HOWTO: Ubuntu Install From USB – Works For Other Linux Too!
Because of the rise of small ‘netbook’ laptops like the Asus Eee, which don’t come with any kind of CD/DVD drive, it’s quite handy to have good, clear instructions on installing Linux from a USB stick. Even if you do have an optical drive, why bother burning a CD every time? It’s so wasteful.
So I worked out a really easy way to transfer the contents of ther Ubuntu LiveCD to my USB stick and set it bootable, and I thought I’d document the process here in case it can help anyone else.
This method also works with Edubuntu, Kubuntu and Xubuntu, as well as most other Ubuntu-based distros and even some other distributions too (basically, as long as the CD uses isolinux as the bootloader, which 99% of them do). It won’t hurt to give it a try, and I’m happy to help anyone out who wants to give it a go.
These instructions assume that you’re using a Windows machine to prepare the USB flash drive, as there are plenty of guides out there on how to do this from within Linux itself. Also, the latest version of Ubuntu comes with a USB stick creation tool right on the LiveCD, so if you have another machine with a CD drive you can boot into that and give it a go.
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Preparing the files and USB flash drive
- First up, we need to format the USB stick in Windows – go into My Computer, right-click on the USB drive, and then click Format. When prompted, select FAT32 as the file system. Don’t use NTFS – it won’t work!
- Download and install 7-zip. It’s free and extremely useful, for this and anything else you might need to do with compressed files. It’s also open source, just like Linux, so that has to be a good thing. Get the latest stable version to be on the safe side – not the beta.
- Download Syslinux, which is the bootloader we will be using to make the stick bootable. Just get the latest version in zip format, and extract it to the Desktop – right-click, select 7-zip, then extract to syslinux-7.1.1 (or whatever) and then rename that folder to “syslinux”.
- Open a command prompt (on the Start Menu under Accessories, or run “cmd”) and cd to the syslinux folder:
- cd Desktop/syslinux/win32
- Run this command to install the syslinux bootlader to the thumbdrive:
- syslinux -ma f: (where f: is the letter of your USB thumbstick)
- Now we need to extract the Ubuntu ISO – Right click on the ISO file, and select 7-zip/extract to ubuntu-8.04…
The preparation is done! You should now have syslinux installed on your USB thumb drive, and a folder called Ubuntu-8.04-somethingorother on your Windows desktop. Now it’s time ot create our bootable Ubuntu LiveUSB Stick!
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Putting it all together
- Drag all of the files you just extracted from the ISO into the empty USB drive.
- Move everything from the isolinux folder into the root of the drive. So, if your USB thumbdrive’s letter is F, as in our earlier example, move all the files from F:\isolinux\ into F:\
- Rename the isolinux.cfg file to syslinux.cfg
- Eject the drive, insert into the computer you wish to install Ubuntu onto, and boot! Shazam!
-
You may need to configure your BIOS to boot from USB, or at least go in there and change the boot order to try external drives first. It’s quite a simple process, but varies depending on your motherboard manufacturer, and so I can’t really go into it here.
Most modern computers will let you press F12 during the very first boot screen to select a temporary boot device – you should only need this once so that could be sufficient.
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[Update]
This has now been tested with Zenwalk and gOS (see my gOS Gadgets introduction here) and works flawlessly. However, for an even easier method I can highly recommend UNetbootin, which fully automates the process under Linux or Windows. If you are using the method above and running into problems, why not give it a try!
Also, for some reason this doesn’t seem to work with Ubuntu Server. I am looking into it!
I didn’t try the instructions, but I wanted to point out that the BIOS boot menu might not be accessible by pressing F12. I have to press F8 on mine.
It’s F8 on mine too…
Strange. F8 is generally for the Windows boot menu after the BIOS POST stuff, the one that lets you choose Safe Mode etc.
I checked on both my laptops and they’re both F12… They’re running variations on the PhoenixBIOS theme, though. Anyways, there’s a good guide to booting from USB here – section 6 covers BIOS settings according to BIOS manufacturer. If yours doesn’t have a Temporary Boot Device option or you can’t find it, just set it up as per the instructions there.
It’s DEL for me.
