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In the old days we could burn an Ubuntu or any Linux installation iso image onto a DVD-R, and then install it to our PC or as a virtual PC.

But since DVD drives are not present in many PCs nowadays, and the USB flash drives have gotten faster, can we burn the installation image on one USB flash drive, plug in another USB flash drive, install Ubuntu on that second USB flash drive and use it to boot up Ubuntu for common daily use?

karel
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Stefanie Gauss
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  • Yes, we can and always could irrespective of the installer/live's media. But it's slow and prone to corruption. Other than that it's the same process. – ChanganAuto Dec 15 '21 at 18:04
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    You can even make a Full install of Ubuntu to the same flash drive the Live installer was booted from. See: https://askubuntu.com/questions/855039/can-ubuntu-be-installed-to-the-pendrive-it-was-booted-from – C.S.Cameron Dec 15 '21 at 18:13

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Ubuntu installed on a flash drive, either "frugal" install (running direct from compressed ISO image) or full install has been a common way to carry Ubuntu along for years, even before USB ports and thumb drives got fast enough to start to compete with older platter drives for access time and transfer rate.

I've done this, and it does work, though unless I need to be able to start any computer I might run across in Ubuntu, it has limited practical value. One thing it is good for is to have a dependable, working operating system for "rescue" operations -- in which case it would be prudent to ensure that partitioning and partition repair tools are installed.

Zeiss Ikon
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  • I was thinking of using the daily boot drive not by a USB Flash drive, but by a USB SSD drive. It seems like those drives can support parallel reading or writing better than the USB Flash drives – Stefanie Gauss Dec 15 '21 at 18:21
  • The USB channel is the limitation on parallel read/write in this case ("serial" bus). But it'll work, or you can install from itself if you follow the instructions in the question linked in comments above. – Zeiss Ikon Dec 15 '21 at 18:23
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    is that right... I have tried using a USB Flash drive and perform some parallel read/write, and it seemed like some read was queued up and won't respond until a few seconds later. With the USB SSD drive it didn't have such issue – Stefanie Gauss Dec 15 '21 at 18:25
  • You might be correct -- I've never used an external SSD myself, and the hard disks I had on USB for backup have all long since failed or gotten too small (and took forever to mount on startup). I try not to store anything long-term on thumb drives; that breed of flash isn't reliable enough compared to an SSD or platter HD. – Zeiss Ikon Dec 15 '21 at 18:33
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    @StefanieGauss, I have good experience of persistent live and installed Ubuntu (and Ubuntu family flavour) systems in SSDs. Today SATA-SSDs are relatively cheap and work well when connected via a USB3 to SATA adapter (but dedicated USB-SSDs are more convenient). – sudodus Dec 17 '21 at 09:41