Building start-up USB stick

[anneranch]

Could anybody confirm this for me ?
I am unable to select downloaded ISO to build start-up USB stick .
It used to work, but now I have Ubuntu 21.04 , several copies, and cannot select the ISO file.
I am unable to access Ubuntu forum. I keep being directed to some "community (empty) message"....

I just need a confirmation that the ISO selection problem is with the Ubuntu 21.04 version , nothing else.

Many thanks.

 

[Brickwizard]

just done a test download from https://ubuntu.com/download/desktop/thank-you?version=21.04&architecture=amd64

no problems [just remember this is not a long term release]

 

[f33dm3bits]

I am unable to select downloaded ISO to build start-up USB stick .
It used to work, but now I have Ubuntu 21.04 , several copies, and cannot select the ISO file.
I am unable to access Ubuntu forum. I keep being directed to some "community (empty) message"....

I just need a confirmation that the ISO selection problem is with the Ubuntu 21.04 version , nothing else.

Many thanks.

1. What do you mean with "you can't select the downloaded ISO file? Do you mean you can't download it from the Ubuntu download page or do you mean you can't select it from within your program that creates a bootable usb flash drive? If the latter what's the name of the program you are using?
2. What worked before? What steps did you take that worked before but that don't work now?
3. There is no problem with the Ubuntu forums, it loads when I go to https://ubuntuforums.org. What url are you using, I can check what happens on my side if you share it?

 

[anneranch]

just done a test download from https://ubuntu.com/download/desktop/thank-you?version=21.04&architecture=amd64

no problems [just remember this is not a long term release]

Just to make clear - I was not asking to download ISO - I was asking to select downloaded ISO as a source in "build bottable USB stick " - "option" using ISO as a source.
I get no expected response from Ubuntu 21.04 - nothing - it supposedly select ISO file from "download" folder "automatically " if there is only one there - my case.
BUT I can select the destination USB stick - no problem.

 

[Deleted member 108694]

Just to make clear - I was not asking to download ISO - I was asking to select downloaded ISO as a source in "build bottable USB stick " - "option" using ISO as a source.
I get no expected response from Ubuntu 21.04 - nothing - it supposedly select ISO file from "download" folder "automatically " if there is only one there - my case.
BUT I can select the destination USB stick - no problem.

What are you using to make the bootable USB stick? Make sure usb-creator-gtk is installed which you can get through the synaptic package manager - you have to open the creator first so the program can see the file - (it does look at the Downloads folder by default but it can be changed by clicking the "Other" button) - If it does not see it then the ISO is not compatible with the Startup Disk Creator - in other words it maybe a bad download - the ISO must be Ubuntu compliant before the ISO will load in the USB Creator.
Personally I use Balena Etcher the 64 Bit appImage from here - https://github.com/balena-io/etcher/releases if you decide to give Etcher appimage a try be sure to right click the file after downloading select properties, then permissions and put a check mark in "Allow this file to run as a program"

 

[anneranch]

1. What do you mean with "you can't select the downloaded ISO file? Do you mean you can't download it from the Ubuntu download page or do you mean you can't select it from within your program that creates a bootable usb flash drive?
YES

If the latter what's the name of the program you are using?

"Startup Disk Creator"

2. What worked before?
"Startup Disk Creator"

What steps did you take that worked before but that don't work now?
Use "Other" to load different ISO - it is now "stuck" on Hippo, before I could not get anything as "other" ISO file


3. There is no problem with the Ubuntu forums, it loads when I go to https://ubuntuforums.org. What url are you using, I can check what happens on my side if you share it?

This appears to be MY problem and not subject of this post.

As I said - I do not want answers , just verification the problem is in Ubuntu 21.04 - most likely since it changed in last few hours when I was not using my PC.

 

[anneranch]

What are you using to make the bootable USB stick? Make sure usb-creator-gtk is installed which you can get through the synaptic package manager - you have to open the creator first so the program can see the file - (it does look at the Downloads folder by default but it can be changed by clicking the "Other" button) - If it does not see it then the ISO is not compatible with the Startup Disk Creator - in other words it maybe a bad download - the ISO must be Ubuntu compliant before the ISO will load in the USB Creator.


I did not want to advertiser the download - but you have a point - if it is "ubuntu" friendly.
That would somwhat explain why I am getting "hippo ISO" - which is definitely "Ubuntu" frinedly and was used before.
I'll try to contact source of ISO to see if Ubuntu will officially work with it.
Thanks




Personally I use Balena Etcher the 64 Bit appImage from here - https://github.com/balena-io/etcher/releases if you decide to give Etcher appimage a try be sure to right click the file after downloading select properties, then permissions and put a check mark in "Allow this file to run as a program"

 

[Deleted member 108694]

One more thing to check is which version of USB Creator do you have there has been an update to it - it is now 0.3.10 which came out also genisoimage is now a dependency for it

 

[anneranch]

One more thing to check is which version of USB Creator do you have there has been an update to it - it is now 0.3.10 which came out also genisoimage is now a dependency for it

I really do not see an easy way to check the version. But I just found out it has a major issue - NOT selecting anything except default Ubuntu ISO. That is not the only issue - today it would not start and timeout until I rebooted.
As far as I am concerned it is Ubuntu's problem and I am not going their QA for them anymore.

Appreciate all the contributions here and let me concider this a closed issue.
.

