Ubuntu – Install Ubuntu on USB Flash Drive

usb-drivexubuntu

I purchased the SanDisk Ultra Fit 32GB from a local supermarket and am planning on installing the latest version of Ubuntu Desktop (not live, but the actual version), onto the nano thumb drive and use the computer's hard drive for the main storage of the home directories, media files etc.

Would this:

Reduce the lifespan of the flash drive?
Cause unrecoverable damage if the flash drive was accidentally removed?
Dramatically decrease the system's overall performance?

The reason for me doing this is the desire to switch from Mint to Ubuntu. But I don't want to reformat the hard drive until I am satisfied Ubuntu is what I really want to use. So, the plan is to use the USB setup for a few weeks until I've made a final decision as to which operating system I prefer.

Best Answer

Yes, heavy I/O usage should logically 'Reduce the lifespan of the flash drive'.
Probably not. You'll loose a bit of non-synced data, and might need to run the filesystem check.
Yes. USB2 is much slower then SATA interface, ...USB3 is better, but still, many flash drives are not as fast as HDDs.

Good luck.

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Ubuntu – USB Full Install damage flash drive

Yes, USB drives have a limited number of times they can be written and this is usually very high if used normally, but if you use it as normal hard disk it becomes a bit low. Look for example this test: How Long Does a Flash Drive Last? Maybe it will help you understand better.

Ubuntu – USB flash drive mount issue

First open a terminal with Alt-Ctl-T.

Enter the command:

mount

and make a list of which devices are in use.

Enter the following command to keep an eye on the syslog (log of what is happening on your system from the operating system point of view).

tail -f /var/log/syslog

Now plug in and remove the flash drive. Make sure of what device it is, and that it's not one of the ones you saw mounted above. It may be something like /dev/sdc. Also see if you see the same device with a number after it, e.g. /dev/sdc1. If you see that your flash drive is being seen by your system.

Assuming it is not you can format the drive. If /dev/sdm was the drive your flash drive becomes, plug it in once again and enter:

sudo fdisk /dev/sdm

Now you can partition the device and format those partitions as you desire.

If nothing is noted on /var/log/syslog as you plug in the drive and unplug it, it is, indeed, unusable with Ubuntu.

Best Answer

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