Linux run from usb

How to Install Linux OS on USB Drive and Run it On Any PC

Ever thought of using any computer which is not yours, with all your personal stuff and configuration? It is possible with any Linux distribution. Yes! You can use your own, customized Linux OS on any machine with just a USB drive.

This tutorial is all about installing Latest Linux OS on your pen-drive ( fully reconfigurable personalized OS, NOT just a Live USB ), customize it, and use it on any PC you have access to. Here I am using Lubuntu 18.04 Bionic beaver for this tutorial (but, you can use any Linux distribution). So let’s gets started.

Requirements:

1. One Pendrive 4GB or More (Let’s call it as Main USB drive/Pendrive).
2. One more Pen drive or DVD disk to use as bootable Linux installation media.
3. Linux OS ISO file, for example Lubuntu 18.04.
4. One PC (Warning: Disconnect internal hard drives to prevent boot record alteration).

Important: While this procedure will not cause loss of data, some users have experienced changes to their internal drive’s bootup behavior depending on Linux distributions selected. To prevent any possibility of this occurrence, you may wish to disconnect your hard drive before continuing with the USB install portion of the tutorial.”

TIP: Use 32 bit Linux OS to make it compatible with any available PC.

That’s it! Go, and collect all of these. It’s time to do something new.

Step 1: Create Bootable Linux Installation Media

Use your Linux ISO image file to create a bootable USB installation media. You can use any software like Unetbootin, Gnome Disk Utility, Yumi Multi Boot, xboot, Live USB Creator, etc. to create bootable USB with the help of ISO image file.

Alternatively, you can use DVD disk by writing that ISO image to it (but that is the old school method).

Step 2: Create Partitions On Main USB Drive

You have to make two partitions on your Main USB drive using Gparted or Gnome Disk Utility, etc.

• The root partition of format ext4 of size according to your use.
• Optionally you can use the rest of the space as a FAT partition for using it as a normal USB drive.

I am having 16GB USB drive and I have created one root partition of 5GB and using rest 11GB as normal FAT partition. So my 16 GB USB drive is converted to 11GB drive for normal use on any PC. Sounds good.

This step you can do while installing Linux also, but it will be very complex while installing Operating Systems like Arch Linux.

Main USB Drive Partitions

Once you have created required partitions on the Main USB drive. Now take a deep breath because it’s time to go for Linux installation section.

Step 3: Install Linux on USB Drive

1. First, boot Linux OS (Lubuntu 18.04) from your bootable installation media and launch installation application from a live session. Live session of Lubuntu 18.04 will look like this.

Lubuntu Live Boot

2. Installer welcome screen will appear, select Language there and hit Continue.

Select Lubuntu Installation Language

3. Select Keyboard Layout and continue…

Select Lubuntu Keyboard Layout

4. Select Wifi internet if you want to update Lubuntu while installation. I will skip it.

Select Wifi to Update Lubuntu

5. Select Installation Type and Third-party installation as per your choice and go to next..

Select Lubuntu Software Updates

6. Here select Something Else Option (It is Mandatory) and go to next…

Select Lubuntu Installation Type

7. This is an Important step, here you need to find out where your Main USB drive is mounted.

Find Main USB Drive

In my case /dev/sda are an internal hard disk of the PC and I am using /dev/sdb is USB Lubuntu Installation media from where this live session is booted.

And /dev/sdc is my Main USB drive where I want to install my Linux system and where I have made two partitions in step number 2. If you have skipped step 2, you can also make partitions in this window.

First, change the mount point of the first partition on this Main USB drive to ROOT (i.e. “ / ” ). And as shown in the second red square select bootloader installation device as the Main USB drive.

In my case it is /dev/sdc . This is the most important step in this tutorial. If it is not done correctly your system will boot only on the current PC you are using, which is exactly opposite of your motivation to follow this tutorial.

Once it is completed, double-check it and hit continue. You will get a small window showing devices and drive which will be affected.

8. Make sure that the device and drives shown on this window are of your Main USB drive, which is in my case /dev/sdc . Hit continue…

Write Partition Changes to Disk

9. Now select your Region and hit Continue…

Select Lubuntu Region

10. Add username, password, and hostname, etc…

Create a Lubuntu User

11. Let the installation finish.

Lubuntu Installation

12. After completing installation hit restart and remove your installation media and press Enter.

Lubuntu Installation Completes

13. Congratulations, you have successfully installed your own Linux OS on your pen drive to use it on any PC. Now you can connect a USB drive to any PC and start your system on that PC by simply selecting boot from USB option while booting.

Step 4: Customize the Lubuntu System

Now it’s time for fun. Just boot your system on any PC and start customizing. You can install any software you want. You can change Themes, Icon themes, install docker.