As a rule of thumb, just mash all the f-keys during boot. I’ve had computers where you had to press F1.
lol, On my pc ull have to press DEL too
Both my Desktop and my Laptop are F8
mostly all computer are different to enter the BIOS some times its more then one…
i have just tried this with the server iso and it hasn’t booted. does it only work with the live cd? please email me at the above address if not i will check back here every now and then. thanks
I only tried it with the Live CD, but I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t work with the server version – the boot process is exactly the same. Some things to try if it doesn’t work:
- Make sure the hidden file ldlinux.sys appears in the root of the flash drive after you install syslinux.
- Make sure your BIOS is set to boot from USB. Depending on BIOS, you might need to enable legacy USB support, and it may be recognised as a ZIP drive, floppy drive, or HDD.
- Make sure you’re using FAT32 as the file system – also, if your flash drive is over 4GB you might run into problems.
Without any real details on which point in the boot process it’s failing, I can’t really go into any more detail than that.
i cant find the ldlinux.sys file and my usb drive is 8GB what can i do to fix it and make it boot?
Great writeup; I have a few questions about setting it up a bit differently.
I would like to install Hardy TO the USB flash drive.I would like to be able to boot the OS with the drive from a couple machines and have it save all of the data. To make it more complicated I would still like the option to install Ubuntu to that computer if I wish. Does the LiveCD version allow you to treat it as a saveable mobile OS while allowing the same easy install wizard? Install wizard capabilities is not mandatory as long as I can just boot the OS from the drive.
Lastly, how could you have the Ubuntu files be loaded from a subfolder so that the root of the drive could still be used for file storage without clutter? I would love for the drive to have a folder called “Ubuntu” and then all my personal files and folders right on the root of the drive (plus the boot files if they MUST be there too.)
This is a pretty interesting question and something I’m interested in, although I’ve never actually tried it.
In theory, the easiest way to install to the drive would be to boot up from the CD as usual, insert the flash drive, and then just select it as the destination during the install process. Although I don’t think this method will let you use the drive as an installer afterwards.
You can even partition the drive during the install process to create a partition for all your data and keep it seperate from the system data. AFAIK it won’t install to a FAT partition however, so it won’t be accessible under Windows.
Here’s a great guide on a ‘persistent’ install, which I think is exactly what you need. Persistence keeps the basic format of the Live CD, but allows your files and settings to be saved for future boots.
You are the man. I have seen that term kicked around but didn’t know what it meant. I didn’t even think about partitioning the flash drive. I think that and the persistent install would be perfect for me. Then I can still store data on it without clutter and use it with ReadyBoost in Vista.
By the way, for viewing and using Linux partitions from Windows (XP or Vista) check out the Ext2 Installable File System for Windows at http://www.fs-driver.org . Works seamlessly just the way you would expect it to.
Alas, it looks like the persistent install won’t let you do system updates. No matter, I still have a LiveCD for installs, I think I’ll just do a full install to the flash drive since I only really want it as an actual OS. The partitioning was a great idea though. Cheers!
No problem
@rickatnight11: Installing a full-blown Ubuntu OS to your flash drive is heavy duty work. It could be done from an actual Live CD, or a different partition on your flash drive. You could try a persistent install, but I’ve had some difficulty with that. Either way though, booting a full Ubuntu OS is heavy wear and tear on your flash drive. I personally use Slax which is optimized for portable use, which I installed from the UNetbootin installer. You can read more about how I did it here.
A much easier way of doing this is to use UNetbootin and install the Ubuntu Live CD, which I wrote about here. Basically, it makes your flash drive behave like a live CD for Ubuntu, from which you can either install to the hard drive or just run Ubuntu. It won’t save your changes, but it will do the same thing as what was described in this article.
If you are looking for a portable Linux OS to put on your flash drive and have changes saved, check out my Linux on a Stick series.
Great howto, would it be possible to do this from within a linux distro ? do not think it would be too much of a problem.
MrG
Yep, it’s easy enough to do. You can use the isostick.sh script – instructions here.
I tried this but when I run the command syslinux -ma h: nothing appears on my thumbdrive, i already formated it to FAT32…Any ideas? :[
There should be a file on there called ldlinux.sys. It’s hidden so you might not see it without enabling Tools / Folder Options / View / Show Hidden Files And Folders in Windows Explorer.
Hope that helps!
Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.
–cut–
C:\Documents and Settings\Bubblie\Desktop\syslinux\win32>syslinux -ma g:
C:\Documents and Settings\Bubble\Desktop\syslinux\win32>
same here… nothin appears on Tum Drive.
