How to Create a Bootable USB Stick To Run Ubuntu?

[RadMatty]

I want to create a USB stick with a self-contained installation of Ubuntu Linux that will boot and run on my customac. My customac is running great w/Mavericks 10.9.4.

I downloaded the latest Ubuntu desktop here:

http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop


And I'm trying to determine if this Ubuntu tutorial (see at link below) is right for my situation:

"How to create a bootable USB stick on OS X" http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop/create-a-usb-stick-on-mac-osx

Is this meant to create a usb stick that can run run Ubuntu or is it meant to create an installer to install the os to another drive?

 

[mucksavage]

You can use that process to create a USB "live" drive that can boot into Ubuntu to mess around with. Then while booted into it it can also install Ubuntu onto a system drive.

 

[RadMatty]

You can use that process to create a USB "live" drive that can boot into Ubuntu to mess around with. Then while booted into it it can also install Ubuntu onto a system drive.

Thanks for your reply.

Now I need t out figure out this terminal action.

Convert the .iso file to .img using the convert option of hdiutil e.g.,

hdiutil convert -format UDRW -o ~/path/to/target.img ~/path/to/ubuntu.iso

I know how to write the path to the .iso file, but I don't know how to edit this bit "~/path/to/target.img"

 

[mucksavage]

That is just asking where you want to save the resulting file and what to name it. So if you want to have it end up in the same folder as the original file, then it would be the same code with "target.img" changed to whatever you want to call it.

 

[RadMatty]

That is just asking where you want to save the resulting file and what to name it. So if you want to have it end up in the same folder as the original file, then it would be the same code with "target.img" changed to whatever you want to call it.

Got it! Used this command:

hdiutil convert -format UDRW -o /Users/RadMatty/Documents/Ubuntu/ubuntu-14.04.1-desktop-amd64.img /Users/RadMatty/Documents/Ubuntu/ubuntu-14.04.1-desktop-amd64.iso


It resulted in a file ending like this .img.dmg (ubuntu-14.04.1-desktop-amd64.img.dmg). Can I just delete the .dmg?

 

[Going Bald]

Got it! Used this command:

hdiutil convert -format UDRW -o /Users/RadMatty/Documents/Ubuntu/ubuntu-14.04.1-desktop-amd64.img /Users/RadMatty/Documents/Ubuntu/ubuntu-14.04.1-desktop-amd64.iso


It resulted in a file ending like this .img.dmg (ubuntu-14.04.1-desktop-amd64.img.dmg). Can I just delete the .dmg?

Yes, remove the .dmg. OS X tends to add it automatically but it is not needed.

 

[RadMatty]

The next step involves working with the flash/USB media (the USB stick). So my question now is, how should it be formatted?

I think this touches on a larger question as well. Since what I'm working with is a customac, the boot routine and software being different than a regular Mac, I'm thinking that ubuntu's directions for making this bootable USB device are going to require some alternative approaches. The good thing though, is that I'm pretty sure that some of the Tonymacx86 users on this forum have the answers I need.

 

[mucksavage]

The "dd" action in the last part of the instructions will format the USB stick. You'll know if it works because when it finishes Finder will pop up and say the USB drive is unreadable and will ask you to either format it or ignore it. Choose ignore and boot up with it and you should be set.

 

[RadMatty]

Ha ha! It worked! I have a live ubuntu usb stick. I had my first session with Ubuntu, ever, just a few moments ago. One small disappointment was that I found that I can't boot from my customac's USB 3 port. I'm guessing that's because the x86 boot loader hasn't activated it at that point in the start up.

Next I have to figure out whether I want to make my customac into a dual or triple booting machine. And if so, how to set it up.

Thanks for the help mucksavage and Going Bald.

 

[mucksavage]

http://www.tonymacx86.com/linux/121710-triple-boot-maverick-win-8-linux-mint.html