Howto make USB boot drives

[sudodus]

mkusb version 24.1.0, 24.1.1

- mkusb 24.1.0 . mkusb-plug: .. p_zentest: added zver (storing zenity main version) .. get_action: using zver to add window height for version >= 4 - mkusb 24.1.1 . t_plug: 'works also with secure boot' when Ubuntu flavour

Improvement in program package mkusb version 24.1.0

Modications in mkusb-plug: increased height of window to keep the whole menu list within the window (without scrolling) for new version of zenity ('catching up' with recent updates in dus)

Improvement in program package mkusb version 24.1.1

Modications in dus: t_plug: added test to make a difference between Ubuntu flavours and other distros or respins, where we can expect Ubuntu flavours to work with secure boot in newer computers.

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Unstable: You get/update this new version of mkusb from the unstable PPA via the following commands

sudo add-apt-repository universe     # this line only for standard Ubuntu

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mkusb/unstable
sudo apt update
sudo apt install mkusb           # to install
# sudo apt full-upgrade          # upgrade to current version (with all other upgrades), only for installed systems

sudo apt install mkusb guidus dus mkusb-common  # to upgrade all mkusb basic components including dus

sudo apt install usb-pack-efi    # for persistent live drives that work in UEFI and BIOS mode with 32-bit iso files

You get only the version dus (alone or with guidus) via one of the following commands (without the whole set of mkusb tools). dus and mkusb-nox are useful for systems without a graphic environment, for example Ubuntu Server.

sudo apt install dus
sudo apt install guidus
sudo apt install mkusb-nox

You get only the version mkusb-plug via [the update command and] the following command,

sudo apt update
sudo apt install mkusb-plug

Alternative way to get mkusb: There are tarballs at

- help.ubuntu.com/community/mkusb/gui/tarball with only dus and guidus (mkusb version 22),

- help.ubuntu.com/community/mkusb/plug with only mkusb-plug.

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Stable: mkusb version 24.1.1 is in the stable PPA. The policy is to test mkusb for a long time and in several environments before it is uploaded to the stable PPA (unless there are minor tweaks or bug-fixes).

You get/update this version via the following commands

sudo add-apt-repository universe      # this line only for standard Ubuntu

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mkusb/ppa
sudo apt update
sudo apt install mkusb            # to install
# sudo apt full-upgrade           # upgrade to current version (with all other upgrades), only for installed systems

sudo apt install usb-pack-efi     # for persistent live drives that work in UEFI and BIOS mode with 32-bit iso files

You get only the version dus (alone or with guidus) via one of the following commands (without the whole set of mkusb tools). dus and mkusb-nox are useful for systems without a graphic environment, for example Ubuntu Server.

sudo apt install dus
sudo apt install guidus
sudo apt install mkusb-nox

You get only the version mkusb-plug via [the update command and] the following command,

sudo apt update
sudo apt install mkusb-plug

Usually there is drive space enough to install all the following mkusb packages explicitly:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install mkusb guidus mkusb-plug usb-pack-efi

Please notice that if you have already installed mkusb-plug or dus/guidus from a tarball, you had better remove that version when you install via PPA. The advantage with the PPA version is that it gets updated/upgraded automatically along with other program packages that are installed from the Ubuntu repositories.

[oygle]

Wanting to create a bootable usb with DBAN on it. Having problems with booting to usb and it seems the usb won't show on the boot list if the usb is not formatted properly. This is what I did

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mkusb/ppa
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install mkusb mkusb-nox usb-pack-efi

then

mkusb dban-2.3.0_i586.iso

I used these options, as this is how I use mkusb to create a bootble Kubuntu usb drive

take option 'p' , then option 'c' (clone)

At "Do you expect the drive to contain filesystems other than VFAT and ISO9660 ? , select "D" (I don't know)

At "Do you expect the drive to contain an ISO9660 filesystem ? , select "d" (I don't know)

Kubuntu 23.10

Any ideas please ?

[sudodus]

@oygle,

In order to use DBAN on a USB drive, you need to treat dban-2.2.7_i586.iso with isohybrid according to my answer at the following link,

How can I permanently erase data on INTERNAL HDD?

isohybrid dban-2.2.7_i586.iso

After that it will be possible to make a bootable drive by cloning (using mkusb).

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In order to install isohybrid, See this link.

[oygle]

@sudodus, Thank you so much, that worked fine, was able to boot to usb and DBAN is running now.

I downloaded 2.3.0 ; I see reference that you have used 2.2.7 as it worked for you on several computers.

You write great tutorials.

[oygle]

Interesting, I went to use the DBAN usb again today and it failed to boot. Then realised after the DBAN "wipe" it also must have wiped the usb. Loaded it on another computer, and there was nothing on it. Just a FYI