> umph!
I had this same issue. I formatted the drive again using FAT16, and that seemed to work fine for me.
I can get everything on the usb drive, but when i try to boot from it, i hit F12 and choose USB Zip and it says it cannot find the boot kernel linux. What do i do?
You got the bootloader installed OK, it just can’t see the files. Did you rename the isolinux.cfg to syslinux.cfg? Are you definitely using FAT32 as opposed to FAT?
If all else fails, you could try my original guide.
USB Zip is not right; a flash drive is USB-HDD.
If you get the message that it can’t find the kernel and gives you a boot prompt, simply type:
/casper/vmlinuz
and that should get you up and running.
Tried this, but it just repeats the error:
“Could not find kernel image: /casper/vmlinuz”
why can’t it see the files? i am definitely using FAT32 and i changed isolinux.cfg to syslinux.cfg…i really want to try out linux on my computer, and i don’t want to have to use a cd to do so.
This is what happens when I follow your instructions…
NOTE: syslinux is in C:\syslinux
USB drive is j:
C:\syslinux\win32>syslinux -ma j:
Accessing physical drive: Acceso denegado.
Did not successfully update the MBR; continuing…
MBR is the Master Boot Record, sounds like it could be a hardware issue, or maybe the USB drive is “locked” (some of the flash/pen drives have a switch on the side to make them read-only). Otherwise I am stuck for ideas but I will think about it!
Your using Vista. So you should open cmd.exe as administrator.
Great guide, thanks a lot for the painless noiseless ultra fast installation
Glad it worked for someone. As is usually the case with these things, I only generally hear from people when it goes wrong
hey, thanks for your guide, it worked fine and I booted off the USB stick.
however, when I try to uninstall packages it prompts me for the administrator password, which I never set-up (there was no installation..). I have no idea what this password could be.. I tried leaving it blank and putting in “root” but those didn’t work.
Any help?
Ubuntu comes by default with no root password set. The live CD is a special case, that also has a user automatically log in so you never need to set the default user password. On a normal install you would just type your user password into the prompt that pops up (it’s just a graphical sudo) but since you haven’t touched the user password you don’t know what it is.
It’s actually a fairly interesting problem, and one that you’re not going to be able to fix easily. The easiest way to get a root password set up is to boot another system into linux, then access the USB drive (access it as a drive, not boot from it) From there you could replace the /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow files with files from a computer that has passwords already set up that you know.
everything worked for me following the instructions. Thanks, very cool.
Hi, thanks for this guide, it seems simple enough, but I ran into a problem right away in the beginning.
Running the syslinux -ma H: command gives me the following:
“Reading boot sector: The parameter is incorrect.”
I admit, I’m being mischievious by trying this on my iPod. It just sounds handy to have Ubuntu running on my 80GB iPod as well as having all my music in it to play in my car.
And yes, it’s been formatted as FAT32, yet it still has all the music and files to run the iPod as an MP3 player.
I’d appreciate the help.
Thanks!
- Ehsun
The most likely cause would be because the partition on the iPod doesn’t have a boot sector. A quick Google doesn’t really turn up anything similar to what you’re trying to achieve, except a failed attempt on a Mac a few years back.
So good luck – I’ll be interested to hear how you get on!
Also, is there a way to save files from the Live session onto the USB?
Look at my comments about ‘persistent mode’ above. Another way would be to save them to a seperate partition – not the virtual partition that is created as part of the LiveCD boot process.
hello
this worked perfectly but i now have a problem. my 4gb usb thumb drive shows up as having only 705mb. when i try formatting it again in windows it shows the drive as having only 705mb.
thank you
Thanks man it worked great. You should have ads so i can click for thank you.
Didn’t work for me as the BIOS options in my old laptop don’t allow for booting from a thumb drive. In fact, the BIOS settings have no reference whatsoever to USB devices or support.
I’ll try the DVD and see if it still works and, if not, maybe I can update the BIOS or install from some kind of networked drive.
Why not just use unetbootin? Sucky name, great app!
Works in both Windows and Linux.
Check out step two here:
http://ubuntu-eee.com/index.php5?title=Get_Ubuntu_Eee
Sounds good to me. I wrote this guide a long time ago and thanks to the advent of ‘Netbooks’, without optical drives, a lot of better solutions have popped up in the meantime. So I’m always open to recommendations!
