Make a live Linux

Aug. 13, 2019

This page describes how to make a live Linux into a USB memory stick.

Live Linux DVD

If you have no Linux system, install KNOPPIX into a DVD media.

• 1. Download an ISO image.

  2. Burn it onto a DVD media.

  3. Caution: Don't burn the ISO image as a file.

  4. Reboot your PC from the DVD.

How to make a Live Linux USB

The following list shows how to create a live Linux into a USB memory stick on a Linux.

• 1. Download an ISO image.

  2. Attach a USB memory stick.

  3. Open a terminal emulator. (Try Ctrl + Alt + T keys)

  4. Confirm the device name of the USB memory stick by the lsblk(8) command.

  5. $ lsblk

  6. NAME MAJ:MIN RM SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT

  7. sda 8:0 0 37.3G 0 disk

  8. └─sda1 8:1 0 37.3G 0 part /

  9. sdb 8:32 0 7.5G 0 disk

  10. └─sdb1 8:33 0 7.5G 0 part /mnt

  11. Unmount the USB memory stick if it is mounted.

  12. $ sudo umount <mount point>

  13. Dump the downloaded iso image into the USB memory stick.

  14. $ sudo dd bs=4M if=<iso_file> of=/dev/<device_name> && sync

  15. ex) $ sudo dd bs=4M if=debian-live-9.9.0-amd64-xfce.iso of=/dev/sdb && sync

  16. Caution: Don't append a partition number to the output device name.

  17. Reboot your PC from the USB memory stick.