To begin with, it is necessary to figure out the very concept of the Linux boot flash drive? This topic is very popular, you can find almost everything on the Internet.

Option number 1. Creating a bootable flash drive in UnetBootin

UnetBootin is a program for installing Linux without CD / DVD.

This utility allows you to install on your computer or otherwise, create a bootable Flash disk with special Linux / BSD distributions downloaded earlier from the Internet.

The installation can be manufactured both through Windows and via Linux.

The program is installed on most Linux distributions, namely: Ubuntu, Fedora, OpenSuse, Centos, Debian, Linux Mint, Arch Linux, Mandriva, Slackware, Freedos, FreeBSD, NetBSD and their varieties).

• Before proceeding with this utility, you need to format a USB drive, best to elect file System FAT32. How to perform it, shown in the following illustration:

• After cleaning the Flash media, you need to run the UnetBootin program. As already mentioned, this program allows you to record Live CD / DVD from the Internet, showing only the distribution and its version:

• To record the disk image of the operating system (in the example, the Distribution Distribution - Debian Wheezy, you can find any other) to a USB drive, select the item - "disk image", then activate the "ISO Standard", also do not forget to specify the path to the distribution with the expansion .Iso, and also specify the type of device and the carrier itself (as shown in the figure).
  Characteristics are selected, now it is necessary to press the "OK" button, the procedure for extracting and duplicating files is automatically. This process will take 5-10 minutes.

• At the end of the unpacking the necessary files, the program will automatically install the bootloader and will report when the loading flash drive is ready.
  If you wish, you can immediately install the Linux OS, for this you need to restart the computer and select the system to load the system via USB media.

If the installation is not required, then the computer restart does not make sense, you should click on the "Exit" button. Everything! As you can see, it is completely not difficult.

Your loading flash drive Linux is ready to work.

Option number 2. Creating a bootable flash drive in Universal USB Installer

Unlike the first, this program is formatted by removable media spontaneously.

let's consider this program in details.

• You need to install and run the UNVERSAL USB Installer program.

1. At the first stage, the list is shown operating systems Linux. We choose the Linux you want to use on the flash drives if you do not need, then specify "Try Unlisted Linux ISO".
2. The second step is to the pre-downloaded Linux distribution on your computer, if you did not select the folder on your own, then look for it in the folder - download.
3. We specify our flash drive, usually H a disk, after which your device is coming.

All check again and press the "CREATE" button.

• Next, a warning will appear, on the closure of all unnecessary windows, close everything and click hereinafter.
  The program will automatically format the USB drive, will form the loading area of \u200b\u200bthe MBR, modifies the volume label to the name UUI and install the Linux operating system. We only need to confirm the action by clicking on the "Yes" button.

• After there is a procedure for installing data to removable media, as shown in the figure, literally after 5 minutes everything will be ready.

• The program independently completes the installation process, we look at the figure below.

That's all, the next loading flash drive Linux is created!

Option number 3. Creating a loading flash drive XBoot utility

In this case, the creation option is considered using the XBoot utility.

This program does not require installation on a computer, you can run it immediately after downloading from the Internet.

The interface of this utility is quite simple.

To add images, you need to transfer iSO files (Linux distributions) of each image to the main part of the program window, or click on File-Open, as shown in the figure.

After the path to the image is specified, the window will open, with the question: how to perceive this image?

As we do blood flash drive For Linux, select Utilu - Ubuntu, but if you make a flash drive under Windows !! Select Add Using Grub4dos Iso Image Emulation.

Consider, the item is standard for adding Windows.

A huge plus of this program, which, together with the system on the loading USB flash drive, you can install various antiviruses, such as: Dr.Web, Live CD, Kaspersky Rescue Disc.

In the future, they will help protect the computer from Trojanov, viruses and other nastiness.

Utilities that come complete with the program

As shown in the figure above, the program offers various utilities for both Linux OS and for Windows.