Hopefully I’ll be in the market for a new netbook myself soon as my old Thinkpad struggles with a lot of the things I need it for. I’m liking the look of the Acer Aspire One or the MSI Wind at the minute, but that Dell E looks quite tempting too… The Eee 901 is a really nice little machine as well.
Completely off topic, sorry!
For Ubuntu it’s much easier to use WUBI
As a previous commenter mentioned, you’ll probably want to go the Ubuntu Eee method if you’re buying an Eee PC. unebootin works perfectly, and the Eee v. of Ubuntu (Xubuntu, Kubuntu etc) comes w/ all the drivers and a smaller footprint (fewer apps).
Check UbuntuWeblogs.org, I would be happy to aggregated your Ubuntu category there.
- Tiago
When I use the command “syslinux -ma e:” Nothing happens at all. Any one know why its not working for me? Thanks.
Many, many thanks. I had this rolling in about 10 minutes and I ain’t that saavy.
Cheers
This is just my opinion but you should refine this article and give a bit more instruction. For a good hour or so I couldnt figure out why your directions did not work, and then I decided to try and install 7 zip, and it worked, a simple one liner such as ‘install the 7 zip program’ would have done wonders. I did not see anywhere where it said or hinted at installing that program. After that it was mostly smooth and useful to know all of this. However I recommend that someone else should proofread your instructions so that people who are new to linux or do not use it on a regular basis will understand a little easier. Also your 7-zip link is broken.
Thanks for the heads up. I have fixed the broken link. I think that getting someone else to proofread my instructions would be a good idea – I was following them myself as I wrote them down, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that someone else would understand them!
That said, judging by the comments on here, it has worked OK for a lot of people.
I think there’s a script called isotostick.sh which does all the dirty work for you in just a minute.
Thanks, work perfectly.
But when I boot, the system stop in the shell and I don’t know how I start the installer
If it’s stopping where I think it is, I think you just need to hit enter.
What size of USB thumb drive do you need for this setup? I am currently using Vista, which does not offer disk formatting in anything but NTFS (I hate that part of Vista). Are there any tools out there that will allow me to format the thumb drive in FAT format? (i.e. if I need to redo the steps later).
Thanks for the article.
There is 700MB of data so I recommend at least 1GB, but not over 4GB as some BIOSes have problems getting them to boot properly.
To format USB drives I can highly recommend the HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool. I haven’t actually tried it in Vista but it *should* work.
Since this says that it works for other linux installations (in the title) can anybody tell me how to use this for a suse install?
I tried this with the server version. I gets into the installer, and tries to mount a real CD. There doesn’t seem to be a way around easily. I may try a shell to mount the USB filesystem to /cdrom if I can find it.
I tried, this workin perfectly but im unable to save changes on system. Any1 have idea 2 make this work as USB os rather live USB?
You need to look at my comments above about “persistent” mode!
Hallo everybody,
WARNING !!
mini laptops like ACER ASPIRE ONE, ASUS and so on, just don’t have the power to mount and maintain USB sticks over 1Gb.
These devices are low power devices which means low electricity, so if you have to install something from USB just be sure to use USB not bigger that 1Gb.
Hope this helps !
Have fun !
Ciao
What about being able to have multiple arch’s and then have a boot menu to choose which version of installer to boot.
For example I deal with a mix of i386 systems and AMD64 systems. What if I want to put both installers on the jump drive and have the drive display a menu asking which arch that I wish to install. Then it would kick start the install from the arch’s subfolder.
I don’t think that categorizes as a persistent install but could be wrong. If anyone of you have setup an multi-arch usb install stick I would love to hear your suggestions. If it is documented that’s even better, post the link.
I have never heard of this being done before, however it would simply be a case of having two different kernels set up, pointing to the two different sets of packages. Technically it would be relatively easy, but I couldn’t tell you how to do it off the top of my head. I will have a look into it though.
If you want to install the server version follow the instructions here: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuServerFlashDriveInstaller
Im trying to creat an USB bootable with the iso of knoppix std, but after extract the files of the ISO i found that i dont have any ISOLINUX folder. I only have Knoppix and [boot] folders.
I can view hidden files like the “ldlinux.sys” created by syslinux but i dont find any files with cfg extension
Any idea?
great howto
Thanks.
