Actually it’s very easy to install Ubuntu 10.04 on an USB drive. But why would you install it on a USB drive? There are many benefits.
If you install Ubuntu 10.04 on a USB drive then you don’t have to install it on your hard-disk and risk messing up with your current system. Whether you are using Windows or some previous version of Ubuntu, you would like to maintain your current work environment while having a go at the current cool version of Ubuntu. Another benefit of having your Ubuntu 10.04 from a USB drive is that you can carry around your entire system with you in your drive, so whenever you want to work in a familiar environment, just plug in your USB drive and boot from there.
Installing Ubuntu 10.04 is very easy. Have a USB drive or a thumb drive that is at least 2 GB. We have also noticed that it helps if the system with which you are going to use the thumb drive has at least 1 GB of RAM, otherwise things get really slow. For the purpose of this tutorial we’ll assume you’re running Windows.
Download a fresh copy of Ubuntu 10.04 first and save the ISO on your hard disk. Then insert your USB drive and format it using FAT32. Then download Unebootin. It’s a nice utility that uses your Ubuntu ISO file to install a copy on your thumb drive.
Install Unebootin and run it. At the top there are two dropdowns; one allows you to choose the operating system and the other, the version. You choose Ubuntu and then 10.04. For the “Disk image” chose the path where you have saved the ISO file of Ubuntu 10.04. Normally, if the USB drive is properly inserted and your computer or laptop recognizes it, it should be visible in Unebootin too, but just make sure it is reflecting the correct drive alphabet, otherwise you might end up destroying your data. That’s it. Press OK. At the Unebootin download page you can see the images too.
Once Ubuntu 10.04 has been installed on your thumb drive, you’ll be prompted to reboot your computer. In the boot setup you’ll need to boot from your USB drive.
