YUMI – Multiboot USB Creator; SARDU – Multiboot USB Creator (Windows) Boot Multiple ISO from USB via Grub2 using Linux; Creating a Kubuntu Live USB from CD; Creating an Xubuntu Live USB from CD; Creating an Ubuntu Live USB from CD; Using UNetbootin to create a Linux USB from Linux; MultiSystem – Create a MultiBoot USB from Linux.
If you know about the most popular Linux operating system (OS) according to Distrowatch for the past few years has been Linux Mint. Through this post, I will try to explain how to create a bootable UEFI Linux Mint USB drive and how to boot from it. A good reason for Mint’s popularity is it’s ease of installation the very small learning curve, the complete ease of use and also because it is based on the long-term support release of Ubuntu which provides stability and support. This tutorial will show you how to create a Linux Mint 18 USB drive using Windows 8 or Windows 10. You can use the bootable UEFI Linux Mint USB drive as a way of testing Linux Mint out to see if it is suitable for your needs and you can also use it to install Linux Mint to your hard drive. After you have finished this post you will be able to follow this guide which shows the process for dual booting Linux Mint and Windows 8 and 10.
How To Create A Bootable UEFI Linux Mint USB Drive
Requirements:
The tools required to create a bootable UEFI Linux Mint USB drive are:
Linux Mint ISO (this will be downloaded as part of the tutorial)
Win32 Disk Imager (this will be downloaded as part of the tutorial)
A clean USB drive
A laptop or desktop with Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 pre-installed
Follow the below steps to Create A Bootable UEFI Linux Mint USB Drive:
Download Linux Mint:
Click here to visit the Linux Mint download page. As of now, there are 4 versions of Linux Mint available:
Cinnamon
MATE
XFCE
KDE
The Cinnamon desktop is the main version and provides a great user experience with a modern looking atmosphere. MATE is better for older computers as is XFCE. The KDE version provides an alternative to Cinnamon but personally, I would stick with Cinnamon version of Mint.
For each version, there is a choice between 32-bit and 64-bit. Hence, you choose as per requirement. To find out whether your computer is 32-bit or 64-bit press the Windows and Pause/Break button together a new window will appear.
Look for “System Type”. If your computer is 64-bit it will show x64 or in a few cases ia64. Click on the download link for the version of Linux Mint you wish to create a USB drive for.
A screen will appear with the release information, the size of the download, release notes and a list of Linux Mint downloads. Pick the link from the country closest to the one in which you live.
The file will be downloaded into the downloads folder (default download location) if you have to change it ever from the browser setting then look into the specified folder.
Also Read – How to make a Bootable Multiboot USB Flash Drive for Windows and Linux
Now Download Win32 Disk Imager:
Double click on the downloaded setup file to start the installer.
A welcome message will appear, click “Next” to continue.
Accept the license & agreement and click “Next”.
Select the path where you want to install Win32 Disk Imager (I would recommend sticking with the default option) and click “Next”.
When greeted with the window asking where to create the start menu folder click “Next”.
Choose whether to create a desktop icon by ticking or unticking the box and then click “Next”.
Finally, click “Install”.
Create The Linux Mint USB Drive:
Format A USB Drive:
You will need a clean USB drive.
Insert the USB drive you wish to make bootable UEFI Linux Mint.
To format the USB drive open Windows Explorer and right-click on the drive letter that symbolizes the drive.
Click the “Format” option on the menu.
When the “Format Volume” screen appears to make sure that the quick format option is checked and the file system is set to Fat32.
Now click “Start”.
Writing Linux Mint Image To The USB Drive:
Start Win32 Disk Imager by clicking on its shortcut desktop icon.
Make sure the drive letter is set to the USB drive you want to write the image to.
Press the little folder icon and browse to the Linux Mint ISO downloaded previously. You will need to change the file type to show all the files. Click on the ISO file so that the path appears in the box on the main screen.
Then click “Write”.
Also Read – Step By Step Create A bootable USB Stick On Ubuntu 18.04
Turn Off Fast Boot So That System Can Boot From USB:
In order to boot from a bootable UEFI Linux Mint USB drive, you have to turn off a fast startup. Move the mouse to the bottom left corner and right click so that the menu appears again.
Choose “power options”.
When the power options screen appears to click the second menu item on the left-hand side called “Choose what the power button does”.
At the bottom of the window is “Shutdown Settings”. Make sure the “Turn on fast startup” checkbox is unticked and click on “Save Changes”.
Note: If the box is grayed out you can enable it by clicking the link at the top which is “Change settings that are currently unavailable”
Also Read – Useful Linux Mint Tricks And Tips User Needs to Know.
How To Boot From A Bootable UEFI Linux Mint USB Drive:
To boot into Linux Mint restart your computer and hold down the shift key. When the UEFI boot menu appears to choose the “Use a device” option and select the “USB EFI Drive” on the next window.
If Linux Mint hasn’t booted at this point then you should go to this page to check that the ISO you downloaded can be verified as a complete and valid download. If you don’t see the blue UEFI screen to choose to boot from EFI menu then there are other things you can do. For instance, you can reboot your computer and press the function key that pulls up the boot menu.