What if I want to make an ISO of my installation? I’m administering a school network and I do a lot of work on each laptop after installed ubuntu, in order to get it to fit our needs. Can I set up a laptop and then make an ISO it to use, instead of the ISO I downloaded from ubuntu.com?
I don’t think so, no. For most distributions you can save the settings chosen during setup and use them for an “automated install”, but I can’t find any information on how to do that with any recent versions of Ubuntu. There is a guide for 7.10 here though.
does it work on linux?
For that, you could try UNetBootIn. (I also wrote a guide to the Windows version of UNetbootin which may be relevant).
thanks alot great guide worked first time!
“Now we need to extract the Ubuntu ISO – Right click on the ISO file, and select 7-zip/extract to ubuntu-8.04…”
…is not clear. Where is this “ISO” and where is it to be extracted??
Thanks so much! It worked flawlessly for me on a Windows XP computer that my brother managed to all but destroy.
You could just grab fedora’s live usb creator for windows. I have used it for ubuntu. By far the easiest way. In fact here: https://fedorahosted.org/liveusb-creator/
Is this possible with Ubuntu Studio??
Yes, it should work fine with Studio. The other methods mentioned in the comments above (Fedora Live USB Creator, UNetBootIn) should work too and might be even easier!
I’m having some trouble – whenever I attempt this kind of install with ubuntu 8.10 it freezes. I select the ‘install’ option, then a desktop – like image appears with a small dialogue window that says “Install” on the top, and then nothing else happens. Neither the hard disk nor the USB key are active – I can’t figure out what’s going on. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Okay – I’ve found out that the problem I was having was specific to the HP2133, and after digging around for other installation methods I found one that will work with my machine. Thanks for the great guide, Rees, it was really well written and its just too bad it didn’t work with my system.
For HP owners or anyone else interested, there’s a guide to installing ubuntu via thumbdisk on the 2133 at:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LaptopTestingTeam/HP2133#Video%20Driver%20Fix
Thanx!
Just followed the instructions and it worked perfectly. Used Win XP to make LiveUSB with Ubuntu 8.10 amd64 LiveCD and tested it on Dell M4400.
I am trying to install Ubuntu linux 8.10 to a Intel Classmate notebook (originally came with Edubuntu install). (2GB internal flash drive, 512 MB RAM)
It has an SD card slot. So I used the method you suggested to make the card bootable. It boots fine and even loads Ubuntu fine if I select that option. Once booted, all hardware works (sound/network/wireless etc.)
When I try to install Ubuntu, it goes through all the pre-install setup and partition procedure fine. It creates a 148 Mb swap and rest ext3. But when it starts the actual install and enters the ‘copying files’ stage (this stage starts at 22%). It proceeds to 23% and gives the following error:
The installer encountered an error copying files to the hard disk:
[Errno 5] input/output error.
This is often due to a faulty CD/DVD disk or drive, or a faulty hard disk. It may help to clean the CD/DVD, to burn the CD?DVD at a lower speed, to clean the CD/DVD lens (nothing applies to me; I am using an SD CARD to install from), to check whether the hard disk is old and in need of replacement, or to move the system to a cooler environment.
I am no expert with linux. So I formatted the internal drive to FAT 32 and ran scandisk with surface scan using a win98 bootable Pen Drive.
No error in the drive.
I tried keeping both isolinux.cfg along with its copy, syslinux.cfg both in root, I also tried keeping all files inside isolinux folder in its original location along with its copy in the root. But nothing helped so far. Been trying this for 2 days now
Please help…
Salil
This is a very generic error. Seems like it doesn’t like something to do with the SD card, maybe it’s not fast enough, the card is corrupted somehow, or maybe the SD card reader driver for your particular hardware has some stability issues.
I think your best course of action would be to go to the Ubuntu Forums and ask there, as there are lots of people there who are a lot more knowledgeable about these things than I am. They’ll probably ask or the output of certain log files like dmesg and /var/log/messages, but they’re usually very helpful an can walk you through it.
Finally, there are easier ways of converting from Edubuntu to full-blown Ubuntu – I think it’s just a case of using apt or Synaptic to remove the edubuntu-desktop package and install the ubuntu-desktop package. AFAIK the underlying system is the same anyway, it’s just the desktop environment and collection of apps that’s different.
Dude, I have to say THANK YOU. Yours is the only tutorial I have found out of the 100′s on the web that is easy to follow and, more importantly, worked!
Thanks a lot!
