Boot from USB Ubuntu Live with Persistence

USB Ubuntu: Want to create a bootable Ubuntu USB with persistence? This tutorial shows you how to make a persistent Ubuntu Live USB so your files, settings, and installed applications remain saved between reboots. You'll also learn how to boot Ubuntu from USB and install it to your computer.

Make a Portable Ubuntu Bootable USB

• Official Site: Ubuntu Project Page
• Developer: Canonical Ltd.
• Persistence Support: Yes

What You'll Need

• Ubuntu ISO file
• USB flash drive (16GB or larger recommended)
• YUMI, Etcher, or DD

Verify Your Ubuntu ISO (Recommended)

After downloading Ubuntu, verify the integrity of the ISO by checking its SHA256 checksum:

sha256sum ubuntu.iso

Compare the resulting hash with the checksum published on the official Ubuntu download page.

Create a Persistent Ubuntu USB with YUMI

YUMI is one of the easiest ways to create a bootable Ubuntu USB drive with persistence support from Windows. Linux users can also run it through WINE.

1. Download and launch YUMI.
2. Select your USB flash drive and tick the box to prepare it.
3. Choose Ubuntu from the dropdown distribution list.
4. Browse to your Ubuntu ISO file.
5. Enable persistence and choose the storage size.
6. Click Create and wait for the process to finish.
7. Restart your computer and boot from the USB device.

Persistence allows Ubuntu to remember saved files, installed applications, browser bookmarks, and system settings between reboots.

Create an Ubuntu USB with Etcher

Balena Etcher provides a simple way to flash Ubuntu to a USB drive, though persistence is not enabled automatically.

1. Download Etcher.
2. Insert your USB flash drive.
3. Download the Ubuntu ISO.
4. Launch Etcher.
5. Select the Ubuntu ISO.
6. Select your USB drive.
7. Click Flash!

Adding Persistence to an Etcher USB (Optional)

To save files and settings on an Etcher-created Ubuntu USB, you'll need to manually create a persistence partition.

1. Create a second partition labeled casper-rw.
2. Format the partition as ext4.
3. Boot Ubuntu and verify that the persistence partition is detected.

Learn more about creating a casper-rw persistence partition.

Note: This method requires familiarity with partitioning tools and Linux boot configuration.

Create a Persistent Ubuntu USB with DD

If you prefer command-line tools, you can create a bootable Ubuntu USB using DD and then manually add persistence storage. This method is intended for advanced users.

Warning: DD performs a raw write and will completely overwrite the selected USB drive.

Using DD on Linux

1. Identify your USB device:

   lsblk

   Locate your USB drive (for example /dev/sdX).

2. Write the Ubuntu ISO:

   sudo dd if=ubuntu.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress oflag=sync

   Replace /dev/sdX with the device path of your USB drive. For example, /dev/sdb.
   Wait for the write process to complete.

3. Verify the resulting partition layout:

   lsblk /dev/sdX

   Most Ubuntu hybrid ISOs occupy only part of a larger USB drive. After writing the ISO with DD, any remaining space can be used to create a persistence partition labeled casper-rw.

4. Create a persistence partition using the remaining free space:

   sudo fdisk /dev/sdX

   Use the n command to create a new partition using the remaining unallocated space, then use w to write the changes and exit.

5. Format the persistence partition:

   sudo mkfs.ext4 -L casper-rw /dev/sdXN

   Replace /dev/sdX with the device path of your USB drive and N with the partition number you created. For example, /dev/sdb3.

6. Boot Ubuntu:Restart and boot from the USB drive. Ubuntu should automatically detect the casper-rw persistence partition if it has been correctly labeled.

Note: Some older Ubuntu releases may require adding the persistent boot parameter manually, but current releases generally detect the persistence partition automatically.

Using dd for Windows

This method performs a raw write of the ISO to the USB device and is only recommended for advanced users.
Warning: This process will wipe the entire selected disk including any partitions clean.

1. Download dd for Windows.
2. Insert the USB flash drive.
3. Open Command Prompt with administrator privileges
   Press Win + R, type cmd, then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
4. Change to the dd directory
   Switch to the folder that contains dd.exe:

   cd c:\path\dd.exe

5. Clear the USB drive using diskpart
   Launch the disk partitioning utility:

   diskpart

   Show all attached disks:

   list disk

   Select the USB drive (replacing #):

   select disk #

   Erase all partition information on the disk:

   clean

   Exit diskpart:

   exit

6. Write the Ubuntu ISO file to USB
   Immediately after cleaning the disk, write the image to the device. Replace pathto-ubuntu.iso and X with the correct USB disk number found in step 5.

   dd if=pathto-ubuntu.iso of=\\.\PhysicalDriveX bs=4M --progress

Boot from the Ubuntu USB

1. Insert the USB drive and restart your computer.
2. Open the boot menu or BIOS using keys such as F2, F12, ESC, or DEL.
3. Select the USB device as the boot option.

Need help entering BIOS or boot menus?

Install Ubuntu from the USB Drive

After booting into the live environment, click the Install Ubuntu icon on the desktop and follow the installation prompts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

A persistent Ubuntu USB drive is useful for testing Linux, carrying a portable workspace, or troubleshooting systems without installing anything to a hard drive. YUMI provides one of the easiest setup methods for Windows users, while DD and Etcher offer additional flexibility for advanced users who prefer manual configuration.

For most users seeking a persistent Ubuntu USB, YUMI remains the simplest and most reliable solution.

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