Eeasily put Xubuntu on USB Flash Drive

Install Xubuntu on USB: Create a bootable Xubuntu Live USB drive using Windows or Linux. In this guide, you'll learn how to easily install Xubuntu onto a USB flash drive using YUMI Multiboot software, Etcher, or the dd command. The YUMI USB boot method also supports persistence, allowing you to save changes between sessions by selecting a persistent file size during setup. This makes the tiny Xubuntu operating system an excellent choice for a portable Linux system you can run on almost any computer.

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Xubuntu Live Bootable USB

Running Xubuntu from a USB flash drive lets you test the operating system without modifying your internal hard drive. You can also use it as a portable troubleshooting environment, recovery tool, or daily desktop that fits in your pocket.

What Is Xubuntu?

Xubuntu is a lightweight Linux distribution based on Ubuntu and Debian. It uses the Xfce desktop environment, known for its simplicity, speed, and efficient resource usage.

Xubuntu run from bootable USB drive — Xubuntu shown running Live from bootable USB drive

With a clean desktop layout and low system requirements, Xubuntu is ideal for older laptops, netbooks, or systems with limited RAM. It includes essential applications out of the box and provides access to thousands of additional packages through Ubuntu’s software repositories. Regular releases and long-term support (LTS) versions ensure reliability and long-term updates.

Official Website: Project Home Page
Minimum USB Drive Size: 2 GB (4 GB or larger recommended)
Persistence Supported: Yes (via YUMI or advanced Linux setup)

Why Run Xubuntu from a USB Drive?

Test Xubuntu without installing it to your PC
Carry a portable Linux desktop anywhere
Revive or troubleshoot older hardware
Create a persistent USB that saves files and settings

What You'll Need

Windows 7, 8, 10, or 11, or Linux or a macOS running system
Xubuntu ISO file
Fast USB flash drive (USB 3.0 recommended)
YUMI, dd for Windows, Win32 Disk Imager, or balenaEtcher

Methods to Put Xubuntu on USB (Windows & Linux)

Below is a comparison of the most common tools used to create a bootable Xubuntu USB drive. Choose the method that best fits your experience level and persistence needs.

Tool	Platform	Ease of Use	Persistence	Best For
YUMI	Windows	Beginner friendly	Yes	Multiboot setups and persistent storage
dd (Windows)	Windows	Command line, advanced	No	Experienced users needing raw ISO write
Win32 Disk Imager	Windows	Simple GUI	No	Straightforward ISO-to-USB flashing
dd (Linux)	Linux	Command line, advanced	No	Linux users comfortable with terminal
balenaEtcher	Linux / Windows / macOS	Very easy GUI	No	Cross-platform users seeking simplicity

Creating a Xubuntu Live USB with YUMI

YUMI is the easiest way to create a persistent Xubuntu USB on Windows and also supports multibooting multiple Linux ISOs on one drive.

Download and open YUMI.
(1) Select your USB drive.
(2) Choose Xubuntu as the distribution.
(3) Browse to your downloaded ISO file.
(4) Choose a persistent file size if desired, then click Create.
When finished, reboot and select your USB drive from the BIOS or boot menu.

Using dd for Windows to Make a Bootable Xubuntu USB

This method performs a raw write of the ISO to the USB device and is only recommended for advanced users.
Warning: This process will wipe the entire selected disk including any partitions clean.

Download dd for Windows.
Insert the USB flash drive.
Open Command Prompt with administrator privileges
Press Win + R, type cmd, then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
Change to the dd directory
Switch to the folder that contains dd.exe:
```
cd c:\path\dd.exe
```
Clear the USB drive using diskpart
Launch the disk partitioning utility:
```
diskpart
```
Show all attached disks:
```
list disk
```
Select the USB drive (replacing #):
```
select disk #
```
Confirm the assigned volume letter:
```
list volume
```
Erase all partition information on the disk:
```
clean
```
Exit diskpart:
```
exit
```
Write the Xubuntu ISO to the USB
Immediately after cleaning the disk, write the image to the device. Replace X: with the correct USB drive letter.
```
dd if=xubuntu.iso od=X: bs=4M --progress
```

Make an Xubuntu Live USB Using Win32 Disk Imager

Download Xubuntu.
Get Win32 Disk Imager.
Insert the USB drive and launch the program.
Select the ISO file and your USB device, then click Write.
Confirm overwrite warnings and wait for completion.
Safely eject the drive when finished.