Hi,
I tried to access my thumb drive using syslinux with this command “syslinux -ma I:”, and it says “Access is denied” . So the mbr is not modified, can you please help with this? I do not know why I am unable to access my flash in cmd. Many thanks,
Nauman
has anybody tried this on a mac yet? i am thinking about installing ubuntu this way on my PowerBook G4. is there anything i should look out for in particular or any hints?
oh and by the way im also getting the access is denied error. i am running Vista on my pc. anyway to fix this?
Nauman,
You probably run Vista, open the command by right clicking and select rund as admin. Now it should work.
/Anders
mmm, I have a ubuntu pc and an aspire one. I made a bootable usb using the given script under System -> Administration -. make a bootable usb . And it is working. But only on the pc. On my netbook , I see the five bootup menus , but I cant move the selection or press enter. Any solutions on that?
Update: It doesnt redirect me to the language selection as well.
It is like it is frozen there.
absolutely rubbish, did not work. please do make sure its tested in all configs before posting something online..
This post gets hundreds of hits per day and I’ve had very few complaints. You can see from the comments above that this has helped a lot of people – OK, so there are a few with issues, but they’re the vocal minority and I’ve tried to help them all out on an individual basis.
I’ve also recommended two alternatives for anyone who’s having problems – UNetbootin and Ubuntu’s own USB stick tool.
If that’s not good enough, perhaps you can tell me where your site full of super-helpful information is?
I want kiss your goddamn feet you wonderful bastard! My dad is a complete moron when it comes to computers, and is always getting viruses and making my mom fix his computer. He doesn’t know how to surf the web safely, so I decided to install Ubuntu on his crashed computer. Which happened, by the way, by my mom removing a flash drive without first ejecting it while she was doing a System Restore. Learn from her mistake. The computer wasn’t booting to Windows XP anymore, and when I tried reinstalling Windows, the CD drive decided it was going to die as well…
I had some trouble with doing the checksum for the downloaded Ubuntu image, so decided I would just wing it and jump to the next step.
I did everything exactly as you said to, and now Ubuntu is installing magnificently on his computer.
You saved me from a lot more work and unnecessary headache.
Thank you!
-Gwen
Best. Comment. Ever.
Works for the dell mini 9 ubuntu image. Thanks!
It works perfect to me!
Thanks very much!
Has anyone found a working solution to install Ubuntu Server from an USB stick?
I get the problem with the installation asking for a cd.
I seem to be getting the same problem when installing from the Alternate CD. I haven’t been able to figure it out, so I gave up and installed the LiveCD image.
Dude, this tutorial is great!
I’m trying to install ubuntu onto a HP Tc1100 tablet pc, and this is just what I needed.
Thanks for posting!
Thanx a bunch!
Installing ubuntu 9.04 on dell mini 9 using your method right now
i hav a problem…..it shows a boot error…and also i cant find the file ldlinux.sys….what is the reason?
Hi
I tried these steps on vista but it gave me the already discussed error
Accessing physical drive: Acceso denegado.
Did not successfully update the MBR; continuing…
so I just switched to UNetbootin, it works great I can see linux in my box
Thank u.
Have several similar articles about this topical. Your one is by far the simplest and easiest to follow. Especially your one teaches people how to make this from a Windows machine other than a Linux machine is uniqu. Thanks very much!
I get a “could not find kernel image: linux”
message when I try to boot from my USB.
Any ideas?
Good stuff!
Looked at other sites for directions with no luck. Directions here worked great… had no troubles at all!!!
Thank you so much! I was about to resort to drastic measures (i.e. pulling out my USB drive and stepping on it until it was dust). This worked perfectly.
Hi
Thanks alot this really nailed what I needed.
to confirm if you want to use your procedure useing windows vista.
the to start the cmd window start\all programs\accessories
right click on command prompt and select run as administrator.
Excellent article. Thanks
hi,
i have been looking for this for a few days, very nice job, many thanks.
is there a way to apply these steps for a external hdd drive? “syslinux -ma f:” makes windows command prompt write “not a removable drive and when using -f option, “Accessing physical drive: Access is denied. Did not successfully update the MBR, continuing…” I am able to use the same hdd for windows 7 installation.
This rocks!
Works straight way. Thanks!
WOW!!! What a tutorial!!
Thanks. I did what u said and it worked.
