How to create a bootable USB stick in Ubuntu

Creating a bootable USB stick allows users to install or test different operating systems without affecting their current setup. The bootable stick, also referred to as a “live USB,” is handy for system recovery, installations, and demonstrations.

In Ubuntu, the process is straightforward thanks to a built-in tool called the Startup Disk Creator. This utility transforms a regular USB stick into a powerful installation or test environment for Ubuntu or other Linux distributions.

However, before you proceed, ensure you have the following:

1. A USB stick with at least 2GB of free space.
2. An Ubuntu ISO file or another Linux distribution's ISO file.
3. The Startup Disk Creator utility (pre-installed in most Ubuntu versions).

1. Insert your USB stick into an available USB port.
2. Launch the Startup Disk Creator application.
3. Choose the source ISO file by clicking on the “Other…” button. Navigate to your downloaded Ubuntu or other Linux distribution's ISO file and select it.
4. Select the USB stick you want to use from the list of available drives. Be cautious: any data on this stick will be erased!
5. Click on the “Make Startup Disk” button. When prompted, confirm that you wish to erase the USB stick and then create the bootable drive.
6. Wait for the process to complete. The tool will display a progress bar while it writes the data and makes the USB bootable.
7. Once the process completes, you can safely eject the USB stick.
8. Now, you can use the USB stick to boot or install Ubuntu on any compatible machine. Ensure that the target computer's BIOS or UEFI is set to boot from a USB device before a hard drive.