Can I use an installed Xubuntu instance on two computers?

Question

I want to install the latest LTS Xubuntu version (16.04) on an external SSD hard drive. This is what I'm planning to do:

So now the question: Can I use this installed version as a boot stick on my laptop and on my tower PC as well?

I don't understand your question "can I use this installed version as a boot stick" - what do you mean? What do you propose doing after installing on the external drive? — Zanna, Sep 07 '17 at 06:25
See What would be the differences between a persistent USB Live Session and a installed Ubuntu in a USB drive? – for a full installation, the hardware that was present at the time of the install matters, so creating a persistent system instead would be the right choice for you. — dessert, Sep 07 '17 at 06:26

score 5 · Answer 1 · answered Sep 07 '17 at 06:35

Short answer: Yes :-)

Long answer:

Yes, an installed Ubuntu family operating system is portable between computers with the same architecture PCs with Intel or AMD processors.

But there are things to consider.

32-bit operating systems work in 32-bit and 64-bit computers, but 64-bit operating systems work only in 64-bit computers
Avoid proprietary drivers (for example for graphics)
Normally, an installed system will work only in the boot mode, that was running when installed
- if installed in UEFI mode, the installed system works in UEFI mode
- if installed in BIOS mode (alias CSM alias legacy mode), the installed system works in BIOS mode
You can tweak an installed system to boot (and work) both in UEFI mode and BIOS mode, but it is not easy, and if connected when Windows is updating, this feature might be destroyed.
a live-only or persistent live system is more portable (but an installed system is more flexible concerning what can be installed and updated & upgraded).

See this link for further details,

@lastro, You are welcome and good luck with Xubuntu :-) – sudodus Sep 08 '17 at 04:38 — sudodus, Sep 08 '17 at 04:38

1 Answers1