0

I need to remove Ubuntu 12.04 from my USB Pendrive so that I can add latest Ubuntu version instead.

I tried updating from 12.04 to Ubuntu 14 using the update manager but I dont have enough free storage on my USB.

How do I remove the old version and replace it with the new one?

Edit:

I managed to update to Ubuntu 16.04.3 by using the UniversalUSBInstaller. I didn't format the USB beforehand. Instead the UniversalUSBInstaller overwrote the old Ubuntu 12.04. It seems to be working ok atm. If there's problems, I'll post back here. Thanks for your help.

Zanna
  • 70,465
frustrationmultiplied
  • 111
  • 3
  • 1
    "How do I remove the old version and replace it with the new one?" The same way you installed 12.04 ;-) – Rinzwind Jan 28 '18 at 15:24
  • Disk Utility is for Mac , i m using Windows. Im worried that If I right click the usb and select format fat32 that it will reset the usb to be storage only. I need it to remain bootable. Can anyone confirm that the usb will remain bootable – frustrationmultiplied Jan 28 '18 at 15:36

2 Answers2

2

Single boot USB pendrive

A cloned live-only Ubuntu system on a USB pendrive is the basic and standard system.

An alternative is a persistent live Ubuntu system, where you can install program packages, that survive reboot, and where you can store data files.

Such systems can be installed [almost] automatically, if you use mkusb to install Ubuntu into the pendrive. The previous content of the USB pendrive will be lost during that process, but some fragments might be possible to recover. If you want to remove all traces, you should wipe the whole drive before installing.

A live-only system can also be cloned with the built-in tool (in Ubuntu), Disks alias gnome-disks, and in Ubuntu 16.04 LTS and newer versions, the Startup Disk Creator, and with Win32 Disk Imager in Windows.

Multiboot USB pendrive

If you have/want a multiboot USB pendrive with several live operating systems, you can use another tool, for example MultiBootUSB.

sudodus
  • 46,324
  • 5
  • 88
  • 152
  • @frustrationmultiplied, Then I would recommend that you install mkusb and use it to create a persistent live system, https://help.ubuntu.com/community/mkusb/persistent ; You can get a system with mkusb in a 'two step procedure, when starting from Windows. (The advantage is that mkusb creates a partition for persistence, and it is not limited to 4 GB as a file in a FAT32 file system. – sudodus Jan 28 '18 at 15:42
  • do you know If I right click the usb and select format fat32 will it reset the usb to be storage only. I need it to remain bootable. mkusb looks complicated – frustrationmultiplied Jan 28 '18 at 15:44
  • In Windows? You can use the standard tool to 'format' the USB drive, and I think it will let you select file system (at least in some versions of Windows). -- But mkusb is making things easy when you have it installed. The cloning alternative will not create a persistent live system. – sudodus Jan 28 '18 at 15:48
  • Yes windows. Do i just right click the drive – frustrationmultiplied Jan 28 '18 at 15:49
  • We are no experts on Windows. I think it might work. Try :-) – sudodus Jan 28 '18 at 15:51
  • regarding mkusb, do i need to install it in my present ubuntu 12.04 and then use it to upgrade to ubuntu 16 – frustrationmultiplied Jan 28 '18 at 15:53
  • Let us continue this discussion in chat. – sudodus Jan 28 '18 at 15:53
  • I managed to update to ubuntu 16.04.3 by using the UniversalUSBInstaller. I didnt format the USB beforehand. Instead the UniversalUSBInstaller overwritted old Ubuntu 12.04. It seems to be working ok atm. if theres problems ill post back here. Thanks for your help – frustrationmultiplied Jan 28 '18 at 20:08
  • +1 because you deserve more points than me :) Along the theme of this question have you given any thought to 18.04 LTS Bionic Beaver daily builds repeatedly overriding first part of USB but persistent storage is preserved for installed apps and ~ directory? I guess parts of /etc/... need to be preserved too such as rc.local and .../default/grub but I have no idea how to tackle that part. – WinEunuuchs2Unix Jan 28 '18 at 23:57
  • @WinEunuuchs2Unix, I reply to you at the Ubuntu Forums :-) – sudodus Jan 29 '18 at 10:17
1

Linux

If you are already on ubuntu or any other linux system you can do this.

do lsblk

and that should list every device that is plugged into your system.

You need the ISO of the version of ubuntu that you wanna use.

dd if=(/PATH/FILENAME) of=/dev/(The name of the device in lsblk. Like sdc)

This will write over the files in it and you now have a flashdrive with it.

Windows

Just get UUI from here

Jimbow
  • 11
  • 2