XBoot is not installed on the computer, so all the utility you selected will be downloaded automatically from the Internet, you will need only to confirm all actions, all steps are shown in the pictures.

To make it convenient to work with images, write your name for each. For example: Linux 1 WT, Linux 2 Mouse, Linux 3 Android.

Check out all the steps again when everything is ready and if you are sure that you didn't miss anything, you choose the item to record on a USB drive (do not confuse to make a loading DVD disc), before use you need to clear the flash in FAT32.

If you do not know English, then find two buttons at the bottom of the window, when you press the CREATE ISO button, you will make a boot DVD, but we need to press - CREATE USB.

When you press the CREATE USB button, the window will pop up with a choice of a gadget USB, to write and select the bootloader, will automatically stand SYSLinux recommended for the current work.

If an error drops out, then change the loader to Grub4dos, it is fully supporting formatting in NTFS.

Before pressing the OK button, it is necessary to check exactly and carefully, whether the media was selected so that the desired information from the portable hard disk is not deleted by mistake.

After clicking on OK, the same image creation will occur as when creating an ISO.

At the end of the download from this flash drive, an overview of the convenient menu jumps.

Here you can install the necessary operating system for the current computer, check the hard drives to the presence of viruses and much more.

All these utilities you yourself choose, when creating a flash drive!

I hope our article helped you and now, you know what the loading flash drive is and most importantly, how to create it!

For more information with the topic you can watch the video on YouTube:

Creating a bootable flash drive with Linux Mint 17.2 Rafaela

Linux boot flash drive - Best creation options

In this article we will consider the creation of a loading flash drive for Linux. This will help us with two programs that will automatically create bootable USB carriers. The Debian Wheezy operating system is taken as the distribution.

If you are interested in the creation of a bootable flash drive for a family of operational windows systems, then you can read the information on this link "How to make a bootable USB flash drive".

The loading flash drive using the UnetBootin program (I method)

The program allows you to create as online boot USB drive with distribution Linux-like operating systems and with the already existing Linux distribution kit previously. The program can be downloaded from the official website. http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

Attention:before you start working with this program, you need to format a USB drive, it is desirable to select the FAT32 file system (default) how to do this look at the image below.

After formatting a flash drive, launch the program UnetBootin.. As mentioned earlier, the program allows you to record Live CD / DVD from the Internet, indicating only the distribution and its version.

But we will not use this option to create a loading flash drive for Linux, since we have already downloaded Debian Wheezy distribution from the official site. You can download the distribution and familiarize yourself with the Debian OS installation in the article: "Installing Debian Wheezy".

In order to record the Debian Wheezy operating system disk on a USB drive, you must select the Disk Image Radio Point, then in the list to activate the "ISO standard", then specify the path to the distribution with extension.iso, and then select the device type from the list carrier. Parameters are selected, now press the "OK" button and automatically starts the process of extracting and copying files that can take a long time.

After extracting and copying files, the program will install the bootloader and will complete the installation with the query "Reload right now?" If you want to install Linux OS on the same computer, then you need to click "Restart Now" button. After rebooting, select the BIOS boot option from USB.

Otherwise, if the installation of the Linux OS will be performed on another computer, then you need to click on the "Exit" button.

The loading flash drive Linux is ready !!!

Booting flash drive using Universal USB Installer (II method)

We will proceed to the second method of creating a Linux boot flash drive using a program of foreign enthusiasts. In contrast to the first way to create boot mediaThis program has the ability to format a removable media independently.

Continuing, run the program Universal USB Installer. And set up for the necessary parameters. In the first step, a list of Linux operating systems is presented, choosing "Try Unlisted Linux ISO" - this suggests that we will use the image of the operating system not included in this list. In the second step, you need to specify the path to the location of our image, Debian Wheezy is an example for imitation. The third step causes the choice of a USB drive and the activation of the check box for formatting a flash drive. All settings are made, press the "CREATE" button.

