Ubuntu Cheat Codes | Startup Parameters

Ubuntu Cheat Codes, boot options and kernel parameters to help you boot Ubuntu from a USB flash drive on different machines. To append cheat codes during bootup, press the ESC key if you are booting from Syslinux or press E to edit, if booting from GRUB. Then proceed to add one or more of the following Boot options to your existing boot string, and press ENTER to boot.

Ubuntu Boot Parameters to Live Boot with Persistence

ubuntu cheat codes
Ubuntu Cheat Codes - Shown adding the word "persistent" to the Linux line in order to Live boot with persistence enabled.

Ubuntu Cheat Codes and their intended Boot results

Cheat Code/Boot Option Intended Result of setting this Boot Parameter
casper-getty Serial Login Shell.
xdebconf xdebconfigurator (Configure X server).
hostname=
username=
userfullname=
Override defaults for hostname, username, and userfullname.
{live-media|bootfrom}=DEVICE Specifies location of /casper directory. If nothing is found, block devices will then be checked.
live-media-path=PATH Set a different directory name to use instead of /casper. I.E. /live
persistent Enable persistent overlay image. casper-rw, writable
nopersistent Disable persistent overlay option. Bypass casper-rw, writable.
persistent-path=PATH Provide a specific path to your casper-rw or writable persistent overlay image, or persistent filesystem.
toram Copy the entire read only filesystem to RAM.
noprompt Do not prompt to eject CD ROM on reboot. Useful when running from a Live USB.
vga=xxx Sets VESA mode framebuffer resolution.
acpi=off OR noacpi Disables ACPI if your computer does not support ACPI or if ACPI is causing system reboots or lockups.
acpi=force Force enabling of ACPI.
pci=noacpi OR acpi=noirq Turn off or disable PCI IRQ routing
pci=acpi Enable PCI IRQ routing
acpi_irq_balance Allow ACPI to use PIC interrupts instead of allocating IRQs.
acpi_irq_nobalance Don't allow ACPI to use PIC interrupts.
acpi=oldboot Completely deactivate ACPI with the exception of portions required for booting (oldboot).
acpi=ht Completely deactivate ACPI with the exception of portions required for hyper threading (HT).
noapic Turn off (APIC) Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller.
nolapic Turn off local APIC.
apm=off OR noapm Turn off (APM) Advanced Power Management.
irqpoll Enable IRQ polling. Used when encountering hardware interrupt issues.
acpi.power_nocheck=1 OR acpi_osi=Linux Turn off Power State checking. Needed on broken BIOS to make fan and temperature controls work.

Here is an exhaustive list of Kernel command line Boot Parameters for Ubuntu based distributions.