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In the answer of another question of mine, I was told that the official version for creating a bootable USB flash drive for Ubuntu is Rufus: https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/tutorial-create-a-usb-stick-on-windows#1-overview

Now, I was just wondering, would the data be lost after every reboot?

Also, I read about the terms persistent and full install. Would following the official version give me a persistent or full install?

Anonymous5638
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3 Answers3

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If you create a USB boot by the following guide: https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/tutorial-create-a-usb-stick-on-windows#1-overview, you can try a live version of Ubuntu or you can install a full Ubuntu version.

Take a look at this picture: https://i.stack.imgur.com/fBlXV.png

If you choose:

  • Try Ubuntu: you will be able to try Ubuntu with basic feature before installing it. With this option, you can know how Ubuntu will look like on your PC and you can use some pre-installed app on Ubuntu, but you can not use full feature of Terminal, etc...
  • Install Ubuntu (recommend for working or full experience on Ubuntu): you will be able to install a full version of Ubuntu. With this option, of course, all data will be fine after reboot.
Thuat Nguyen
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The LiveUSB is a compressed squashfs snapshot of a working system that is useful for testing your hardware. It's awesomely powerful and flexible even as a mere snapshot.

  • The default LiveUSB is READ-ONLY. All changes will be lost.

The instructions you followed will result in NEITHER a persistent nor a full install.

  • A persistent install (instructions) allows the snapshot to save a limited number of changes.

  • A full install is what the LiveUSB installer creates. That's what it installs. You can install to a hard drive or to a different USB. Be aware that a full install on a USB is likely to have a shortened life.

user535733
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  • +1: That link 'instructions' works, but it is getting old and I think there are method/tools that are easier and give better results. – sudodus Mar 10 '20 at 19:38
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Full Install USB

The official versions that you point to are old and result in a Live non Persistent install. Nowadays Rufus offers Persistent partition installs for Ubuntu 19.10 and later. These are not limited to 4GB.

If you want to run Ubuntu from USB just like from an internal drive you can make a Full install to USB.

It is safest to first unplug your internal drive and then insert your USB. You can then install as you would to HDD, either automated install or using "something else".

Advantages of a persistent install:

1) You can use the persistent pendrive to install Ubuntu to another computer.

2) A persistent install takes up less space on the pendrive.

3) You can reset the pendrive by overwriting the old casper-rw file with a new one.

4) The install to pendrive takes less time.

Advantages of a Full install:

1) You can update files and upgrade Ubuntu versions.

2) If you have problems or wish to modify, the solution is the same as with an internal install, (You can ask for help in these forums).

3) No ugly startup / install screen.

4) Better security, you can use full encryption.

5) You can use proprietary drivers.

6) Hibernation works.

7) A persistent install is often limited to a 4GB casper-rw and a 4GB home-rw persistence file, to get more persistence requires persistence partitions. Once casper-rw is full, the drive will not boot.

8) Faster boot.

9) You can run VBox and use virtual machines.

Note that once booted, both methods run at about the same speed.

Full Install Methods

Two methods for creating Full install pendrives: How to make a live Ubuntu 18.04 USB with a persistent storage of more than 4GB and How to fully install Ubuntu on USB Flashdrive?

C.S.Cameron
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