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I use OS X myself, but am very interested in Ubuntu. I was wondering if it is possible to create a bootable USB stick that I can plug into a computer and use (similar to the try it first option on a regular Ubuntu USB, but with a permanent memory storage.) To summarize my question, I need an Ubuntu install I can plug into a computer and use. I need to be able to save files on said USB, and access the files on another computer.

Thanks in advance, and sorry for the noob question.

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  • I think you can't :) because the os boots on main memory (RAM) and RAM is volatile memory
    – Ashu_FalcoN
    Oct 20, 2015 at 14:38
  • Sorry :) with memory I mean files that would normally be on the hard drive.
    – theone
    Oct 20, 2015 at 14:42

2 Answers 2

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Try UNetbootin to create live usb.

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  • Cool, this is exactly what I was looking for.
    – theone
    Oct 20, 2015 at 14:48
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You may just create a live boot drive of Ubuntu regularly, start up your computer with it, plug in the USB drive that you want to install Ubuntu to as well and select "something else" during the installation. Then you format your USB drive the way you would normally format any internal drive and select to install the bootloader onto it.

You will get a USB drive with a normal Ubuntu installation that you can start from many machines by holding F11, F12, etc. during boot and selecting the USB port the drive is in.

I've used this method to create a USB drive which I could take everywhere to access my emails on a secure OS that I control. Make sure to encrypt the drive, in case you should lost it.

Derivatives such as Lubuntu are especially useful for this, as they will work well even on USB2 and with older machines. But, in fact, I'm doing exactly this while writing to you now, because I installed Ubuntu Studio on one of my larger USB3 sticks for testing it out over a longer period before installing it to my main drive and so far, it works well!

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  • This is great, although I haven't been comfortable with partitioning stuff since my mac got FUBAR and I lost 20000 lines of code.
    – theone
    Oct 20, 2015 at 16:09
  • You are able to do this on virtually any machine. Use an old computer or unplug the main drive to make sure you can not select anything but the USB stick you want to write to. Partitioning for a small USB stick is not that difficult. Just define one ext4 partition for the system and mark it as "/" root and leave 2-4 GB memory for the swap-drive as the second partition, you don't need more. Make sure that you select the USB drive as the installation medium for the bootloader (e.g.: "dev/sdb/ USB STICK NAME") and you're good to go.
    – Prototype700
    Oct 20, 2015 at 16:14

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