation ways copying less files on the USB and this will reduce the installation time.

choose minimal install
Selecting minimal install will reduce the installation fourth dimension

On the next screen, select Something Else:

something else option ubuntu install
Something else choice will let you access the disks and partition

On the 'Installation blazon' screen, you can see all the hard disk and the USB disks listed on the main interface. Yous tin can come across that the hd doesn't show an ESP partition because the flags have been removed.

What you should make sure hither is that yous have selected the correct USB (the bigger one) for "Device for bootloader installation". I am using my external thunderbolt SSD here which is of 500 GB chapters (bigger than the hard disk drive of the laptop):

bootloader location
Location of the bootloader should be the external USB

At present, select the bigger USB and delete any existing partition to make gratuitous space by clicking the – push.

delete existing aprtition to make free space
Brand free space on the external USB for Ubuntu installation

Side by side, select the free space yous just created and click the + sign to make partition on it.

create partition in external usb
Create new division on the external USB

Make the first segmentation as ESP for the bootloader.

create esp partition on external usb
Create

Select the remaining free space and create root with Ext4 filesystem. You may also create root, swap and home but I propose keeping everything under root including swap (cheers to swapfile).

create root partition ubuntu external usb
Create a root division with ext4 filesystem

When you take the partitions prepare, double check that external USB is called for the bootloader install.

double check device for bootloader location
Double check the bootloader location which should exist on the external USB drive

Things are looking expert. Hitting the install button and get through the usual timezone settings.

Select timezone when you install Ubuntu
Select timezone

You'll exist asked to create user and countersign.

Set username and password during Ubuntu install
Ready username and password

After this, information technology is all a matter of waiting. If you take ever installed Ubuntu, yous'll surely feel that this installation is slower than usual.

installing ubuntu
Ubuntu installation is in progress

When the installation finishes, DO NOT RESTART right away. You lot take to reset ESP partitioning back in its original state.

continue testing after ubuntu installation
Proceed using the live Ubuntu environment

Stride four: Re-enable ESP flags on the ESP partitioning

Beginning Gparted once once again. Select the hard disk of your system and right click on its ESP partition which is now labelled as msftdata. Select esp flag and information technology should too select boot flag automatically.

set esp flags again
Prepare esp flags again

Congratulations! You accept successfully installed actual Ubuntu on a flash drive. You can now plough off the live Ubuntu arrangement.

turn off ubuntu
Restart or plough off the organization now
What if you accidentally hit the restart push button without resetting the ESP flags?

That's bad nut non besides bad. Since your actual system does not take an ESP division information technology won't boot without the external USB you but created.

But no need to worry. You withal have the live Ubuntu USB, correct? Kicking from it again. Starting time Gparted and enable the correct flag on the ESP partition of the disk.

Part iii: Using the Ubuntu USB on whatever system

The USB you just created can be used on whatsoever reckoner every bit long every bit it allows to kick from the USB. In other words, secure boot should exist disabled.

I verified my Ubuntu USB of two systems, ane on which I created information technology and some other one which was not used in this procedure. It worked on both.

The process is similar to how you booted from the live USB. Y'all turn on the arrangement, when the organization manufacturer's logo is visible, press F2/F10/F12 keys to access the kicking settings and select Ubuntu or USB to boot from. Information technology may be displayed with either of the 2 names (or more perhaps).

booting from external ubuntu usb
Booting from Ubuntu on the external USB

When y'all boot from the Ubuntu USB, y'all'll see the familiar Chow screen and you lot can select Ubuntu to utilise information technology:

grub of ubuntu on external usb
Chow carte of Ubuntu on the external USB

Did yous notice something in the to a higher place Grub screen? I used a arrangement which had Debian installed for creating this Ubuntu USB. While installing, the new ESP partition on the USB also takes note of the Debian organisation as you can come across in the Grub screen.

If I use this USB on a different arrangement and try to boot into Debian, it will throw an error. Evidently, because in that location is no Debian system on the new arrangement. If I use the USB on the same Debian system which was used for the Ubuntu installation on the USB, it will work.

The actress entry in the Grub should not bother y'all unless you accept obsessive compulsive disorder. If that'south the instance, boot into this USB, install Chow Customizer and delete these additional entries. That's up to you lot.

Another thing to note is that when you kick from the Ubuntu USB on a different systems It shows a blue screen with a few options. Just go with boot anyhow.

At that place is one last thing remaining, and that is to claim your USB drives dorsum.

Office 4: Getting your USBs back in normal status

Here'due south the thing you have used 2 USBs: one for live Ubuntu and one for bodily Ubuntu install.

If y'all want to use either of the USB subsequently for normal information transfer, you'll accept a hard fourth dimension formatting them. When you create a live USB, it leaves the USB in a weird state and often operating systems cannot format it straight.

Gparted comes to rescue once more. Information technology is available for Linux, Windows and macOS. Download and install it and use information technology to format the USB by deleting all the partitions on information technology and the creating a new partition in NTFS or FAT32 format.

Conclusion

The slap-up play tricks of hiding the bodily ESP partition from the Ubuntu installer is the key thought hither. This is a meliorate solution than removing the hd or having a messed up boot.

I hope you lot like this fox and discover this detailed tutorial helpful.

If you still have questions virtually installing Linux on USB, please ask them in the annotate department and I'll endeavor to answer them.


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Source: https://itsfoss.com/intsall-ubuntu-on-usb/

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