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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Running Linux from a USB drive is possible.
- You can boot just about any distribution you want from USB.
- There are some things you should consider before going this route.
I’ve used Linux in just about every way possible and for nearly every use case. I love how flexible the open-source operating system is because it removes most limitations found on other OSes.
One way I’ve used Linux is directly from a USB drive. Not only is this the easiest way to install Linux, but it’s also a viable way to use Linux.
With a tool like uNetBootin, you can burn an ISO to a USB drive such that it’s possible to boot to Linux, bypassing the installed OS on a computer.
It’s very handy.
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But what are the pros and cons of using Linux in this way?
Pros
First, let’s talk about the positive aspects of Linux on a USB drive.
You’ll always have Linux with you
I always like to have a Linux OS with me because I never know when I’m going to run into a situation where I need Linux and the only OS in sight is Windows. When those situations occur, I can pull out my trusty USB drive, insert it into the computer, reboot, and boot into Linux.
I can then do what I need to do and, when I’m finished, I can shut down the PC, remove the USB drive, boot the system, and we’re back where we started.
Try before you buy
Unless you’re using Linux on a virtual machine, installing the open-source OS is usually done via a USB drive. Because of this, you can burn an ISO to a USB drive, reboot the system, boot into the USB drive, choose the Live option (if necessary), and test the distribution you’ve chosen.
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If you don’t like that distro, start again with a different one.
Rescue and recovery
I’ve used Linux as a rescue and/or recovery tool for years. When something goes wrong with a PC (whether it’s running Linux or Windows), I can boot up a Linux USB drive and (most always) either solve the problem or rescue the files/folders I need. You can do this with a standard Linux distribution, or one designed specifically for rescue and recovery (such as SystemRescue).
Isolation
Let’s say you have Windows installed on your PC and you need to do something that requires a bit more privacy and security than offered by the Microsoft OS. You can always boot Linux from a USB drive, do what you need to do, and reboot the machine back into Windows.
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Even better, you can boot into Linux, disconnect from the network, and you have a pseudo air-gapped PC.
When using Linux from a USB drive, the OS is isolated from the installed OS (Unless you mount the internal drive to Linux).
Cons
Now let’s look at the negative aspects of using Linux via a USB drive.
You have to configure it for persistent storage
If you want to save files from Linux on your USB drive, you’ll need to set up persistent storage, and that’s not always so easy. The easiest method of doing this is with the likes of the Rufus bootable USB creator. Not only can you burn your ISO to the USB drive with this tool, but you can also create persistent storage.
With persistent storage, you can save documents or other data while using Linux from a USB drive. With that data saved to persistent storage, when you next boot Linux from the USB drive, the data will still be there and accessible. Without persistent storage, anything you save from Linux on the USB drive will be lost at the next boot.
You’ll need a fairly large USB drive
Sure, you can run Linux on a smaller USB drive, but if you want it to work well (especially if you add persistent storage), you’ll want a USB drive that’s at least 64GB. With anything smaller, you run the risk of Linux not working as well as possible and running out of persistent storage space.
Getting full-disk encryption is very challenging
If full-disk encryption is a necessity for you, then running Linux from a USB drive is probably not the best option. The process of getting full-disk encryption for Linux on a USB drive is quite challenging.
Creating encrypted persistent storage on a USB for Linux requires a lot of work. The other option would be attempting to install Linux directly to the USB drive and enabling full-disk encryption via the OS installer.
USB drives don’t last as long as SSDs
Sadly, USB drives simply cannot match the longevity of a standard SSD drive. Granted, flash storage can last up to 10 years, but that depends on how it’s used. The reason is that this type of storage is limited by write cycles.
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If you’re using a USB drive to simply store data, you can expect to get about 10 years out of that drive. If, however, you’re using it to run a live Linux instance, it can eat through those write cycles much faster.
There are other issues involved, such as temperature. An internal SSD is going to typically exist in a more consistent temperature, whereas a USB drive will be carried with you, left in hot cars, maybe dropped in snow, etc.
Suffice it to say, I would expect a USB drive that runs Linux to last between 2-5 years. Granted, that’s a pretty long time, but if you use persistent storage, you’ll want to make sure to back that data up.
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