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I made a bootable USB drive of the downloadable Ubuntu 16.10, ran, and installed from it. Fine.

Now after making some stock additions (like Samba, Wine, and such) I'd like to make a USB bootable copy of my particular Ubuntu. It's still plenty small enough to fit on a stick. Can it be done?

Zanna
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LarryM
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  • Ubuntu includes a tool called "Startup Disk Creator" which has an option for "persistence", which is what you want. – You'reAGitForNotUsingGit Mar 26 '17 at 21:53
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    @Android-Dev Persistence has been missing from Startup Disk Creator for several years. Try mkusb instead. – ubfan1 Mar 26 '17 at 22:20
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    Possible duplicate of what program to use when you want to create a persistent storage live usb IN ubuntu? – Terrance Mar 26 '17 at 22:27
  • When I looked at the persistence for Ubuntu, it talked about putting the normal "stock" image on the usb (and it did not list 16.10 as one of the choices anyway.

    I would like to make a usb bootable that boots up to be the same as what boots up on my hard drive now, with all the extras I've put in it.

    I should be able to walk up to any PC, plug in the usb and boot to my familiar machine.

    Do able?

     – LarryM Mar 27 '17 at 02:37
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    If you are a beginner, you make your changes AFTER installing a stock iso to a USB stick. Be warned: Your changes are limited. If you are an intermediate user, you know how to install a full Ubuntu system to a USB stick...and that it will probably run rather slowly. If you are an advanced user, you can create a customized iso to install to the USB stick. – user535733 Mar 27 '17 at 02:43
  • I would recommend to make a persistent live drive with mkusb. The following link describes the alternatives (live-only, persistent live, installed system), http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2230389 – sudodus Mar 27 '17 at 06:46
  • If you just want a customized installation on your USB stick and you don't need it to be persistent across reboots, you may want to look into Ubuntu Customization Kit. I believe this is what @user535733 is referring to when he/she says "customized iso." – b_laoshi Mar 27 '17 at 06:56
  • Possible duplicate of How to install programs on USB stick? – karel Mar 27 '17 at 08:28
  • Perhaps I'm not explaining it well. These pointers seem to be how to customize an existing installation package and put it on a USB. What I would really like to do is put an exact copy of my systems hard drive onto a USB, not as a back up, but so that it would be a bootable drive. This would include all the software I've added to Ubuntu (Samba, WIne, etc) as well as files, data, and programs in my $HOME. The idea being that I'd then be able to walk upto any PC, plug the USB in and then boot into MY system. Do able? – LarryM Mar 27 '17 at 15:45

1 Answers1

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OK, I think the word 'persistent' led us in the wrong direction :-)

Yes, an installed system is portable between computers

An installed Ubuntu system is portable between computers, but not as portable as a live or persistent live system. If a computer needs a proprietary driver for example for graphics or wifi, there is a problem. You should avoid proprietary drivers unless all the computers would work with that/those particular driver(s).

  • Edit: You can install Ubuntu into a USB pendrive like it were into an internal drive, and it will work also in other computers. Install it from the live system in one USB pendrive into another USB pendrive (and avoid proprietary drivers).

    Particularly If the computer is running in UEFI mode, it will be much easier if you unplug the internal drive before you start installing. Otherwise the EFI partition in the internal drive will 'hijack' the bootloader and you have to fix a bootloader in the USB drive manually afterwards.

    After the installation you can re-connect the internal drive again, and it should be possible to use a hotkey to get a temporary boot menu, where you can select the USB drive (or the internal drive). Without that hotkey, the computer should boot directly into the internal drive (and your wife's operating system).

If the original drive and the target drive have the same size sectors, you can clone the system (from a smaller drive to a bigger drive) for example with Clonezilla.

Otherwise you must extract the files, fix some configuration files and create the bootloader separately. It is possible, but I think it is faster and easier to create a new installed system (or persistent live system) in the USB drive, install your favourite program packages, configure the system and copy the personal files that you want.

You can create a script with rsync or use Unison to syncronize the personal data files between the two systems.

See these links

Try Ubuntu (Kubuntu, Lubuntu, Xubuntu, ...) before installing it

help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/UEFI-and-BIOS

sudodus
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  • Still not what I'm trying to do. I must be realllly bad at explaining. – LarryM Mar 28 '17 at 02:39
  • Okay, in the beginning, a couple months ago, I created a USB drive with Ubuntu 16.10 on it, it booted my laptop and let me run pretty much like Ubuntu was really installed. Stop right here and pui a pin in this time and space. From here I proceeded to take that same USB and go ahead and really install Ubuntu on that very same laptop. Now that its really installed, I added Samba, qBitTorrent, OpenVPN and VPN connection information, Its not a huge list, but things to make the Personal Computer personal. – LarryM Mar 28 '17 at 03:02
  • Now everytime this laptop boots, its MY version. [note, there are no proprietary drivers] Okay, now that I have everything settled, remember that pin we put in time and space? I want to make a new USB drive that when I put it in boots whatever system I put it in to that pin point. I want the USB drive to boot MY Ubuntu, I don't particularly care if it can install itself on to the computer its in, I just want to borrow the computer and have it be just like mine for the time the USB is plugged in. – LarryM Mar 28 '17 at 03:02
  • Here's a sliver of why: I'll be going on a trip for a couple weeks and wife and I might be only able to take one laptop. If I have this handy-dandy USB we can take hers - she boots normally, I put the USB in and boot it, I know already that someone's going to suggest fixing the wife's computer to dual boot. Nah-ah, ain't gonna happen.

    So what does it take? Is it possible to take a USB drive and not with some fresh off the factory version, but of MY version of Ubuntu ?

     – LarryM Mar 28 '17 at 03:03
  • I am bad at explaining too ;-) I tried to explain in the answer, what I think you describe in these three comments (written 3 hours ago). You can install Ubuntu into a USB pendrive like it were into an internal drive, and it will work also in other computers. Install it from the live system in one USB pendrive into another USB pendrive (and avoid proprietary drivers). Particularly If the computer is running in UEFI mode, it will be much easier if you unplug the internal drive. Otherwise it will 'hijack' the bootloader and you have to fix a bootloader in the USB drive manually afterwards. – sudodus Mar 28 '17 at 06:24
  • But I still think you are saying that I'd take a fresh copy of Ubuntu and install it (from one USB to a second USB), then modify that second USB. That's nice, but that either ignores all my additions, or makes me re-install them again on the second USB. Right? Why can't I just do something to image my existing system ? – LarryM Mar 28 '17 at 13:33
  • I wrote that you can: If the original drive and the target drive have the same size sectors, you can clone the system (from a smaller drive to a bigger drive) for example with Clonezilla.

    Otherwise you can extract the files, fix some configuration files and create the bootloader separately. It is possible, but I think it is faster and easier to create a new installed system (or persistent live system) in the USB drive, install your favourite program packages, configure the system and copy the personal files that you want.

     – sudodus Mar 28 '17 at 13:57
  • Maybe I should make it clear, that you can probably clone the drive with Clonezilla, at least if the target drive is the same size as or bigger than the source drive, http://clonezilla.org – sudodus Mar 28 '17 at 15:31
  • Let us continue this discussion in chat. – sudodus Mar 28 '17 at 15:33