When there is a need to install or change the operating system on a computer, most users use a bootable USB flash drive for this. This method is one of the easiest to achieve the desired result. But if recording a Windows image is not difficult for most, then when it comes to Linux, problems arise.
Further in the text, you will learn how to make a bootable Linux flash drive both within Windows and within Linux. At the end, in a separate block we will give instructions on creating a Windows flash drive in Linux, because for most users this is generally an unrealistic task.
How to make a bootable Linux flash drive in Windows
Due to the fact that most computer users use Windows as the main operating system, it would be wise to start directly by creating a bootable Linux flash drive in it. Three applications for this will be considered.
Method One: UNetbootin
Probably everyone who has ever recorded an OS image in Windows knows about a program called UNetbootin. As you might guess, recording an image from Linux with its help will also succeed. Without ranting for a long time, we pass directly to the essence of the question:
- Run the program.
- Set the switch to Diskimage.
- From the drop-down list of formats, select ISO.
- Click on the button with three dots, which is opposite this list, and in the file manager window that appears, select a pre-downloaded Linux image.
- At the bottom of the window, select USB Drive from the list, in the Drive list, select the USB flash drive to which you want to record the image.
- Click OK.
After performing all of the above actions, the process of writing files to the drive will start. All you have to do is wait for it to finish, after which the program can be closed and proceed directly to installing the OS from the USB flash drive.
Method 2: LinuxLive USB Creator
Continuing the conversation on how to make a bootable USB flash drive Linux Mint or any other distribution, we go directly to the second program - LinuxLive USB Creator. Its name itself speaks for itself - this software is designed to write the distribution image to a USB flash drive, here's how to use it:
- Open the program.
- In the block that is signed as STEP 1, from the list, identify the USB flash drive on which you plan to write the image.
- In the second step, in STEP 2, click on the image with the text ISO / IMG / ZIP written below. The "Explorer" window will appear, in which, as you might guess, you must specify the system image.
- STEP 3 skip.
- In STEP 4, it is important to check the box next to the text: "Formatting", select the remaining items as you wish.
- After completing the instructions, press the button in the form of a zipper.
The process of creating a bootable flash drive will start. Like last time, you need to wait for it to complete, after which the program can be closed.
Method 3: Xboot
If for some reason the previous programs did not suit you in order to make a bootable USB flash drive from ISO Linux, then you can use Xboot. Its distinguishing feature is the fact that you do not have to download the system image to your computer in advance, all this can be done directly in the program. So, let's move on to the usage guide:
- Launch the app.
- Click the File button, select Open from the drop-down menu if the OS image is on your computer, otherwise select Download.
- In the window that appears, from the first list, select the Linux distribution that you want to write, then click Open.
- You will be transferred to the image download page. Download it and in the program click File, and then on the Open menu.
- Select the image you just downloaded.
- In the new window from the list, click on the Add using item, and then click Add this file.
- You will return to the main menu of the program, in which you need to click Create.
- In the new window, leave all the default settings, the program will determine everything for you.
- Click OK.
The process of writing all image files to a USB flash drive will start. Wait for the end and close the program.
How to make Linux bootable flash drive in Linux
We figured out how to make a Linux bootable USB flash drive on Windows, but now let's figure out how to do it on the Linux operating system itself. Like last time, below are three applications that are suitable for this.
Method 1: DD
If you do not know how to make a bootable USB flash drive Kali Linux or any other distribution directly in the operating system based on the Linux kernel, then you can use the "Terminal" and the DD command. To write an image to a USB flash drive, you need to do the following:
- Open Terminal by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T.
- Enter the dd command with special variables in it. As a result, the syntax will look like this:
dd if=< >.iso of=/dev/< > bs=2048
. - Please note that in the if variable you must specify the full path to the image, and in of - the path to the flash drive, for example,
/dev/sdb
. - If you do not know exactly what the flash drive is called, then run the
fdisk -l
, in the output all disks connected to the computer will be displayed.
After the DD command is executed, boot flash drive recording will begin. The process will not be displayed in any way, so just wait without taking any action. As a result, an inscription appears in the "Terminal" notifying of the end of the recording.
Method 2: ROSA Image Writer
Without a doubt, making a bootable Linux Ubuntu USB flash drive or other distribution kit in Terminal is difficult for many. In this case, we suggest you use the ROSA Image Writer program, which has a graphical interface and is easy to use.
- Download the named software from the developer's site and install it.
- Launch the app.
- Click on the icon in the form of a folder and specify the distribution image in the appeared file manager window.
- Select your USB drive from the list.
- Click "Burn."
As you might guess, you just have to wait until the creation is completed, after which the drive can be used to install the operating system on the computer.
Method 3: Etcher
Etcher is another representative of Linux bootable flash drive software that has a graphical interface.
- Go to the official website of the program and download the package from there.
- Install the program, and then run it.
- You will see three steps. On the first click Select image and in the file manager select the image to record.
- At the second stage, you will be asked to insert a USB flash drive into the computer.
- On the third, you need to click the Flash button to start recording.
It remains only to wait for its end, after which the program will notify you of this by displaying Flash Complete on the screen.
How to make a bootable Windows flash drive in Linux
We already know how to create a bootable USB flash drive with Linux on both Windows and Linux itself, but what if we need to burn a Windows image to Linux? The fact is that most programs, especially those that have been listed, are not suitable for this. That is why it was decided to make this instruction a separate subheading. So, we will use a program called WinUSB, but first install it.
- Launch Terminal.
- Add the repository where this program is located with the command
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:nilarimogard/webupd8
. - Update the list of all repositories:
sudo apt update
. - Now run the command directly to install the application:
sudo apt install winusb
.
The program is installed, you can proceed to create a bootable flash drive:
- Unmount through the file manager the USB flash drive on which the image is supposed to be recorded.
- Run the program.
- Set the switch to From a disk image and click on the button with the folder.
- Select a Windows image in the file manager.
- In the list at the bottom of the window, highlight the USB flash drive.
- Click the Install button.
It remains only to wait until the image is recorded on the USB flash drive, after which the program can be turned off.
Conclusion
So we figured out how to make a bootable Linux flash drive. Now you are up to date on how to do this within the framework of Windows, but also Linux. Among other things, you have learned a way to create such a USB flash drive on computers running Linux.