How to Install Persistent Ubuntu on a USB Drive

This video will show you how to install Ubuntu "persistently" to a USB drive. Now your USB drive is a tiny Ubuntu workstation that will boot on almost any computer, and keep your files, applications and setting intact (persistent) when you shut it down!

Unlike other videos, this installation does not require downloading any addition software packages, running any crazy hacks, or resizing your "persistent" partition. The bootable USB is NOT a LiveCD installer-- it's a clean virtual Ubuntu workstation.

To download the most recent version of Ubuntu, go here:
http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Ubuntu
• USB

[urbanninja388]

one more thing does a phone(memory card) work??

[jsprowse]

@urbanninja388 You can use a memory card if your computer can boot from it, or if you have a USB memory card reader, you could plug it into the USB port and try to install to the card. Not sure how the performance would be?

[urbanninja388]

on question when your done with the install do you need to put the usb drive again to boot or not???

-thanks

[jsprowse]

@urbanninja388 If you follow the instructions above, you should be able to boot your computer normally when the USB is not plugged in.

[itchytastyurr]

So this will not install that grub screen that you get with partitioning, but it still operates like a live usb?

does this mean i can use this as a super-user form start up?

(live session usb, as i have tried, will not let me install certain software like graphic drivers, and blender just wont even respond to a single click!)

so does this fool the computer into thinking the usb is a fully featured intallation with full privillages? (then i can install all my software on my 16gig usb)

[jsprowse]

@itchytastyurr Yes, this makes a fully functional installation, just running off of your USB instead of a hard drive. It works exactly like if you installed to a hard drive, except depending on the quality of the USB, it can be a little bit slower and laggy.

[lodhiei]

i dont have a ubuntu live cd,,but i have setup files extracted to my usb through universal usb installer,,so can i install it using the above procedure without the cd.?

[theoriginalelzincho]

greatings from edmonton buddy

[juiceweaselism]

Thanks for this PERFECT tutorial. Most other videos show just how make a live USB drive, this was the one thing I was looking for, because I wanted a persistent system that I can carry around with me.

One question however: Do I need to disable swap (swapoff -a), because it's a flash drive and therefore not really made for swapfiles?

[lupine73]

I need to revise that a bit...

I get the purple/plum screen for about a minute... Then it just goes to a blank screen with a blinking cursor and that's it.

What did I do wrong?

[lupine73]

I've gotten Ubuntu 11.10 installed on an external USB drive (320 gig) and it will actually boot. The GRUB is on the external drive, so it prompts me of which OS to load, etc.

So it definitely worked at least that far.

However, when I boot from it, it just sorta sits with a blank purple/plum background color that they use but doesn't seem to go any farther.

Is there a problem with the install, or is it just spending time doing something for its first startup in the background?

Thanks!

[ucantbeserious7]

To install Linux Mint or Ubuntu (or any Linux Distro) on an 8GB SDHC card, or 8GB USB, click on this link, it seriously is the easiest thing ever, and it explains it perfectly for noobs (it really helped me).

Check it out by going on Google and typing "install-linux-mint-11-on-an-8­-gb-sdhc-card", click on first link.

For installing on a portable Hard Drive go on Google and type in "install-ubuntu-11-04-on-exter­nal-hard-disk", click on first link.

Note: url not posted, youtube blocks it.

[Benedictninja]

@jsprowse thanks i bought a 8gb

[itchytastyurr]

i use windows generally (but i have found i tend to ruin it when i make a usb install because the system loader still expected to see it attached at startup- and have to keep it in like a key. the only way i did it with this not happening was to install it from an old pc i don't use so don't touch my main hdd) i think the debs should be easier to find so you don't need software centre to start over- its about not needing net access if you want to re-install your software, for me