Unlock the Power of Linux Anywhere with This Simple USB Drive Hack!
If you’re a Linux user, you know that it’s one of the most powerful operating systems out there. But what if you need to use it on the go? Carrying a laptop with you everywhere can be a hassle, and you might not always have access to one.
But don’t worry, there’s a simple solution that can help you unlock the power of Linux anywhere you go: a USB drive hack.
With this simple hack, you can turn a regular USB drive into a portable Linux operating system. That means you can take all your favorite Linux applications with you and use them on any computer, even if it’s not your own.
Here’s how to do it.
Step 1: Download a Portable Linux Distro
The first thing you need to do is download a portable Linux distribution. There are many available, but some of the most popular ones are:
- Ubuntu
- Linux Mint
- Fedora
- Debian
These distributions are designed to run from a USB drive, which makes them perfect for our purposes.
Once you’ve downloaded the distribution you want to use, make sure to check its requirements. You’ll need a USB drive with enough storage space to hold the distribution, and some distributions might have specific hardware requirements, such as a certain amount of RAM.
Step 2: Create a Bootable USB Drive
The next step is to create a bootable USB drive. This is a USB drive that can be used to start up your computer and run the portable Linux distribution.
To create a bootable USB drive, you’ll need a program that can write the distribution image to the USB drive. Some popular programs include:
- Rufus (Windows)
- Etcher (Windows, macOS, Linux)
- UNetbootin (Windows, macOS, Linux)
Once you’ve downloaded and installed the program you want to use, insert your USB drive into your computer and open the program. Select the distribution image you downloaded in step 1, and choose your USB drive as the destination device.
Follow the program’s instructions to write the image to the USB drive. This process can take a few minutes, depending on the size of the image and the speed of your USB drive.
Step 3: Boot from the USB Drive
Once you’ve created your bootable USB drive, the next step is to boot your computer from it.
Insert the USB drive into your computer and restart it. Keep pressing the key that opens your computer’s boot menu (usually F12 or F10) until you see the option to boot from the USB drive. Select this option and press Enter.
Your computer should now start up from the USB drive and load the portable Linux distribution.
Step 4: Enjoy Portable Linux Anywhere
And that’s it! You’ve now turned a regular USB drive into a portable Linux operating system. You can take it with you anywhere and use it on any computer to access your favorite Linux applications.
Some things to keep in mind:
- Make sure to save your data to a separate location, as any data saved to the USB drive will be lost when you shut down the computer.
- Make sure to eject the USB drive properly before removing it from the computer.
- Some computers might not be able to boot from a USB drive, so this hack might not work on all computers.
In conclusion, if you’re a Linux user who needs to work on the go, this simple USB drive hack can be a lifesaver. With a little bit of preparation, you can unlock the power of Linux anywhere you go.
When it comes to portable Linux, most people will think of Puppy Linux or other lightweight Linux distro that you can install it on your USB drive. What if you need to use a full-blown Linux distro and still be able to bring it wherever you go without lugging your laptop along? Porteus could be the solution for you.
Porteus is a Linux distro that is optimized to run on CD, USB flash drive, hard drive, or other bootable storage media. Porteus is based on Slackware and is designed to be portable and lightning fast. It comes with a 32 and 64 bit version and you can select the desktop manager (RazorQT, KDE, Mate, XFCE, LXDE) of your liking.
Getting started
Porteus comes with two editions: Desktop and Kiosk editions. The Desktop edition is what you install on your USB drive and is meant for everyday use. The Kiosk edition is meant to be used on a public computer, or kiosk. It is heavily lockdown, giving the users access only to the Web browsing.
Go to Porteus website and click the “Download -> Desktop edition” link.
Instead of finding a Download button, you will a wizard page where you can customize the components you need. You can select the system architecture (32 or 64 bit), desktop environment (KDE 4, XFCE, Mate, LXDE), browsers, word processors and even the graphics card drivers. Once you have selected the components you need, click the “BUILD” button at the bottom of the page and the download link will appear.
Once you have downloaded the ISO file. Mount it in your computer. You should see two folders: Boot and Porteus.
Plug in your USB drive and copy the two folders over. Next, open a terminal and “cd” to the “boot” folder in the USB drive. Type the command:
On a Windows PC, you just have to double click the .exe file in the boot folder.
This will install Porteus in the USB drive.
For installation on any other storage device, you can follow the full installation guide here.
Running Porteus
Once the installation is completed, you can restart your computer (with the USB drive still intact) and boot into Porteus.
I have no trouble getting it to detect my graphics card, wireless card and since I am pretty familiar with the XFCE desktop, everything is home to me right from the start. Yes, I am able to boot up within 15 seconds.
Porteus comes with a package manager where you can use to install the applications you need. Unlike other distro where you have to download the application package from its source before you can install it in your computer, Porteus makes use of modules, which are pre-compiled packages. To install an application, you just have to “activate” the respective module. This is a fast and easy way to setup new applications.
Porteus also comes with a “Porteus Settings Center” where you can optimize the performance and configure the behavior of the distro. You can encrypt/decrpt files/folders, setup a “Magic Folder” to sync between two folders, save the current session etc.
One useful feature is the cheatcode (or commands) that you can append to the startup process to further optimize and improve the bootup time.
Conclusion
For those who feel that Puppy Linux, or other lightweight Linux distro, are too ugly, difficult to use, or “overly lightweight” that you can’t get things done, Porteus will provide a good solution for you. It is well optimized, boot up fast and perform just like your regular desktop installation. You also can run your favorite desktop manager, like KDE or XFCE, on Porteus, which make you feel at home instantly.
Try it out and let us know how you find it.
Damien Oh started writing tech articles since 2007 and has over 10 years of experience in the tech industry. He is proficient in Windows, Linux, Mac, Android and iOS, and worked as a part time WordPress Developer. He is currently the owner and Editor-in-Chief of Make Tech Easier.
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