Here is the list of function keys used by a manufacturer:
Acer – F2 or delete
Asus – F2, F9 or delete
Compaq – F10
Dell – F2
Emachines – tab or delete
HP – Escape, F1 or F10
Lenovo – F1 or F2
NEC – F2
Packard Bell – F1 or F2
Samsung – F2 or F10
Sharp – F2
Sony – F1, F2 or F3
Toshiba – Escape, F1, F2 or F12
Also Read – How To Install Linux Mint 18 “Sarah” – Cinnamon
You should now have a live version of Linux Mint 18 running. That’s all, In this article, we have explained How To Create A Bootable UEFI Linux Mint USB Drive. I hope you enjoy this article. If you like this article, then just share it. If you have any questions about this article, please comment.
We have already given the complete guide for using Rufus to create bootable USB media. Interestingly, RUFUS application only supports Windows and Mac. So if you are using Linux distributions, RUFUS is not the way to go. But fear not. Just as the case with almost every other tasks, popular Linux distros such as Ubuntu has never failed to meet the user demands. Same is the situation when you need to convert ISO to bootable USB Media in Ubuntu or Linux Mint.
Ubuntu and many major Linux distributions come preloaded with a set of essential utility tools. This includes Startup Disk Creator which helps to create bootable USB Linux media. There are different bootable Live USB creator applications that can be installed in Ubuntu. In this article, we will tell you how to make a bootable USB drive in Ubuntu using the built-in Startup Disk Creator application, UNetbootin and ddrescue command.
So let’s get started with it --
1. Create Bootable USB Media in Ubuntu Using Startup Disk Creator
As said before, Startup Disk Creator is a built-in application in many Linux Distros like Ubuntu. To use it,
Open the dash menu. If you are using the latest version, use the left pane to open the show applications.
Open the Startup Disk Creator application by typing or searching in the search box.
Now, you will need to select the source ISO file and specific device for bootable media. If you have chosen the wrong device or ISO, click other to change your selection.
After verifying the ISO file and, click on Make Startup Disk to create a new Bootable USB startup disk in UBUNTU Linux.
Finally, a prompt will appear asking you to confirm your selection. Confirm the prompt to start the process.do
2. Create Bootable USB Media Using UNetBootin
Unlike Startup Disk Creator, UNetbootin doesn’t come preinstalled in the Ubuntu Linux distribution. It means that you would have to download this bootable USB Linux application first. You can try firing up the terminal and executing the command:
Unetbootin would install, but the chances of getting the latest package would be slim. So adding installing from the official PPA would be the way to go.
Install UNetbootin
Now, UNetbootin will be installed and the bootable USB creator application will appear in your applications list.
Using UNetbootin for Ubuntu Linux
If the USB is plugged into your machine, UNetbootin will automatically detect it instantly when launched.
You will have two options of making a bootable USB on Ubuntu Linux with UNetbootin: Distribution and disk image. Selecting the distribution will automatically download the necessary files for the specific distribution from the internet. To do this,
Select both the distribution and version.
Now, choose the type as USB and select your USB drive from below and click OK.
Once you click ok, UNetbootin will download the necessary files and install them on your USB.
If you are looking to Create a Windows 10 USB installation media using UNetbootin, you will have to choose the disk image option. For doing so,
Select disk image and choose ISO.
Now, Browse to the particular ISO that you want to make as an installation media.
Again, choose the type as USB and select your USB drive. Once you click ok, UNetbootin will install the boot media to your USB.
3. Convert ISO to USB in Ubuntu Using ddrescue
Well, hang on. This is Ubuntu we are talking about. Apparently, the terminal is the top tool for a typical Linux user. So let’s just say that we were saving the best for the last. This is by far the easiest way to convert ISO files to a USB disk if you are fond of using terminal commands.
For starters, ddrescue is a data recovery tool which can clone any storage devices. We can use ddrescue to convert ISO files to USB sticks.
Install ddrescue
First things first. You will need a working internet connection to download and install ddrescue. (In case you already have it installed, you can skip this step).
Now, you will need to know the exact block device name (something like dev/sd..). To do this use the command fdisk. Enter the following command,
sudo fdisk -l
Once you enter the fdisk command, you can see all your devices connected. Here, you can see that the block device name for the USB is /dev/sdb1.
Importantly, verify that the block device name you chose is the correct one or you might end up with corrupt/destroyed data.
Once done, enter the command as follows:
Replace the x and path/to/.iso with your specific device block name and the path for the iso file.
When the process is finished, you can boot into your bootable Ubuntu USB stick.
Bootable USB Media from ISO in Ubuntu Linux
Now that pretty much sums up the necessary steps that you would need to do to Create a Bootable USB stick using Ubuntu Linux. Furthermore, if you are still having trouble booting into the USB stick, head over to BIOS/UEFI in your machine to configure the boot settings. Finally, as always, use the comment section to remind us of anything that we missed. Cheers!
Also Read: How To Create A Bootable USB Media Using Rufus For Installing Linux/Windows