How to create live and bootable usb for Ubuntu 11.10

CDs are too oldschool for you? If that is the case I totally feel ya. They’re slow, old and there is always a chance the they may screw something up. So what do you do when you need to install ubuntu 11.10, but you aren’t keen on using CDs? Well, the answer is very simple – you use Live USB. USBs are faster, more reliable and much, much more cooler than the CDs. But hey, you would say – “Hold it right there, tiger! I would love to record a LiveUSB, but I have no clue how!” Well not to worry, cuz Superman is here to the rescue … ok, that was a stupid joke, but anyway, as you might have noticed by the bit too obvious title, this article is to teach you how to listen to ABBA … ok, ok, ok it has nothing to do with ABBA (damn), but with recording a LiveUSB for Ubuntu 11.10 from previous versions of Ubuntu. So ready or not (I hope you are) here I go!

Step 1. Get the .ISO file
It is only natural that you’ll need the Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot .ISO file in order to record it to your LiveUSB. Getting that file is piece of cake Just go to the download page and select “Ubuntu 11.10 – latest version”. For architecture choose the architecture of your machine (32 or 64 bit). Now click the big honking orange “Start Download” button and save the file somewhere. Now until it gets downloaded I suggest you open a lager and play some cool ABBA videos from Youtube

Step 2. Recording the .ISO file
I’ve got a good and bad news for you. The good news is that this is the last step (YAY!), the bad news is that it is divided into three other steps. Cheeky, isn’t it? Now let’s get down to business. There are three LiveUSB recorders I’m gonna cover in this article – The default Startup Disk Creator and Unetbootin

Step 2.1. Recording with Startup Disk Creator
Needless to say you need to first plug-in your USB drive, so do that. Now, to start it up press Alt+F2 and execute: usb-creator-gtk Wasn’t that hard, was it? Now if you don’t mind I”m gonna make this post a bit more polished my adding some screenshots. So when it’s started you should have a see it’s window:

Now you will need to format this USB drive, so if you have anything you want to save now is the perfect time to do that! … Saved your important stuff? OK, now click “Erase Disk” button and than click “Yes” on the dialog window that appears. When asked for your password enter it and click “Authenticate”. Now wait ’til your USB is formatted (should not take more than 30 seconds). Now when that is done click on the “Other” button and select the .ISO file you’ve downloaded. When done you the windows should looks suspiciously like this:

And now you have the great honour to press the lovely “Make Startup Disk” button and the bottom right Now go back to the lager + ABBA combo, just don’t forget to give a look at the recording process every minute or tow, cuz it will ask you to insert your password at some stage. When done a notification windows will pop up to say that the LiveUSB is created and you need to reboot your PC to use it. Well, that was all! Now you know how how to make LiveUSB with Startup Disk Creator.

Step 2.2. Recording with Unetbootin
See, I’m not really a fan of using third-party apps when the default apps does the job, but I was threatened that if I only cover one USB creator I will be blood-eagled (which is rather horrifying way to die) so I kinda have no choice, but to cover at least two more apps apart from Startup Disk Creator. Anyway no more twaddling about how I may be executed and back to tutorial Before you start the recodring process with Unetbootin plug-in your USB drive and bacup any important data from it, cuz the pendrive is going to be formatted during the recodring process First thing you need to do if you are gonna use Unetbootin is well install it (don’t call me Captain Obvious for this, PLEASE). There are a lot of ways to install Unetbootin in Ubuntu, but I’m gonna recommend using the Ubuntu Software Center, cuz this way works for both nerds and newbies So to install UNetbootin first start the Ubuntu Software Center and then search for “Unetbootin” in it:

Now you need to obviously click on the “Install” button on the right and insert your password. While waiting to install it is a good idea to go back to watching more ABBA videos and drinking more lager, cuz the universal law clearly states than one can never have enough Agnetha and lager Now when installed it is time to start it. Press ALT+F2 and execute unetbootin. Now you should see a windows like this (I know it is inconsistent with the GTK theme, put the blame on the Unetbootin devs):

Now select “Diskimage” radio button and than click the button named “…” which will allow you to browse and choose the Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot .ISO file. Well, I don’t need to to tell ya that you need to press the “OK” button now Now here comes the cool part, if the USB is not empty Unetbootin will ask you to format the drive:

You need to click “Yes to All” here. This was the last thing you need to do in this step. Now you can go back to more ABBA and open up a second can of lager, cuz you should have finished the first by now. When the process is done you need to reboot your machine to use the LiveUSB.

Well, that’s all in that article, now you know two easy ways to record LiveUSBs for Ubuntu from Ubuntu Just don’t forget that ABBA and lager are essential if you are recording LiveUSBs