A window appears in which it is said that it is necessary: \u200b\u200bclose everything windows windowsThe program will format a USB drive, create a loading area of \u200b\u200bthe MBR, changes the volume label to the UUI name and set the Linux operating system. I confirm "yes"!

The process of installing data on removable media began, we expect some time ...

... After a time, the program finishes the installation process and will look, as shown in the figure below.

Linux boot flash drive created! You can download the program from the official site: http://www.pendrivelinux.com/

Curious invention - all these LiveCD distributions. Each of us once recorded the image of fresh Knoppix to a disk and built grandiose plans about how it will respond repeated in the future. Suddenly need to restore remote files, reanimate the system or reset the administrator password in Windows? Only now you will not wear with you such a bandor, and, be sure, after a while she will simply lose you on the shelf. It would be much cooler to place a LiveCD on the flash drive, add regular Windows to exotic Linux and always carry this household with me. And why, in fact, no?

Preparing operating room

Yes, we will really create a flash drive with Linux and Windows bootable. Thanks to existing tools, this is not only possible, but also easily implemented. Here is a list of what we need:

1. First of all, of course, the flash drive or any other USB carrier. The main thing here is to perform 2 conditions. First, the USB flash drive should correctly recognize the bios motherboard, allowing you to load it during the launch of the computer. And secondly, it must have a suitable size to accommodate two OS. In our case, the device is required to be 1 GB and higher.
2. Suitable LiveCD-distribution based on SLAX. In general, most penguins can be launched not only with a CD, but also from the flash drive, but I still recommend you one of the distributions built on the Slackware database. And this is Slax, Slast himself, as well as the famous hacker suitcase BackTrack, which I will use in this article.
3. A utility that will help to collect your own build of the distribution and write it on the USB flash drive - Myslax Creator. The SLAX-based operating system chip is that they can literally collect on bricks (modules have the extension Mo), including the necessary applications in the disk. So install in penguin the necessary program It will be a trivial.
4. Distribution Windows XP or Windows 2003 to create boot versions of Windows. It will take only part of the files, but it will be easier to find a disc with Windows than to list their list.
5. Bart PE Builder, which will be the main tool collecting the boot windows version. The craftswoman figured out with Winpe's work mechanism (official LiveCD distribution from Microsoft) and developed a utility to create his own build, functional and easily expandable.
6. The Make Bootable utility, or abbreviated MKBT, to accommodate the Windows boot sector on the flash drive.
7. The SYSLinux bootloader with which the OS selection will be selected during USB boot.

"The first, went!", Or let's start with Linux

Creating our slaughter flash drive We will start with copying to USB drive Linux Backtrack files, which will help Myslax Creator. Immediately after quick installation, get the flash drive to the computer and run the program.

1. MySlax Creator will immediately ask where to take files from. The backtrack-distribution image will be used as the source materials (search for it on our DVD), so the Source Type option must be set to ISO-default, and then in the text box, specify the path before the image. Now you need to mount the ISO in the system by pressing the "Mount" button.
2. The program will propose to create a boot disk (Burn this ISO) or a bootable flash drive (USB STICK). By itself, choose the second.
3. Attention: the next operation requires formatting a flash drive, which entails the loss of all data. Therefore, if necessary, first make a backup and only then choose the desired Flash drive and click "Create USB Stick".
4. Now a very important point. In the formatting window, you must select FAT as a file system. The default FAT32 is set, and if you leave everything as it is, then on one of the following steps you will get a mistake, and everyone will have to start again. Pay attention!
5. As soon as the formatting is completed, Myslax Creator will copy everything to the USB flash drive required files And will offer to overload. For the sake of the experiment, you can send a car to the reboot, set up a USB boot in the BIOS and see what happens. The backtrack boot process will not wait long to wait long, and after a minute you will be able to use Linux, which before the duck stuffed with a variety of X-Toolz.

