Create a Bootable Ubuntu USB Drive: Reliable Methods for Modern Workstations

Imaging operating systems for fast recovery, hardware testing, or bare-metal installs? Forget legacy DVDs—USB flash drives are faster, reusable, and compatible across architectures. A properly constructed Ubuntu bootable USB is foundational in any admin’s toolkit.

Requirements

USB drive, minimum 4GB (8GB+ recommended for Ubuntu 23.10 or later; 3.0 adds substantial speed)
Current computer with internet access
Ubuntu ISO. Download latest LTS or rolling release at ubuntu.com/download
USB writing utility. Choice depends on host OS

Host OS	Recommended Tool
Windows	Rufus ≥ v4.0
macOS	balenaEtcher ≥ v1.14
Linux	Startup Disk Creator, dd, or balenaEtcher

1. Acquire the Ubuntu ISO

Get the, e.g., ubuntu-22.04.4-desktop-amd64.iso or another architecture as needed. Always verify checksums:

sha256sum ubuntu-22.04.4-desktop-amd64.iso
# Compare to the official hashes at https://releases.ubuntu.com/

ISO integrity does fail more often than you expect—especially with interrupted downloads.

2. Imaging on Windows with Rufus

Note: Rufus 4.x dropped support for Windows 7 and XP; use v3.22 for old hosts.

Steps:

Plug the USB key (backup data, will be overwritten).
Run rufus.exe.
Device: select USB target.
Boot selection: choose Ubuntu .iso.
Partition scheme:
- Use MBR for BIOS/UEFI compatibility—works with nearly all hardware.
- Use GPT only for strict UEFI requirement; newer hardware (2019+).
File system: FAT32 (default), unless custom EFI tweaks needed.
Click START.

Prompt:
“ISOHybrid image detected...” → choose ISO Image mode (Recommended) unless you specifically want DD mode. See FAQ for advanced persistence needs.

Wait for completion. Rufus logs progress—successful creation logs will end with:

Finalizing, please wait...
Found USB device
[...]
Operation completed successfully

Known Issue: Some Sandisk USB drives with stock U3 firmware occasionally fail to boot (legacy mode); reflash/replace if needed.

3. Imaging on macOS with balenaEtcher

balenaEtcher is simple but occasionally triggers macOS “Operation Not Permitted” errors (System Integrity Protection). Workaround: run from /Applications and grant permissions.

Steps:

Insert USB.
Launch balenaEtcher.
Select ubuntu-XX.XX.iso.
Target the inserted USB (double-check the target! balenaEtcher shows device names, but errors are irreversible).
Click Flash.

After flashing: Wait until 100% plus system notification. Ignore Finder prompts that the disk is unreadable—macOS can’t read Linux partitions by default.

Remove safely via tray icon or diskutil eject /dev/diskX.

4. Imaging on Linux: dd and Startup Disk Creator

Option A: Startup Disk Creator (GUI, on Ubuntu)

Search “Startup Disk Creator” in your apps. UI is self-explanatory—select ISO, then target USB.

Option B: Raw dd (terminal, all distros)

Example:

sudo dd bs=4M if=~/Downloads/ubuntu-22.04.4-desktop-amd64.iso of=/dev/sdX status=progress oflag=sync

Where /dev/sdX is the entire device—not a partition. Use lsblk to check.

BIOS/UEFI typically recognize images written via dd as bootable, since Ubuntu ISOs are hybrid images.
A failed dd leaves an unreadable, but often recoverable, stick; reformat with GParted if necessary.

Warning:
dd is irreversible; targeting the wrong device is a common destructive error.

5. Booting Target Machine

Insert prepared USB, then power on the target device.

Access boot menu—most systems use F12, ESC, or DEL (rarely F10/F8), but check the OEM splash screen or manual.

Set UEFI/BIOS to:

Enable legacy USB boot if UEFI doesn’t detect the device.
Disable “Secure Boot” if you see "Secure Boot Violation" or similar message.

Upon correct boot order and settings, you should see the purple Ubuntu welcome screen.

Note: Some devices (notably HP and Toshiba laptops) require the USB to be inserted before power-on; others scan on demand.

6. Troubleshooting & Non-Obvious Tips

Problem	Solution
USB not detected in boot menu	Try different port (use direct motherboard ports if possible); check with `lsusb`; reformat/rewrite.
USB boots but installer fails	Redownload ISO; verify checksum; flash with alternative tool; test stick on another system.
Boot is slow	Confirm stick is USB 3.0 or better; 2.0 controllers can take >4× time.
"No bootable device" message	Check partition table settings (try both MBR and GPT).
`dd: writing to '/dev/sdX': No space left on device`	Ensure drive is large enough; some Ubuntu releases >4GB ISO, especially with custom builds.

Side Note: Persistence (saving changes) requires more setup—standard ISOs do not support this natively. Search for “persistent live USB” if you need user data or packages retained between boots.

Practical: Quick Recovery USB

For field engineers: keep a tested Ubuntu live USB in the kit, using a high-quality, small-form-factor stick (e.g., Kingston DataTraveler 100 G3 16GB). Avoid cheap promotional drives—corrupt partitions under load.

Conclusion

There are numerous ways to build Ubuntu bootable USB drives. For reliability, pair the verified ISO with trusted utilities (e.g., Rufus, balenaEtcher, or dd). Check boot on at least one physical device before deployment.

For questions, errors, or edge hardware, consult log output or manufacturer documentation. There’s always a troubleshooting rabbit hole, but the fundamentals above remain consistent.

Note: USB boot media is also suitable for system rescue or disk imaging, beyond simple OS installs. Consider building both an LTS and an older ISO for legacy compatibility.

How To Make Bootable Usb Ubuntu