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Boot Ubuntu from flash drive

R

Rgarner

Android Expert
Quite a while ago I downloaded Ubuntu onto a flash drive, or thought I did.
When I tried to boot up from what I'm pretty sure is the flash drive, I got crap. Then I opened it and saw that there is a Memorex lock of some kind, along with the Torrex Torrent ubuntu-16.04.3-desktop-i386.iso, If it really does have Ubuntu as it claims, why doesn't it work? Am I doing something wrong? The lock is an application called MemorexLockv2.35, and it's 2,218 kb. Ubuntu is a TORRENT File at 61 kb. The drive is 8gb with a protective cover that swings out of the way.
 
Well if the file is 61kB then it's certainly not Ubuntu (even less if it's 61kb). A torrent file is just a pointer used to download from BitTorrent, not the actual disk image itself. But why would you want to download a Ubuntu iso from a torrent in the first place? Just download the iso from Ubuntu.com, and that way you know that you are getting a legitimate, unmodified Ubuntu image.

Ubuntu.com (and many other sites) also have tutorials on how to create a bootable USB flash drive from an iso image, which you will need (you don't just copy the file onto the usb drive, though it's not much more complicated).
 
Many Linux distributions will be available via torrent to help reduce server load, Ubuntu even includes links to their torrents:
https://www.ubuntu.com/download/alternative-downloads

Make sure to verify it using MD5 or SHA1. The full ISO file will be over 1GB.

In Windows to make a USB drive bootable to install Ubuntu:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Win32DiskImager/iso2usb

Options in Ubuntu:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/FromUSBStick

I'm guessing the Memorex Lock is a program you can install to protect your USB drive. Turning the USB into Ubuntu boot media will erase the file.
 
Thanks, but what are MD5 and SHA1? How do I get and use them? Also, would there be any way to put that lock back on after I put Ubuntu on the flash drive?
 
Will that lock even be relevant once you convert the flash drive to a live USB? You aren't going to be storing other stuff on it.

MD5 and SHA1 are checksums, to ensure that the iso image is not corrupted or modified. You download the iso, use a utility to calculate the checksum for the file, then compare it to the one that Ubuntu say that iso should have. If they match you are fine, if not you have a bad download (which you should not use).
 
That makes sense. What utility do I use and how do I use it? Will I be able to use Ubuntu immediately after I download it?
 
I use Mac or Linux, both of which would have md5 generators built in. I know they exist for Windows, but haven't used one there. A quick search reveals that Microsoft make one themselves (with the catchy name "Microsoft File Checksum Integrity Verifier"), so that's probably a decent choice.

Once you have followed the instructions to create a live USB from your flash drive plus iso you can use it to boot into Ubuntu.
 
That's catchy all right. Add some music and maybe we can dance to it. I'll try it later. Meanwhile, is there anything I can do to speed up this pc? I tried to check email tnis morning, but it just kept "loading".
 
Actually, I've got Windows 8.1, but a lot of that probably applies. How do I find the task manager? I bet there are some programs I could stop from booting up automatically. By the way, this laptop is about 5 or 6 years old. It's a Dell Inspiron with a hard drive that's more than 200 gb. However, it has no touchscreen and wouldn't have Bluetooth except that I got an adapter for it. That works fine, anyway.
 
I was able to find task manager. It's part of the control panel under settings. I disabled a lot of things, none of them crucial (I hope). Search indexing is probably off now, though I'm not sure. I could not find advanced system settings, though. That probably means I can't do much to save power by changing appearance. Where are Windows tips? I didn't see anything about that. I did just run Malware Bytes after updating it and had it quarantine 17 bad things.
 
I realize it's been quite a while since I dealt with this topic here. I've been really busy. Anyway, just now I tried to download Ubuntu more than once only to get this annoying error message each time. What has gone wrong and how do I fix it? It's that kind of stuff that made me want to get Ubuntu in the first place. Once again, it's a Dell Inspiron laptop, about 6 years old, crawling Windows 8.1.
 
Rgarner said:
Anyway, just now I tried to download Ubuntu more than once only to get this annoying error message each time.
Click to expand...

What was the message?

Does you laptop have a DVD R/W drive? That might be your easiest option to install linux.
 
Here are not the pictures I wanted to include. I don't know what's wrong with THIS thing now. I tried to upload three times and got an error message. The one on the pc says secure connection failed...authenticity of received data could not be verified. What the heck does that mean, and what do I do about it? Also, what do I do about not being able to upload images with the S5? I don't need all my "technology" screwing up at once.
 
Ok, I finally got extremely lucky and got to the Ubuntu download page. I guess I should get the LTS version because I'm probably gonna need it. I put in a fresh 16 gb flash drive, the folding kind with a key chain and a red light. The pc has recognized it, thank goodness. Now what do I do?
 
Yeah, I do. I know it's kinda kooky but I want to keep Windows 8.1, at least for now, because I'm used to it, even though it's sucky. I realize that makes me a noob, but too bad. I'll probably always be one.
 
Well, I tried 3 tines to download 18.04.1. Each time there was that same stupid message: secure connection failed. What, if anything, can I do about this? I'm using Firefox but I'm not sure which version. I think it's pretty new.
 
Does it begin to download or does it just fail?

Try installing Rufus and creating your bootable USB stick by using their direct download for Ubuntu.
 
Rgarner said:
Each time there was that same stupid message: secure connection failed. What, if anything, can I do about this? I'm using Firefox
Click to expand...
Firefox help - secure connection failed:
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/secure-connection-failed-error-message


The direct download link for Ubuntu 18.04.1 doesn't work for me when using HTTPS:
https://releases.ubuntu.com/18.04.1/ubuntu-18.04.1-desktop-amd64.iso

Using HTTP starts the download so it might work for you also (if you haven't already started with Rufus):
http://releases.ubuntu.com/18.04.1/ubuntu-18.04.1-desktop-amd64.iso
 
How do I switch from secure to regular? I keep getting that crap about secure connection failed. Sometimes I manage to get through and I try to download but that always fails. It should be easy if it's only 1 mb. Am I getting the wrong version? I was going for either 3.4 or 3.4 portable. There's a really long list that I can occasionally see.
 
Thanks, I do have Avast but I cannot launch it. It says it's embarrassing. I bet. Meanwhile I let Windows supposedly download some updates and restart. I guess I'll see what happens.
 
It's a miracle! It actually worked. Maybe the updates did something because the pc does seem to be running better. I was finally able to get a workable download from Rufus, 3.4. I guess it's on the flash drive now. Assuming it is, how the heck do I boot into Ubuntu instead of Windows next time? ;Assuming it isn't, what do I do then?
 
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