Create an Xubuntu bootable USB on Linux

Linux users can create an Xubuntu bootable USB using either terminal based or graphical tools.

Method 1: Using dd from the Linux Terminal

Download the ISO: Get the latest Xubuntu ISO from the official website.
Identify the USB device:
```
lsblk
```
Locate your USB drive (for example, /dev/sdX).

Write the ISO:

sudo dd if=path/to/xubuntu.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress conv=fsync

When complete, run:
```
sync
```
Then eject:
```
sudo eject /dev/sdX
```

Method 2: Using balenaEtcher (GUI)

Install balenaEtcher (AppImage or Snap):

sudo snap install balena-etcher-electron

Open Etcher, select the ISO, choose your USB drive, and click Flash!
Once validated, reboot and boot from the USB drive.

Optional: Making a Persistent Xubuntu USB on Linux

Standard dd and Etcher methods do not enable persistence by default.

Use YUMI for that. As a bonus, you'll be able to create a Multiboot USB drive.
Advanced users can manually create a casper-rw partition and adjust boot parameters.

Note: For most users, YUMI remains the easiest way to create a persistent Xubuntu USB.

Create an Xubuntu Bootable USB on macOS

macOS users can create a bootable Xubuntu Live USB using either a graphical flashing tool or the Terminal. These methods create a standard live USB without persistence.

Method 1: Create an Xubuntu USB Using balenaEtcher (macOS)

This is the easiest and safest option for most macOS users.

Download the Xubuntu ISO from the official Xubuntu website.
Download balenaEtcher for macOS.
Insert your USB flash drive.
Launch Etcher, select the Xubuntu ISO, choose your USB drive, and click Flash.
Wait for the process to complete and validation to finish.

Note: Etcher creates a standard live USB. Persistence is not enabled and must be configured separately using advanced Linux based methods.

Method 2: Create an Xubuntu USB Using dd on macOS

Advanced users can use the macOS Terminal to write the Xubuntu ISO directly to a USB device.

Warning: This method will overwrite the entire USB drive. Be certain the correct disk is selected.

Open Terminal.
List all attached disks:
```
diskutil list
```
Identify your USB drive, such as /dev/disk2.
Unmount the USB disk:
```
diskutil unmountDisk /dev/diskX
```
Replace X with your disk number.
Write the ISO to the USB device:
```
sudo dd if=/path/to/xubuntu.iso of=/dev/rdiskX bs=4m sync
```
Using rdisk improves write speed.
Eject the USB drive when finished:
```
diskutil eject /dev/diskX
```

Once complete, reboot your Mac or PC and select the USB device from the boot menu. On Intel based Macs, hold the Option key during startup to choose the USB device.

Tip: Apple Silicon Macs cannot boot standard Linux live USB drives without virtualization. Use an Intel Mac or PC system for direct USB booting.

Booting and Troubleshooting

USB Not Detected

Ensure USB booting is enabled in BIOS/UEFI. Try another USB port or disable Secure Boot if necessary.

Failed to Boot

Verify the ISO checksum and recreate the USB using a different tool.

Slow Performance

Use a high quality USB 3.0 or SSD based flash drive for faster boot and load times.

Installing Xubuntu from the USB

To install Xubuntu to a hard drive, boot from the USB and click Install Xubuntu from the desktop. The guided installer will walk you through disk selection, user setup, and system configuration.

Final Thoughts on USB Xubuntu

Creating a Xubuntu bootable USB is fast and flexible using YUMI, dd, Win32 Disk Imager, or Etcher. With optional persistence, excellent hardware compatibility, and low system requirements, it is the perfect lightweight Linux distribution for portable use, system recovery, or breathing new life into older computers.

By Pendrive Linux | 7 min read