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So far all of the instructions out there only seem to explain how to make a "trial" version of Ubuntu on a bootable USB disk. I don't want that. Here is what I am looking for:

I have a Windows laptop with no space on it to install a dual-boot of Ubuntu. I am going away on a month long business trip and need my laptop, but I also have a few linux programming projects I am working on and would like to take them with me. I want to install linux onto a USB drive, then copy over my source code. When I have time to work on my projects, I want to be able to simply insert the USB drive, boot to linux and have a fully functioning development environment available to me. When I change my source code, I want that source code to get saved to the USB drive and for it to be persistent so that the next time I boot to linux all of my changes are still there.

When I install the Ubuntu ISO to my USB drive, I can boot to linux, but when I create any source code on it, the source code is gone next time I boot. This will not work. I must have a persistent development environment.

So far I found one thing claiming to give me what I want - a tool called Linux Live or "lili" for short. I used it on two different USB drives and for some unknown reason (even they do not seem to know what is happening) the final step of the install process wipes my USB drives. o_O

Is there truly no way to install a persistent linux development environment onto a bootable USB drive? There must be a way to do it. Can someone please point me in the right direction?

Thank you.

James
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  • You can do a full install. I have both installed in BIOS and UEFI boot modes. And UEFI is more difficult. But install is like any install to an external drive.https://askubuntu.com/questions/786986/boot-ubuntu-from-external-drive/942312#942312 & https://askubuntu.com/questions/906857/installing-ubuntu-on-usb-and-booting-from-destop-with-uefi If on trip, be sure to make a Windows repair flash drive and include that in your computer case. – oldfred Mar 03 '18 at 20:55
  • When doing a Full install to USB I like including a partition that can be accessed by both Windows and Linux, here is one method: https://askubuntu.com/questions/227614/attempt-to-mount-a-filesystem-with-type-ext4-at-failed/227892#227892 , Here is another: https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2385802&p=13743180#post13743180 , this should work both BIOS and UEFI – C.S.Cameron Mar 05 '18 at 16:39

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