Though i suggest future readers to read
http://apcmag.com/how_to_dualboot_vista_with_linux_vista_installed_first.htm?page=2
to know about partitioning before ubuntu installation. because ubuntu requires free (unpartitioned) hard disk space.
Thanks for the tip! You certainly should free up some disk space first if you’re looking to dual boot. I believe the partition manager in Ubuntu can do it, but it’s not as intuitive as it could be. Perhaps I’ll write a new tutorial that includes the relevant information.
IT WORKS
Thx man, love ya
Thanks for this.
Works great!
Had to run the Command Prompt as Admin. to properly install syslinux onto the flash drive.
Thanks!
Do you guys think a 1GB flash drive could hold all the information?
And, will I still be able to use the USB drive?
My netbook is the Dell Mini 9″. I updated it to Ubuntu 9.10 (using a friend’s external CD-reader) but now I want to revert. The Dell Mini came with a CD that calls itself Ubuntu 8.04, but I think it’s somehow specific (correct driver for Wifi adaptor? maybe some other things, alternative Dell simplified desktop?).
My CD-equipped machine is running XP. The CD does not contain an ISO image, only an “belmont-travel-stable-install-usb-20090108-1.img” IMG file.
The CD also contains a “liveusb-creator-ubuntu-installer-0.3.2.1.exe” file, but this loads something called Python which, as far as I can tell, is a utility to run from Linux, not from the XP I’m running on my Desktop.
Looking round, I can’t find anything that tells me how to load the IMG file I have – can you help?
FINALLY! A method that actually works! God, I become so disenchanted with the switch to Linux after several failed attempts at install UNR on my Dell Mini 9, but this article saved me from completely giving up on Linux. Thanks!!!
I used UNETBOOTIn to reinstall UBUNTU to my laptop, after Windows 7 persnickediness forced me to erase it. So glad it exists, and thanx to you folks for mentioning it. This works when USB-INSTALLER simply failed.
My next project will be to see if I can get it to install Dream Linux on a flash drive. I’ll just have to not let it alter GRUB’s menu, but manually edit it.
Great guide. It worked perfect for me. Thx a lot!!!
good at least booted and now installing thanks author
Everything in this guide was perfect until you threw in this “isolinux” folder. Where the heck did this folder come from? Not once did you mention this folder in the guide. Please, refrain from giving guides unless you can actually give a guide to how to do something.
If you’re using a Ubuntu CD, isolinux is created when you copy the contents from the CD to the flash drive. If you followed the steps correctly up to that point, then the folder will just be “there”, so it didn’t seem worth mentioning where it originally came from.
While I’m certainly no expert on writing guides, the vast majority of people in these comments seem to have been able to follow the instructions without this unnecessary piece of information.
If you let me know which distro/version you are using I can have a look at it for you. I’m sure you’ll see from the comments above that I’m more than happy to help people who are stuck, even if my guide writing skills aren’t up to your standards…
Just had to comment. VERY helpful. Thanks.
I used these instructions for installing the Ubuntu 10.04 Notebook version on my old laptop. Worked great once I followed the instructions correctly. I copied over the original unzipped directory for syslinux instead of from the thumb drive.
Thanks for this!
Need a nifty and speedy thumb drive for this to work properly.
good piece, though.
wow worked great! just fixed my old laptop today! wanted ubuntu on it! cd drive dont work great so cunt do from disc, did your method and worked 2nd time
first boot came with gfx error? then worked great thanks alot m8 
Thank you for this tutorial.
After successfully completion of all suggested steps (with syslinux-4.02.zip, Ubuntu-10.04-desktop-i386.iso on) I got the following message while booting with usb-stick(8Gb):
“vesamenu.c32: not a com32r image”.
Can you please give me a suggestion to solve this problem?
Hey, Guys!
I have to say thats a really usefull installation-tutorial.
But I have a problem:
I have an Asus Aspire One and have formated C: partition.
Now i want to install ubuntu like in your description, but it doesn’t work!
If i press the powerbutton and wait a few seconds there comes an error:
ERROR: No configuration file found
No DEFAULT or UI configuration directive found!
But I have renamed the “isolinux.cfg” into “syslinux.cfg”
anyone can help me?
god damn same problem here
This is so great that I had to comment. I’m usually just a lurker, taking in knowledge and nodding my head in quiet approval at the good stuff…..this required written props. Theory rocks…thanks.