 

[Deleted member 108694]

you can check the version by opening Synaptic Package Manager type in usb-creator-gtk that will tell you 1) if it is installed and 2) version number

 

[rado84]

These exercises to "build a bootable USB stick" are no longer necessary and frankly have become obsolete, not to mention that with the obsolete method you can have only one OS to boot from it. Now you can have a bootable USB stick with all the operating systems you want on it by using Ventoy.

Ventoy

Ventoy is an open source tool to create bootable USB drive for ISO files. With ventoy, you don't need to format the disk again and again, you just need to copy the iso file to the USB drive and boot it.

www.ventoy.net

This is a 32GB USB 3.0 stick "built" by using Ventoy. "Built" is actually a loose term bc the stick wasn't formatted to any special file system (the usual ISO-9660), it's a regular NTFS. Thanks to Ventoy I no longer have to keep a pile of USB sticks for every single ISO file out there, I just need one stick.

 

[anneranch]

I am all game. My ultimate goal is to have a working backup copy of my working OS.
I am going to use real product names , but I am NOT OK advertising it here.
I did try "dd' but could not boot to the "new " OS. I did use Ubuntu "start disk creator" and could not transfer the xyx ISO - allegedly usable to "CLONE OS" to it. It seems to work only with Ubuntu ISO which is NOT what it is advertised. End of Ubuntu story.
I did try clonezilla and it did not work.
I did try "gparted" and it did not work.
I am not saying these are bad apps, but I get at least ONE Ubuntu "update" a day and I do not see much improvement.
So in short - to accomplish my goal - I am ready for any other app which will work with limping Ubuntu and clone one OS to another partition / disk.

 

[Deleted member 108694]

You can use Gnome Disk utility to make a backup of your hard drive - if you are already running Ubuntu it is installed - if not

sudo apt install gnome-disk-utility

With the hard drive you want to back up selected, find the “hamburger” menu (the menu next to the minimize/maximize window controls) and click on it. Find the option that says “create disk image” and click it. This tells Gnome Disk Utility to make a raw .IMG file of the entire hard drive. This includes Bootloaders, partitions, data, and everything else. It’s essentially a snapshot of your computer. connect a second hard drive to save this file, as the disk image may be large and will not save if there isn’t enough space

To restore a hard drive image, open Gnome Disks and select the hard drive from the list. Click the hamburger menu, and select the option to “Restore Disk Image”. Navigate to where the hard drive image was saved during the backup process, and select it to start the restoration process.

 

[anneranch]

Sorry, but
I do not want to make a (entire) disk image - just clone partition where my current working OS disk is
Secondly
I have an application "Disks" - is that same as "gnome _disk_utility ?
If not - what is a command to run it ?

 

[Deleted member 108694]

Sorry, but
I do not want to make a (entire) disk image - just clone partition where my current working OS disk is
Secondly
I have an application "Disks" - is that same as "gnome _disk_utility ?
If not - what is a command to run it ?

Yep one and the same - but you will have to use a liveCD to do it because it cannot image a mounted disk

 

[anneranch]

Yes, I know I cannot clone working OS directly and that is why this controversy of not being able to create "liveCD / USB stick " using Ubuntu started.
Ubuntu "Create start up disk" only works with Ubuntu ISO .
But it suposedly works with any other ISO - but it simply does not.

 

[Deleted member 108694]

Yes, I know I cannot clone working OS directly and that is why this controversy of not being able to create "liveCD / USB stick " using Ubuntu started.
Ubuntu "Create start up disk" only works with Ubuntu ISO .
But it suposedly works with any other ISO - but it simply does not.

USB Creator that comes with Ubuntu only works with Ubuntu based OS - like Linux Mint, all the flavors of Ubuntu - as long at the OS is based on Ubuntu and it is Ubuntu compliant it will work if the OS is not then it won't.
If you are wanting to create a custom ISO from the installed system you might to checkout Systemback - but I do not know if this will work on 21.04 only 20.04 LTS

How to Create an ISO from Current Installation in Ubuntu 20.04

In Ubuntu, most programs and operating systems can be installed through the ISO file. This article shows you how to create an ISO file from a current installation in Ubuntu 20.04.

linuxhint.com

 

[anneranch]

OK, so I am correct to state that Unbutu "Create startup disk " is just that - create ONLY from Ubuntu ISO . Sure took long time to confirm that.
But that is NOT what "Create startup disk" documentation say.

However. it looks as using "dd" should work.

 

[Deleted member 108694]

OK, so I am correct to state that Unbutu "Create startup disk " is just that - create ONLY from Ubuntu ISO . Sure took long time to confirm that.
But that is NOT what "Create startup disk" documentation say.

However. it looks as using "dd" should work.

I guess that would depend on which documentation you read -
Explanation
The Ubuntu Startup Disk Creator checks for some typical content of the iso file, and if it is not there, the iso file will not be accepted as source disc image.

Revision

Q&A for Ubuntu users and developers

askubuntu.com

 

[anneranch]

I guess that would depend on which documentation you read -
Explanation
The Ubuntu Startup Disk Creator checks for some typical content of the iso file, and if it is not there, the iso file will not be accepted as source disc image.

Revision

Q&A for Ubuntu users and developers

askubuntu.com

Please drop it.
The insinuation that it is my fault does not belong to the tech forum.
Have a great day.