Reading Windows

However, Linux, which works without installation (let, even from the flash drive), no one for a long time is not surprised. And nevertheless, I want to have a favorite Windows with the familiar programs, and the penguin to use in more sophisticated purposes. Therefore, now you need to arm the Bart's PE Builder utility and act!

1. Working with this program is easier than just because the interface is completely translated into Russian and get confused here quite difficult. Just read what is required of us, and we will start - start with the way to install the Windows installation files. Attention: Required windows Distribution XP or 2003. And in no way differently: any other, including W2K, will not suit. Moreover, you should register manually or select the path to the installation files (if you inserted the disk with Windows, then just choose your drive here), and not to the distribution image (which may be downloaded from the network). If the distribta is packed in an ISO or other format, then it is necessary to remove it from there.
2. If you wish, you are entitled to specify a folder with files that will be additionally enabled in the final assembly of Windows, but this step is optional. The main thing now is to select the destination directory, where PE Builder will put a ready-made build of the system. It is necessary to specify "bartpe" herein, thereby knowingly eliminating the problems while transferring files to the USB flash drive. I note that in normal mode, we would immediately lit the received build on the CD or at least created ISO. But for further transfer of files to USB will have to abandon any recording on the media.
3. Enable additional programs in the assembly or, on the contrary, it is possible to remove something unnecessary through the "Modules" window (I recommend to look there after reading the corresponding cut-in), but now we will leave everything by default and simply click "Creating an Assembly".
4. The process of creating a boot system does not take much time. After completing the process, all generated files will be placed in the Bartpe folder (I have - C: / PEBUILDER3110A / BARTPE), but simply take and copy them to the USB flash drive. It would have done a long time to mess around for everything to work, but the developer took care of it, including a special script, PE2USB.cmd.
5. Syntax for starting the script is very simple: "pe2usb.cmd "Where Drive is the letter of the desired USB carrier. But after the first attempt at the launch, he breaks you, referring to a critical error. It turns out that PE2USB (more precisely speaking, to create a virtual disk in random access memory For further work of Windows) requires several files from Service Pack 1 for Windows Server 2003. If you have at hand, you just remove with setupldr.bin, ramdisk.sy_ and copy them to the previously created SRSP1 folder (I have - C: / PEBUILDER3110A / SRSP1). After that, unpacking ramdisk.sy_, by running the following command from the SRSP1 folder:

   eXPAND -R RAMDISK.SY_

Lutage with bootloader

If after that you tried to boot from the flash drive and still saw the backtrack, do not be very surprised. Little to post on the flash drive files for Windows, you must still configure the bootloader to know which OS and when to run. How it's done?

1. From the Bart Pe Builder folder, you need to take a file with the Windows boot sector - pe2usb.bin, rename it into PE2USB.BSS and throw a flash drive to the root. Rename the file must be mandatory, since it is the file extension that indicates the syslinux loader (which we will use) that it deals with the boot sector.
2. Further, a small MKBT utility is going on. Just copy its executable file (mkbt.exe) to the USB flash drive and perform from there the command "MKBT -X PE2USB.BSS "Where Drive is the letter of the desired USB carrier. Thus, you will install Windows BootSector on the BootSector flash drive (put the image of the boot sector in the special system area of \u200b\u200bthe drive).
3. Now it's small - you need to configure the bootloader itself, that is, Syslinux. To do this, quickly unpack the Syslinux-3.31.zip archive and copy the files \\ win32 \\ syslinux.exe and \\ com32 \\ modules \\ vesamenu.c32 in the root of the flash drive. Next, you need to correctly fix the syslinux.cfg configuration file installed together with the backtrack. We do not really bother and simply replacing its contents as follows:

   Default vesamenu.c32
   prompt 0.
   timeout 0.
   F1 splash.txt
   F2 splash.cfg.
   Say Type "Bartpe" for Bart "S PE, OR Type" Slax "for Slax.
   Display syslogo.lss.
   Menu Title])