How do you create a live persistent Ubuntu USB on a Mac that will boot to a Mac or PC?

Question

Hello I have actually successfully created a live Ubuntu USB (12.04.3 64-bit on 8GB LiveUSB) using unetbootin, however it is not persistent and will not boot on a Mac.

Or, if anyone has any suggestions on how to edit the .iso file so it boots from a Mac and is persistent, that would be great too. I am running OSX Mavericks so the application would have to run on Mavericks too.

I tried following http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2174630 ans, as suggested below, chose GUID partition (not MBR) and then add persistent word in grub.cfg file. and after I booted and changed a few settings, I tried to reboot using the restart option in the ubuntu menu, and it didn't work. I manually powered my computer off and on, but when I tried to boot the second time, I got past the Ubuntu logo and then my screen went black. I tried this some more times and got the same result. here is my text from the grub.cfg file:

if loadfont /boot/grub/font.pf2 ; 
then set gfxmode=auto insmod efi_gop insmod efi_uga insmod gfxterm terminal_output gfxterm 
fi 

set menu_color_normal=white/black   
set menu_color_highlight=black/light-gray 

menuentry "Try Ubuntu without installing" 
{ set gfxpayload=keep linux /casper/vmlinuz.efi persistent file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper quiet splash -- 
initrd  /casper/initrd.lz } 

menuentry "Install Ubuntu" 
{ set gfxpayload=keep linux /casper/vmlinuz.efi file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper only-ubiquity quiet splash -- 
initrd  /casper/initrd.lz }


menuentry "Check disc for defects" 
{ set gfxpayload=keep linux /casper/vmlinuz.efi boot=casper integrity-check quiet splash -- 
initrd  /casper/initrd.lz }

Solution 1

Cloning and maybe a second step

You can use a one-step or two step procedure. dd is a powerful but also dangerous tool, that is 'always' available in a MacOS. Be very careful, check and double-check, that everything is correct, before you start the cloning process.

• One step: If you find a [compressed] image file of an Ubuntu [based] system, that is persistent live, and can do what you want, clone it to a USB pendrive or a memory card. If the downloaded file is compressed, you need to extract it before cloning, for example

  file.img.zip --> file.img

  file.img.xz --> file.img

  Unmount all partitions on the target drive and run dd

  sudo dd bs=1m if=path_of_your_image.img of=/dev/rdiskn
  

  where n is a number (for example, /dev/rdisk4).

  There are tips in this link.

• Two steps: Download and clone a [compressed] image file of an Ubuntu [based] system, that is persistent live, and contains mkusb.

  Boot from from the USB pendrive or memory card which was made bootable by cloning.

  Download an iso file of the Ubuntu version and flavour, that you want to install as persistent live.

  Run mkusb-dus and create a persistent live drive in another USB drive or memory card.

• Links

  Installing operating system images on Mac OS (www.raspberrypi.org)

  help.ubuntu.com/community/mkusb

  help.ubuntu.com/community/mkusb/persistent

  Compressed image file with a persistent live system and mkusb

Solution 2

You should be able to accomplish this using diskutil. I last used this method on Sierra, so ymmv on anything later.

$ diskutil list
$ diskutil eraseDisk FAT32 UBUNTU /dev/<YOUR USB DISK ID>
$ diskutil unmountDisk /dev/<YOUR USB DISK ID>
$ sudo dd if=<path to ubuntu live iso> of=/dev/<YOUR USB DISK ID>

Once that completes you need to restart and boot from the live usb.

Once it boots start gparted from the terminal.

Select the USB drive and select the Unallocated partition on it.

Create a new partition, label it ext3/ext4(unsure if other filesystems will work. never tried.) with the label persistence

Exit gparted

Create a mountpoint for your new persistence partition.

$ mkdir -p /mnt/ubuntu_usb $ mount <USB DRIVE> /mnt/ubuntu_usb

TO enable the persistent storage you need a persistence.conf.

$ echo "/ union" > /mnt/ubuntu_usb/persistence.conf
$ umount <DISK>

Restart the mac and hold down the Option key. You should hopefully have an option for Ubuntu (persistence) to boot from now

Comments

[Jo-Erlend Schinstad]

Which version of Ubuntu and what kind of Mac? Are you using 32bit or 64bit image? More details please.

[Jeremy Gleeson]

It is version 12.04.3, and I am using a 64 bit image. I have an 8gb usb drive

[user2347638]

I'm in a similar boat. Was able to get the boot running but it wasn't persistent and adding "persistent" to my grub.cfg file seemed to make the boot hang at the black screen right after the Ubuntu logo. Were you able to find a fix @JeremyGleeson?

[Jeremy Gleeson]

I tried this and after I booted and changed a few settings, I tried to reboot using the restart option in the ubuntu menu, and it didn't work. I manually powered my computer off and on, but when I tried to boot the second time, I got past the Ubuntu logo and then my screen went black. I tried this some more times and got the same result. here is my text from the grub.cfg file:

[Jeremy Gleeson]

if loadfont /boot/grub/font.pf2 ; then set gfxmode=auto insmod efi_gop insmod efi_uga insmod gfxterm terminal_output gfxterm fi set menu_color_normal=white/black set menu_color_highlight=black/light-gray menuentry "Try Ubuntu without installing" { set gfxpayload=keep linux /casper/vmlinuz.efi persistent file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper quiet splash -- initrd /casper/initrd.lz } menuentry "Install Ubuntu" { set gfxpayload=keep linux /casper/vmlinuz.efi file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper only-ubiquity quiet splash -- initrd /casper/initrd.lz }

[Jeremy Gleeson]

menuentry "Check disc for defects" { set gfxpayload=keep linux /casper/vmlinuz.efi boot=casper integrity-check quiet splash -- initrd /casper/initrd.lz }

[Jeremy Gleeson]

also if you know of a way to make grub so that it automatically boots to the "try ubuntu without installing", that would be appreciated also

[Derwent]

Was anyone able to get this working on mac? I followed these steps but the usb created with mkusb-dus doesn't boot, despite the same image booting when written using another method. :(

[sudodus]

@Derwent, Please describe the method you used with as many details as possible. Which operating system was used in each step. Which tool was used and how was is used in each step? Which operating system and which version did you try to install (which iso file or img file did you use)? Did you try to clone or to create a persistent live system?

[Derwent]

Hey @sudodus I installed mkusb-dus on a Debian Stretch Livedisk, and used that to create a persistence on another USB using the same live image. I used the gnome image here: cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/current-live/amd64/bt-hybrid Unfortunately it didn't show up as bootable on my Macbook Pro Retina 11,3 Mid-2014 which has special requirements for the partition tables to be able to boot. It will boot a live disk that I dd'd on to the drive but not a drive created with mkusb. Is Mac hardware supported by mkusb? Thanks.

[sudodus]

1. The standard method of mkusb is to clone an iso file or image file. When doing this, it 'only' wraps a safety belt around dd, so it should work in all cases where a cloned image works. In your case cloning with dd works, and cloning with mkusb should work too; 2. The method to create a persistent live drive (in mkusb) is made for PC computers and not tested in Mac hardware. It may or may not work depending on the hardware and UEFI/BIOS system.

[sudodus]

@Derwent, So my answer is that Mac hardware is not supported for persistent live drives. In some cases it works, but it is not actively tested in the development of mkusb. An alternative, that might work is the 'Do it yourself' method described at the following links, help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/iso2usb and help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/iso2usb/diy . If you try this method, please share your result, and I will modify my answer.