Portable Linux

Make your own Linux system without bricking your computer

The "portable" Linux distributions described below allow you to temporarily run a Linux system on your computer without making it your permanent main operating system. Therefore, you can try Linux without running the risk of losing your data during a regular hard drive installation.

WARNING:  If you still want to perform a permanent hard drive installation of Linux, and you never done so before, then don't install it on on the hard drive of your regular computer that you use every day.  Even though it's possible to install Linux on the same computer as MS Windows or Mac OS, a mistake could wipe out everything.  If you want to install Linux on a computer's hard drive, do it on a separate computer that doesn't contain anything of value.  Only when you've had plenty of experience with Linux installations should you consider installing it on your regular computer, and then you should prepare for the worst and first back up the entire hard drive.  Even if you don't make any mistakes, a flaw in the installation routine could destroy your system contents.

1. Virtual Machines

Run Linux in a "virtual machine" window without rebooting your regular operating system. 

• The free, open-source VirtualBox, by Oracle (from Sun Microsystems) runs on Windows, Mac OS X for Intel, many Linux distributions, and OpenSolaris UNIX.
• Installing Ubuntu inside Windows using VirtualBox from Ubuntucat (Note:  Download from VirtualBox to get the latest version.)

• The Pen Drive Linux site contains virtual machine directions for running several Linux varieties in a window.

• If you have a Mac with the commercial product Parallels, or if you have a PC with VMware, give it a try.
  
  
• Popular Linux Distributions:
  • Linux Mint
    • Based on Ubuntu (see below), but with built-in Java, Flash. etc. (Therefore, it can run our Java-based lecture recordings and broadcasts.)
    • Root access:
      • In a Terminal window, enter the command:  sudo -i
  • Ubuntu
    • The most popular Linux distribution on desktop/laptop personal computers
    • Ubuntu root access
      • In a Terminal window, enter the command:  sudo -i
    • Ubuntu for PowerPC Macintosh
      
      
  •  Fedora
    •  The community distribution of Red Hat Linux.

2. USB Flash Drive Distributions

For distributions that can run from a USB memory key, flash drive or pen drive, see the Pen Drive Linux site.

• Using a large-capacity flash drive? Installing Linux on flash drives larger than 32 GB may not work, because they are normally formatted with the exFAT file system, which Linux does not currently support (as of early 2016). However, you may be able to reformat your flash drive to the FAT32 file system, using  FAT32Format for Windows. Windows has no built-in way to format FAT32 on a drive larger than 32 GB.

3. Live CD/DVD Distributions

A live CD or DVD runs Linux from the optical disc and a temporary RAM drive, but doesn't install on your hard drive.  You'll need to download the ISO image file.

• The Live CD List
  
  
• How to Write ISO Files to CD or DVD

• How to Start Your Computer from CD or DVD:
  • Windows - About.com
    • How to Set BIOS to Boot from CDROM (Includes pictures of different computer systems - Hiren.info)
  • Mac OS X - Indiana University

4. Your Own Linux Computer

If you already have access to your own UNIX or Linux computer -- to which you can log in as root -- you may use it for the lab exercises.

• One relatively inexpensive way is to get a little Raspberry Pi computer. See the Raspberry Pi resource documents to get started.