How to load Linux systems using only a USB flash drive

How to load Linux systems using only a USB flash drive

Maybe you've heard Linux and are a little curious about it, and you finally want to actually experience it, but you probably don't know where to start.

It is likely that you have searched the Internet for some information and then encountered words like dual systems and virtual machines. They may be too professional for you, so you won't sacrifice the operating system you're using just to try Linux. So what do we do?

If you have a USB flash drive on your hand, you can try a USB Linux boot disk. It is a USB flash drive that contains the entire operating system and can be booted directly from the boot. Creating it doesn't require any technical expertise, let's take a look at how to do it, and how to boot into a Linux system from USB.
you need to be prepared.

In addition to a desktop or laptop, you also need:

A blank USB stick-The best capacity can have 4GB or more.
A Linux distribution ISO image you want to try (a file that packs all of the disk's content). We will introduce it later.
An application called UNetbootin, which is an open-source, cross-platform tool used to create USB boot disks. Running it does not require booting Linux. In the following tutorial, I am running the unetbootiin on my MacBook (LCTT: It also has Windows and Linux versions).

start working .

Plug the USB stick into your computer's port, and then start UNetbootin. You will then be asked to enter your current computer's login password.



Do you remember the ISO image file mentioned earlier? There are two ways to get it: either download it yourself from the Linux distribution website you want to try, or let UNetbootin download it for you. If you choose the latter, click Select Distribution at the top of the window, select the distribution you want to download, and then click Select Version to select the release version you want to try.



Alternatively, you can download the release yourself. Usually, the Linux distributions I want to try are not in the list. If you choose to download it yourself, click Disk Mirroring and then click the button to select the. iso file you downloaded.

Notice the following option to reserve space for saving files after each reboot (only Ubuntu is valid)? If you're trying Ubuntu or any of its derivative versions (such as Lubuntu or Xubuntu), you can set aside a few m of space on the USB stick to save files, such as Web bookmarks or documents you create yourself. You can continue to use these files the next time you start Ubuntu with this USB drive.



After loading the ISO image, click OK. UNetbootin probably takes less than 10 minutes to create a USB boot disk.



Verify USB Boot Disk

At this point, you need to embrace your inner geek spirit. It won't be too hard, but you'll need to go into the BIOS and peek into your computer's internal space. Your computer's BIOS will load various hardware and control the boot or boot of the computer's operating system.

The BIOS usually searches the operating system (or similar order) in this order: the hard disk, then the CD/DVD drive, and then the external storage device. You need to adjust this order so that the external storage device (here, refers to your USB drive boot disk) becomes the first device to search for the BIOS.

To do this, plug the USB stick onto your computer and restart your computer. After you see the message press F2 to enter setup, follow the instructions that it requires. On some computers, this key may be F10.

In the BIOS, use the RIGHT ARROW key on the keyboard to switch to the boot menu. Then you will see a list of drives on your computer. Use the DOWN ARROW key on your keyboard to select the option named USB HDD, and then press F6 to move this option to the top of the list.

When you are done, press F10 to save the changes. Then you will be kicked out of the BIOS and the computer will boot itself. Wait a little while and you'll see a startup menu of the Linux distributions you're trying to get. Select Run without installing (or the most similar option).

After you get to the desktop, you can connect to a wireless or wired network, check out the Web, and try the preinstalled software. You can also look at, for example, whether your printer or scanner will work properly under the release you are trying to do. If you really bothered, you can also touch the command line.
What do you do?

Depending on the Linux distribution you are trying and the speed of the USB drive you are using, the operating system may take a long time to load, and it is likely to be slower than loading directly onto the hard drive.

Also, you can only run basic software preinstalled in the Linux distribution. There will usually be a Web browser, a word processing software, a text editor, a media player, a photo browser, and a set of utility tools. These should be enough to give you the feeling of using Linux.

If you decide to use Linux, you can double-click the installer to install from the USB drive to the hard disk. 

Reference Source:
How to load Linux systems using only a USB flash drive
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How to load Linux systems using only a USB flash drive