UNetbootin vs Rufus: Which Bootable USB Tool Is Right for You?

How to Use UNetbootin to Install Linux from USBUNetbootin (Universal Netboot Installer) is a lightweight, cross-platform utility for creating bootable live USB drives for a wide range of Linux distributions. It’s especially useful when you want to try a Linux distro without modifying your computer’s internal drive, or when you need a portable installer to install Linux on multiple machines. This guide walks through preparing a USB drive, creating a bootable Linux USB with UNetbootin, booting from it, and installing Linux — plus troubleshooting tips and safety notes.

Before you start — what you need

• A USB flash drive (4 GB minimum for most modern distros; 8 GB+ recommended).
• A computer with internet access to download UNetbootin and (optionally) an ISO.
• A Linux distribution ISO (unless you let UNetbootin download one for you). Popular choices: Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, Linux Mint.
• A backup of important data from the USB drive — creating a bootable drive will erase its contents.
• Basic familiarity with BIOS/UEFI for changing boot order or using the boot menu.

1) Download UNetbootin and the Linux ISO

• Visit the official UNetbootin site or your distribution’s package manager. UNetbootin is available for Windows, macOS, and many Linux distributions.
• If you prefer, download the Linux ISO directly from the distro’s official website (recommended for control and offline use). Make sure you select the correct architecture (x86_64 for most modern PCs).

2) Prepare the USB drive

• Insert the USB drive and back up any files on it.
• On Windows: note the drive letter in File Explorer.
• On macOS: open Disk Utility to identify the USB device. You might need to format as FAT32 (UNetbootin works with FAT32).
• On Linux: identify the device node (e.g., /dev/sdb) using lsblk or sudo fdisk -l. Do not use a partition name like /dev/sdb1 in UNetbootin; the application expects the device letter in some contexts.

3) Run UNetbootin

• Launch UNetbootin (no installation needed on some platforms; it runs as a single executable). You may need administrator/root privileges.
• Two primary options appear:
  • “Distribution”: lets UNetbootin download a supported distro automatically.
  • “Diskimage”: lets you select a local ISO file you’ve already downloaded.
• Choose “Diskimage” and click the “…” button to select your ISO file (recommended for reliability).

4) Select the target USB drive and start

• In the “Type” dropdown, select “USB Drive.”
• In the “Drive” selector, choose the correct USB device (be careful — selecting the wrong drive can overwrite data on your hard disk).
• Click “OK” to start. UNetbootin will copy files, install a bootloader, and make the USB drive bootable. This can take several minutes depending on the ISO size and USB speed.

5) Booting from the USB drive

• Reboot the target computer with the USB inserted.
• Enter the firmware boot menu or BIOS/UEFI settings — usually by pressing a key during startup (common keys: Esc, F2, F10, F12, Del). Use the one-time boot menu if available to avoid changing permanent boot order.
• Select the USB drive as the boot device.
• The system should boot into the Linux live environment or installer. Most distros present options like “Try without installing” or “Install.”

6) Try or install Linux

• If you select “Try,” you can run Linux from the USB without changing your hard drive. This is useful to test hardware compatibility.
• To install, launch the installer from the live session and follow the distro-specific setup steps: language, keyboard layout, partitioning, user account, and timezone.
• When partitioning, decide whether to install alongside an existing OS, replace it, or use manual partitioning for custom setups. Back up important data before modifying partitions.

7) Persistent storage (optional)

• Some distributions and methods allow persistence — preserving files and settings across reboots of the live USB. UNetbootin historically supported creating a persistence file for some distros, but support can be inconsistent. If persistence is important, consider tools like Rufus (Windows), Ventoy, or distro-specific instructions that explicitly support persistence.

8) Post-installation steps

• After installation, remove the USB when prompted and reboot.
• Check that the new Linux system boots properly. If it doesn’t, you may need to adjust boot order in BIOS/UEFI or repair the bootloader.

Troubleshooting

• USB not detected in boot menu: try a different USB port (use USB 2.0 if UEFI has trouble), enable Legacy/CSM boot in firmware, or create the USB again with a different tool.
• Installer crashes or freezes: verify ISO checksum (MD5/SHA256) to ensure the ISO isn’t corrupted; try a different USB drive.
• “No bootable device” after install: confirm installer actually installed a bootloader (GRUB) to the correct disk. Boot-repair tools available on many live distributions can fix GRUB.
• Persistent mode not working: UNetbootin’s persistence support varies by distro; use Ventoy, Rufus with persistence, or distribution-specific instructions.

Alternatives to UNetbootin

• Rufus (Windows) — fast, reliable, supports UEFI and persistence for some distros.
• BalenaEtcher (cross-platform) — simple, safe (writes images verbatim), good for beginners.
• Ventoy — creates a multi-ISO USB where you can drop many ISOs and choose at boot.
• dd (Linux/macOS) — command-line raw image writer; powerful but dangerous if you select the wrong device.

Safety and best practices

• Always back up important data before creating installers or changing partitions.
• Verify ISO checksums from the distro’s website before writing to USB.
• Use the one-time boot menu to avoid changing BIOS/UEFI settings permanently unless you intend to.
• If installing on modern hardware with Secure Boot enabled, check whether the distro supports Secure Boot or temporarily disable it.

UNetbootin is a handy tool for quickly producing bootable USB installers and live systems. For straightforward installs it works well; for advanced needs (persistence, multiple ISOs, guaranteed UEFI/GPT support) consider tools like Rufus or Ventoy.