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I am trying to create a bootable USB for Ubuntu 16.04.02 in a 128GB USB. I want:

  1. Partition for storage (formated as NTFS) of 64 GB accessible from both Windows and Linux
  2. Bootable partition (around 2GB)
  3. casper-rw partition for persistent storage

The first time I build the bootable USB I used Etcher tool by resin.io. After that I could boot in Ubuntu with the USB but when I tried to use Gparted to resize the partitions an error regarding the block size appeared. I followed a combination of this answer and this one to create a new GPT and the three partitions. However I was unable to boot with that USB.

When I plug the USB on the computer it freezes completely (the screen remains black without even light since I press the power button and the fan starts accelerating).

I tried to build the image in the second partition with 7z, UNetbootin and Startup disk creator but I always obtained the same result. I also tried to build the three partitions with mkusb without success.

Thinking that the problem was having the booting partition as the second partition I format again the USB into a single FAT32 partition and built the Live USB with UNetbootin and Startup Disk Creator in there. And I obtained the same problem. I used again the Etcher tool (with the incorrect blocksize) and it is also unable to boot.

I guess something got corrupted in the USB on that process. Do you have any idea on how to solve the problem?

PS. Sorry for the extension of the question, I am quite new in Linux and I didn't want to miss any relevant step.

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    Wouldn't it be better (and much easier) if you installed it normally?
    – user589808
    Mar 5, 2017 at 18:56
  • @CelticWarrior : I guess by normally you mean in a single partition. As I explain at the end of the post I tried that now and it's not working. Maybe something is corrupted? Any idea on how to build GPT or reformat the USB in a different way?
    – AnadonSec
    Mar 5, 2017 at 19:45
  • No, I actually meant install it normally as in doing what you normally do to install Ubuntu in an internal drive but choosing the external one, instead of trying to do a "live USB with persistence" which, BTW, cannot be done in a 128GB drive.
    – user589808
    Mar 5, 2017 at 19:57
  • I really don't see how a permanent installation would be easy. Wouldn't I loose the possibility to boot in different machines and I will have to leave the USB installed alwats and deal with the grub every time I start up the PC ? If so, it is something I would like to avoid. Besides, I am not sure you cannot make a live USB with persistence in a 128GB drive. Have a look here for example.
    – AnadonSec
    Mar 5, 2017 at 20:15
  • Are you trying to make a portable installation that you can use on multiple computers (Live CD/USB) or are you just trying to install it for use on a single computer and you want it be installed on that USB?
    – m_krsic
    Mar 5, 2017 at 21:02

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
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The problem was in the partition table. Using the default GPT was not working. I used mkusb to build the persistent drive chosing an MSDOS partition table and it worked just fine.

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  • I guess it all depends on the computer you are using it on.
    – C.S.Cameron
    Mar 10, 2017 at 15:04

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