Create a Bootable USB Debian Live Flash Drive ▷ Effortlessly

How to create a bootable USB Debian Live flash drive from Windows by using Etcher by Balena, YUMI Multiboot USB tool, DD for Windows or the Linux DD command. The following tutorial covers the process of installing Debian to a USB drive from within Windows, Linux, or macOS. Resulting in a Live bootable USB with optional persistence. Upon completion, you can also use the resulting device to install Debian from USB to an internal hard drive.

☰

How to Make a Debian Live Bootable USB (With Persistence)

In this guide, you'll learn how to create a Debian Live USB flash drive that you can boot into or use to install Debian on your internal hard drive. Whether you're on Windows, Linux, or macOS, several tools are available, including Balena Etcher, YUMI Multiboot, and dd. This tutorial also explains how to set up persistence, allowing you to save files and system changes across sessions.

Project page: Official Debian Live
Minimum USB size: 8 GB or larger
Supports Persistence?: Yes

What You'll Need

A reliable and fast USB stick (8 GB+)
Debian Live ISO – Download from Debian
One of the following tools:
- Etcher (cross-platform GUI)
- YUMI Multiboot (Windows & macOS via Wine)
- dd command (advanced; works on Linux/macOS/Windows)

Create Debian Live USB with Etcher

Etcher by Balena is a cross-platform graphical utility that burns ISO images to USB drives. It's a great option for new users.

Note: Etcher will format your USB. Back up any important data before proceeding.

Insert a USB drive (8 GB or more).
Download your preferred Debian Live ISO (Gnome, KDE, Xfce, etc.).
Download and install Etcher (Windows, Linux, or macOS).
Launch Etcher:
1. Select the ISO file.
2. Select your USB device.
3. Click Flash.
After flashing, reboot your computer.
Enter BIOS/UEFI during boot and select your USB as the boot device.

Create a Persistent Debian USB with YUMI

YUMI is ideal for those who want to boot multiple distros from one USB stick. The exFAT version supports persistence for Debian Live.

Download YUMI exFAT and run it (Windows or macOS via Wine).
Select your USB drive.
Pick Debian Live from the distro dropdown.
Browse and select your downloaded ISO file.
Enable Persistence (Optional) and adjust the size as needed (e.g., 4 GB).
Click Create and wait for the process to complete.
Safely eject your USB stick.

Booting from Bootable USB Debian Live with Persistence

Reboot and boot from USB via BIOS/UEFI.
Choose "Debian Live Persistent" from the YUMI menu.
At the boot screen, press E, append the word persistence to the Linux line, then press Ctrl + X to boot.

Write Debian ISO with DD

Here are three different advanced methods you can use to create a Debian Live bootable USB from within Windows, Linux, or a macOS using the dd command.

Using dd on Windows

Download dd for Windows.
Insert your USB drive and open a command prompt as Administrator.
Identify your USB device:
```
dd --list
```

Write the ISO to the USB (replace paths accordingly):

dd if=C:\path\debian-live.iso of=\\?\Device\HarddiskX bs=4M --progress

Using dd on Linux

Insert the USB and locate the device:
```
sudo fdisk -l
```
Unmount the USB drive:
```
sudo umount /dev/sdX
```

Write the ISO:

sudo dd if=/path/to/debian-live.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress

Flush the write buffer:
```
sync
```

Using dd on macOS

Insert the USB drive.
Open Terminal and list devices:
```
diskutil list
```
Unmount the USB:
```
diskutil unmountDisk /dev/diskN
```

Write the ISO (replace N and path accordingly):

sudo dd if=/path/to/debian-live.iso of=/dev/rdiskN bs=4m

Flush the write buffer:
```
sync
```

⚠️ Be cautious: The dd command can wipe entire drives if the device path is incorrect. Double check before executing.

Enable Persistence Manually on Debian Live USB

Boot from the USB and press E at the splash screen. Add toram to the boot line, then press Ctrl + X.
After booting, open a terminal and gain root access:
```
sudo su
```

Create a new partition using fdisk:

fdisk /dev/sda

Inside fdisk:

n   # New partition
p   # Primary
Enter (accept default)
Enter (accept default)
+6G # Size
w   # Write changes

Format and label the new partition:
```
mkfs.ext3 -L persistence /dev/sda3
```

Create persistence configuration:

mkdir /ptmp && mount /dev/sda3 /ptmp
echo "/ union" > /ptmp/persistence.conf
umount /dev/sda3

Reboot. At boot screen, press E, add persistence to the boot line, then press Ctrl + X.

Final Take: Choosing the Right Method for You

New to Linux? Use Etcher for its simplicity and minimal setup (Windows, Linux, or macOS).
Need multiboot or persistence? YUMI (exFAT) offers flexibility and the option to save system changes (Windows or macOS via Wine).
Advanced user? The dd command provides precision and control (Linux/macOS/Windows), but be cautious with device paths.

Restoring Your USB Drive

Want to repurpose your USB drive for everyday storage? If you've used it to create a bootable Debian Live system and now need to recover the full capacity or reformat it for general use, follow our simple tutorial to restore your USB flash drive back to its original state.