This takes considerably longer, but is very flexible.
Unlike the other tools already discussed, Live Magic does not simply copy an ISO image onto the USB drive and make it bootable it downloads current Debian packages and creates a custom virtual filesystem. The Debian project has a GUI tool called Debian Live Magic, with which you can create a bootable USB key using a wide array of options, including distribution (stable, unstable, or testing), hardware architecture, environment (including non-X environments), localization, and package selection.
You can choose to install the image non-destructively or to re-format the USB key, and you can select between creating a persistent storage area or leaving it off entirely.
It requires you to download the desired ISO image before getting started, but it does give you several install-time options.
Ubuntu’s utility (also available in Kubuntu and derivatives) is called Startup Disk Creator. It also allows you to set up a persistent storage area on the key in whatever size you choose from the remaining available space. The GUI can also download a supported live CD ISO image for you in a background process, although you may want to perform the download manually if you intend to build from a non-standard release, such as an Alpha or a Rawhide testing build. The LiveUSB Creator will install an image non-destructively on a key that already has files on it, as long as there is sufficient free space. The distro recommends 1GB minimum of unused storage, formatted as VFAT. The distribution recommends 1GB minimum for the latest release, 11.3.įedora’s utility is called Fedora LiveUSB Creator. It is a GUI tool that allows you to drag-and-drop an ISO image into its window, and it will automatically partition and install a bootable live image onto any attached USB storage key. The openSUSE utility is called SUSE Studio Image Writer. In most cases, you will need to download the live CD image ahead of time in order to copy it to a USB stick or flash card, and unless otherwise specified, installing a bootable Linux environment on a USB key will mean erasing its existing contents. The distribution-specific tools all vary slightly, both in how they work and in what they require of the installation medium. Last but certainly not least, it is important to know what the options are for creating a bootable Linux USB key from within Windows or another operating system - if you find yourself in that situation, familiarity with only the Linux-based tools places you in an uncomfortable chicken-and-egg situation.
It is also possible to install a bootable image onto a flash drive manually, and there are several good step-by-step guides to help you through this process.
If you are simply interested in building a portable environment like the one you use at home, you should start by looking for such a utility within your distro.īranching out a little, there are a handful of good multi-distribution live USB creation utilities you should consider if, for some reason, your distribution of choice does not provide the options you need. With the rise in popularity of optical-drive-less netbooks and tablets, providing USB as an installation path guarantees that the distributions will continue to make booting from flash a priority. Most of the popular desktop distributions provide live CD images for testing or installation purposes, and include a utility to install such an image onto other media, including external hard disk storage or a flash drive.
The first question you need to answer for yourself is what distribution you wish to use as the basis for your live USB key. A variety of tools can help you tailor a live USB distro to your liking, including data persistence and encryption, so grab an unused USB flash drive from the desk drawer and make exactly what you need this weekend.
Thus, when you’re vacationing or on a business trip and need access to a Linux environment - or get the inevitable PC troubleshooting help request - you’ll have to have a bootable distribution with you. Until world domination is complete, you simply cannot count on Linux being available everywhere you travel.