How to Actually Install Ubuntu on USB – Guide
A live USB is a USB flash drive that is used to test the distribution and to install Linux on your computer’s hard drive. Normally, all changes made to your live distribution are lost, which limits the use of live USB. ..
A few readers asked for a tutorial on installing Linux on a USB drive. A USB drive with persistence, not just a live USB with temporary files. ..
Ubuntu Linux is a computer operating system that can be used on a USB stick. You can save your work on the USB stick as if it were a real hard drive, and use it to access it when you’re not at home.
The installation process for Ubuntu on a physical hard drive is largely the same as installing Ubuntu on a virtual hard drive. However, there are a few important differences that users should be aware of. ..
The lack of a bootloader can prevent your phone from starting up. This can be a big problem if you need to use your phone for anything important, like using the internet or playing games.
Problem with bootloader on UEFI systems
UEFI systems are popular among computer users because they allow for more flexible installation of software and firmware than traditional BIOS systems. However, there are some problems with using UEFI systems with certain operating systems. One problem is that the bootloader cannot be installed on UEFI systems if there is only one ESP partition active. This means that the system cannot be booted unless another partition, such as a swap partition, is also active.
When installing Linux, even if you choose USB as the bootloader destination, the existing ESP partition is still used to place the EFI file for the new distribution.
-If the USB drive is lost or stolen, the Linux installation will be lost. -If the USB drive is damaged, the Linux installation will be damaged.
If you don’t have a Linux USB connected, your system may not boot or terminate up with grub error if you try to install Linux on a USB drive.
The Linux USB you created will not boot on other systems because its EFI files are not in the correct location.
The whole idea of having a portable Linux USB is frustrated by the fact that it doesn’t work with many devices.
There is a trick you can use to install Ubuntu or other Linux distributions on a USB without messing up with the host system bootloader and the system on USB.
Before starting this tutorial, be sure to read it in its entirety.
Things You Should Know Before Installing Linux on a USB
If you have an existing ESP partition, you will need to delete it before installing Windows 10. This workaround will ensure that the installer does not detect the existence of an ESP partition and create a new one instead. ..
If you have a desktop PC, you can remove the hard drive and that might solve the problem, but things will be difficult when it’s a laptop. Remove the disk if you can.
An easier way to install Linux on a USB drive is to remove the ESP flag from the ESP partition before installation and then put the partition back after installation. This way, the Ubuntu installer will think there is no existing ESP partition and it will create and use a new ESP partition on the USB. The original ESP partition on the hard drive has not changed.
Clever trick, I know. Let me ask you some more questions and see if I can come up with any suggestions. ..
You will need two USB keys to access your computer. One for live USB and one where Linux will be installed.
A 4GB USB for live system and at least 32GB USB for Linux USB should be used.
I strongly recommend using USB 3.0 for both Live USB and Linux Real USB. USB 2.0 will be painfully slow to install and use Linux.
Even if you use USB 3, Linux installation will be several times slower than a normal Ubuntu installation. Have patience and time. ..
This is a common refrain among computer users, who often compare the speed of USB drives and SSDs to that of hard drives and PCs. This is because hard drives and SSDs are designed for data storage, while USB drives and phones are not.
To boot from USB on a Linux system, you will need to go to the boot settings and choose to boot from USB. ..
Linux USB may not work with systems that have secure boot enabled. This is because Linux USB uses the Secure Boot Protocol to ensure that only authorized users can access the computer. If the system has Secure Boot enabled, then Linux USB will not be able to start because it will not be able to find the appropriate firmware to load.
Linux on USB is not as smooth as it could be. If your system has a thunderbolt port, get a thunderbolt SSD.
Final note
Ubuntu is a Debian-based Linux distribution that can be installed on a USB drive. This guide will show you how to actually install Ubuntu on a USB drive.
