To create a bootable Linux USB, write (or “flash”) the distribution’s ISO image to a USB drive with an image-writing tool. Do not copy the ISO onto the drive as an ordinary file. Writing the image erases the selected USB, so check the target carefully before starting.
What you need before you start
- The Linux distribution’s ISO, downloaded from its official source.
- A USB drive with enough capacity for that ISO. The Ubuntu guide warns that an undersized drive can cause an image writer to fail silently; it does not set a universal minimum.
- A computer running Linux, Windows, or macOS to write the image.
- Backups of any files on the USB that you want to keep. Flashing rewrites the selected drive.
For integrity checking, follow the distribution’s own instructions if it provides them. Ubuntu’s guide describes checksum verification in KDE ISO Image Writer when the corresponding SHA256SUMS and SHA256SUMS.gpg files are available alongside the ISO. Ubuntu’s USB creation guide
Choose a writing method for your computer
| Computer used to write the USB | Graphical option | Command-line option |
|---|---|---|
| Linux | Disks, Startup Disk Creator, or KDE ISO Image Writer; availability depends on your distribution and desktop. | dd, for experienced users who can identify the correct device. |
| Windows | Rufus. | Not specified in Ubuntu’s instructions. |
| macOS | balenaEtcher. | dd, after identifying and unmounting the disk. |
Create the bootable USB in Windows with Rufus
Warning: The write process erases the selected USB drive. Back up its contents and verify the device shown in Rufus before confirming.
- Connect the USB drive and open Rufus.
- Select the correct USB device, then choose SELECT and open the downloaded ISO.
- Leave most settings at their defaults. If Rufus identifies the ISO as an ISOHybrid image, confirm writing in ISO Image mode.
- Recheck the selected drive, then accept the erase warning to begin writing. Wait for Rufus to finish.
- If the USB does not boot on a modern system, Ubuntu suggests trying GPT partitioning and UEFI (non-CSM) in Rufus.
These Rufus steps follow Ubuntu’s documented procedure.
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Create the bootable USB in Linux
Use a graphical writer
Ubuntu documents Disks, Startup Disk Creator, and KDE ISO Image Writer. Open the available writer, select the downloaded ISO and the intended USB drive, then start the write. Tool names and availability vary by Linux distribution and desktop environment. Check the target before confirming because the drive will be overwritten.
Use dd from the command line
Warning: Writing to the wrong device can destroy data, including the running system. Use this method only if you are comfortable identifying disks and checking the device path before running the command.
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- Connect the USB drive and identify it with
lsblk --scsi. Confirm its device path and distinguish the whole drive (for example,/dev/sdX) from its partitions (such as/dev/sdX1). - Unmount the USB drive’s mounted filesystems.
- Replace the example ISO path and device below with your actual ISO path and verified whole-device path. Do not use
/dev/sdaunless you have confirmed that it is the USB drive.
sudo dd if=Downloads/ubuntu-26.04-desktop-amd64.iso of=/dev/sda bs=4M conv=fsync status=progressHere, if is the ISO file and of is the destination device. Ubuntu’s command and device name are examples, not values to copy blindly. Let the command finish before removing the drive. Ubuntu’s Linux instructions
Create the bootable USB in macOS
Use balenaEtcher
Warning: Flashing erases the selected drive. Back up needed files and confirm the USB target in Etcher before starting.
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- Open balenaEtcher and choose the Linux ISO.
- Choose the intended USB drive as the target.
- Start flashing and wait for the process to finish.
Use dd in Terminal
Warning: A mistaken disk number can overwrite another disk. Verify the USB’s identifier carefully before using dd.
- In Terminal, run
diskutil listand identify the USB by its device number and capacity. - Unmount the USB disk, then write the ISO to the corresponding raw disk device using
dd. Confirm the identifier again before executing the write.
Ubuntu documents Etcher and the macOS command-line route, but the exact disk identifier depends on the connected hardware. Its guide says the resulting USB works on PC hardware and older Intel-based Apple hardware. For Apple Silicon, it points to Ubuntu Asahi; Canonical does not support that project, and hardware support depends on the machine. Ubuntu’s macOS instructions and compatibility notes
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Put multiple Linux ISO files on one USB
If you want to choose among several images at startup rather than make a USB for one image, Ubuntu describes Ventoy as a multi-ISO alternative. Install Ventoy on the USB, copy ISO files onto its storage, and select an image from Ventoy’s boot menu. Installing Ventoy also rewrites the drive, so protect any files you need before setup. Compatibility details can change: Ubuntu’s guide flags a release-specific installation issue involving Ventoy 1.1.11, released in April 2026. Check the current compatibility advice for your chosen distribution before relying on a particular version. Ubuntu’s Ventoy notes
Boot the computer from the USB
- Safely finish the write process, then connect the USB to the computer where you want to install or run Linux.
- Restart the computer and open its startup boot menu. F12 is one common key, but the correct key varies by manufacturer and model.
- Select the USB device. If it is missing or will not start, check the computer’s firmware boot settings and the distribution’s compatibility with that hardware. On a modern PC created with Rufus, Ubuntu suggests GPT and UEFI (non-CSM) if needed.
Ubuntu’s instructions say its USB creation methods work on PC hardware; Apple hardware support differs by generation, as noted above. For details on the Ubuntu-specific methods and platform qualifications, see Ubuntu’s guide. Fedora also explains the general live-USB concept, but its page includes dated utility names and commands, so use the selected distribution’s current instructions for exact steps. Fedora Project: How to create and use Live USB
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