You can add and store your online accounts on it. Install/modify/customize whatever you want. All the changes will be permanent. They will not change or reset after rebooting or booting on other PCs.

The following figure shows my customized Lubuntu 18.04.

Lubuntu Running on USB Drive

The main advantage of this method is you can use your personal stuff, your online accounts securely on any PC. You can even do secure online transactions as well on any available PC.

I hope it will be helpful for you, if you have questions regarding this article, please feel free to ask in the comment section below.

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SpicyTricks

Today, In this Guide, learn about How To Run any Linux Operating System from USB Flash Drive Linux systems are used in every domain from handheld smartphones to supercomputers. Once, Linux was predominantly used in servers and development environments, now it is used by basic end users, thanks to the many Best Linux Distributions like Linux Mint, Ubuntu, Suse etc. Now, It has significant in terms of user base, because of its modern graphical interface, elegant and intuitive design and more Linux Applications like Windows.

You can also use the Linux without installing it your system using Live Bootable Disk, it may be a CD or Pen drive. Many free Bootable creators like LiLi USB creator will do the job for you. Also, you can run the Linux in Windows using Virtualbox. Read this guide to know how to mount the Linux Operating System from USD drive(Pen Drive).

How to Install and Run the Linux OS From USB Drive (Flash Drive)

Requirements

1. Pen Drive with minimum space of 2GB

2. LiveBootable Disk Creator Applications

Steps to run Linux OS from Pen Drive

In this guide, we are going to use LiLi Live USB Creator. Download the LiLi Live USB creator and install it in your Windows computer. It is free and Open source software and also only 4MB.

Once you start the Application, you may notice the Interface of Live USB creator is very user-friendly. The app shows all steps to create Live Linux Disk in a single interface with steps.

Step 1: Connect you USD device in your computer and select the USN drive in the Applications using choose your key option. This app only works with Fat32 file system, so if you have NTFS Pen drive, just format it to Fat 32.

Step 2: In the next step, you have to select your Linux Distro. There is 3 options available in this Live USB Creator.

• You can choose already downloaded Linux Distro file (ISO,IMG,Zip). Once you choose the file, the Live USB Creator will check the file and give verification message.
• You can choose the Linux CD. Insert the Linux CD in the DVD Drive and choose the same.
• Also, you can download any Linux Distro from the download option. You can choose either Manual or Automatic option to download the Linux Distros. You have to select the download location in your computer.

Step 3: In Persistence step, you must define how much space should be kept free for your files and how it can be busy with the Linux distribution. The persistence allows you to keep your preferences and data even after reboot. If you don’t know how much to give to persistent data, give between 300 MB and 500 MB. If you intend to make a heavy usage of your Linux, choose more than 1 GB. Selecting 0 MB means no persistence, only live mode. Any change made in your Linux will be lost on reboot.

Step 4: In this step, you have 3 options. The Hide Created files option will hide all system files in the Pen drive. Next, the format option will erase all your data in USB drive. The third one “Enable Launching LinuxLive in Windows” will run the Linux OS in Windows

Step 5: Finally, Click the Lighting icon to create . Now, the app will verify all the steps and will extract the ISO file in your Pen drive and make the bootable LiveUSB Linux Disk.

Now, you can boot the Linux Operating system using USB disk option when your computer starts. If you use the Persistent mode, the changes you have made in the Linux will also available in the next reboot. Now, you can use this as a portable Operating system with your files and settings.

How to Create Bootable Live USB Disk for Linux (Ubuntu, Linux Mint and all) on windows

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Boot and Run Linux from a USB Flash Drive

Boot from USB and take your favorite Portable Linux Desktop with you!
Make a Linux Bootable USB to Boot and Run Linux from a USB Flash Drive.
Recommended YUMI – Multiboot USB Creator Updated: September 29, 2021
Legacy Classic Universal USB Installer – UUI Updated: August 29, 2021

Easily install your favorite Linux operating system to a bootable USB flash drive. Take your portable Linux with you to run from any computer that can boot from a USB device. You can also Boot Multiple ISO files from a flash drive by using tools like YUMI to create a MultibootUSB. Multibooting allows you to store, boot and then run several Live Linux Operating Systems, Windows installers, diagnostic utilities, antivirus scanners, penetration testing, backup tools, and more, all from the same device. Resulting in your very own custom USB bootable diagnostic tool kit that will fit in your pocket.

Helping You Make Linux Boot from USB since 2006

Pendrivelinux provides simplified information to make it easy for anyone to install, USB boot, and then run their favorite Distros and tools from a flash drive.

• USB Boot Creators
• USB Emulation
• USB Boot From Windows
• USB Boot From Linux

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