I by sroke luck I found pendrive Linux oimage which is 425MB which could be accomodated on a 512MB USB, my first USB.
I learned all my Linux commards under Windows desktop.
That was my beginning.
I could lunch Vi on RAM but did not know how to exit by help heled me.
Pendrive Linux
PendriveLinux.com was originally founded by Lance in 2006 with the
goal of providing resources and tools to help users create bootable USB
drives.
The site offers various utilities to simplify the process of
installing operating systems from USB drives, particularly Linux
distributions.
Since its inception, PendriveLinux has been offering simplified
tutorials, USB boot software, and Windows media creation tools that make
booting a computer from a removable USB drive easy.
The goal is to
enable users to walk up to any PC, insert a flash drive, do their work,
shut down, unplug the device, and continue with their day, all while
leaving no traces behind on the host computer.
Pendrive Linux's USB booting tools and simplified tutorials have
become valuable assets in both educational and professional settings.
Students and educators use bootable USBs for networking or software
testing, while multiboot USBs offer portable, consistent operating
system environments for secure, location independent work. These tools
are ideal for corporate teams and IT professionals who need quick access
to recovery solutions.
I would like to extend my personal thanks to all of those who have
provided continued support and feedback over the years. It is because of
you that the bootable pen drive software, projects, simplified USB
Linux, Windows booting from USB instructions, and related how to boot
from a USB drive information provided throughout this website remain
accessible to this day.
This site was originally established as a simple means to
experiment and share useful information about booting from USB
(particularly to make Linux OS USB Bootable). This was done in hopes
that by sharing whilst learning, I might help others who may also be
looking to find ways to easily boot and then run their Live ISO files,
Windows installers, PE, antivirus scanners, cloning software, and
various other useful diagnostic tools - all from a UFD.
~ Lance
Why the Tux Linux Penguin Mascot?
The cartoon-like penguin known as Tux
was once recognized as the official Linux mascot and remains a powerful
symbol of Linux's flexibility, freedom, and open-source spirit. For
Pendrive Linux, Tux also represents the portability and simplicity of
running Linux directly from a USB drive.
Seen here carrying a bootable USB flash drive, our Tux mascot
embodies the ease of taking Linux with you, ready to run live
environments, recovery tools, or full operating systems anytime,
anywhere.
The Pen Drive Linux Tux mascot has represented our brand for over 18
years, inspiring the community and standing for our mission: making
Linux portable, USB bootable, and accessible. Whether you're creating a
live USB Linux environment, a bootable Windows installer, or portable
system tools, Tux continues to symbolize the freedom to boot from USB
and carry your OS in your pocket.
On this site you'll find simplified tutorials, software, and media
creation tools to help you easily make Live Linux bootable USB sticks
from ISO images, install or create a USB boot drive for Windows 10 or 11,
run antivirus programs, backup utilities and system diagnostic tools
from a flash memory stick or SD card, perform virtual machine (VM) or
kernel-based (KVM) emulation, cloud computing, etc.
Make Bootable USB Drives Boot from USB - Pendrive Linux Video
Additional information is also provided to help you learn how to enter BIOS
and set a computer system to startup and boot from a USB flash drive.
Several articles have been created to help you setup, configure, and
customize Linux. Along with various tutorials providing Linux shell
script commands and coding examples to assist you in making full use of
the power of Linux.
What is a Bootable USB Flash Drive?
A bootable USB flash drive (often called a memory stick) is a
portable storage device that contains a complete operating system or
diagnostic tools that can be run directly from the USB without needing
to install anything on the computer's internal hard drive. This allows
you to start up (boot) a computer using the USB drive instead of its
usual system.
Tools like YUMI and Universal USB Installer make it easy to create
bootable USB flash drives by copying ISO files of operating systems or
utilities onto the device. This gives you a fully portable and versatile
environment to install, repair, or run various operating systems, all
from a convenient portable UFD you can carry anywhere.
What is a Multiboot USB
A multiboot USB, also known as a multi-ISO bootable USB flash drive,
is a memory stick configured to boot multiple ISO files from a single
device. This feature allows users to switch between operating systems
without needing multiple USB drives. Multiboot USBs are particularly
useful for IT professionals, system administrators, and others who need
to work with multiple operating systems regularly. They can also be used
to reboot or repair an operating system, install something new, or run a
live system.
Multibooting from a multi operating system bootable USB enables you
to store and run various Linux operating systems, Windows installers,
Windows To Go, Windows PE, system diagnostic utilities, antivirus
scanners, penetration testing tools, cloning tools, backup tools, and
more, all from the same removable device. This results in a custom,
personalized bootable diagnostic toolkit that you can carry on a
keychain or in your pocket.
Benefits of Booting from USB Drives
Live USB booting offers many advantages:
- OS Portability and Convenience: Flash drives are
compact and easy to carry, making them ideal for booting operating
systems or system tools on the go. Whether you're using it to make a
Linux OS USB boot at a friend's house, at school, from your work PC, or
while traveling, USB booting provides portable computing wherever you
are.
- Boot from USB with Multiple Operating Systems: A
variety of operating systems, such as Windows, Linux, and FreeBSD, can
be booted from a flash drive. This makes USB booting a practical
solution for troubleshooting, testing, running specialized software, and
installing new operating systems.
- Windows Media Creation Tools: Tools like YUMI and
UUI make it easy to set up Windows installation drives, enabling you to
quickly create a bootable USB for Windows installation or recovery.
- USB Boot for Privacy and Security: Booting from a
USB device isolates your OS and files from the host computer's internal
storage, offering enhanced security. This is especially useful when
working on untrusted or public computers, or if you're concerned about
potential malware or privacy risks.
- OS Recovery from USB: If your computer's operating
system is corrupted or experiencing issues, booting from a USB drive
lets you access a recovery environment to troubleshoot or reinstall the
OS.
- Use Persistent Storage to Retain Data across Boots: For users who want to retain settings and data across reboots, persistent storage
can be a valuable feature. Persistent storage allows data to be saved
directly on the USB, making it possible to carry personal settings,
documents, and software configurations across different systems.
- Use a USB Recovery Drive for Disaster Recovery:
Live Linux Bootable USB drives also play an essential role in disaster
recovery scenarios, offering quick access to backup and recovery tools.
These drives can be used to recover data from compromised or
unresponsive systems, making them invaluable tools for IT professionals
and home users alike.
- Fast SSD Performance: For optimal speed, use a high performance SSD USB flash drive
for faster boot times and smoother operation. In many cases, an SSD USB
drive can even outperform a traditional hard drive, especially if the
computer's internal drive is outdated or slow.
- The Cool Factor of USB Booting: Carrying a portable
operating system on a USB drive is both convenient and impressive.
There's something exciting about plugging in and instantly booting your
custom Live OS on any computer. Once others see how easy and useful it
is, they'll want to try it too!
As you can see, USB booting isn't just convenient for everyday
computing. Booting from USB also provides a flexible, secure way to work
with different operating systems, recover data, and experiment with
live Linux environments, all while protecting your privacy.
Top 5 Use Cases for a Bootable USB
- Operating System Installation: Quickly install Windows, Linux, or other OSes from a portable flash drive.
- System Recovery: Access recovery tools or live environments to troubleshoot, repair, or recover data from a broken OS.
- Portable Computing: Run a full Linux desktop or Windows To Go directly from a USB, on nearly any computer.
- Penetration Testing & Diagnostics: Boot into specialized toolkits like Kali Linux or system diagnostic utilities without installing anything.
- Data Privacy: Use persistent storage to browse or
work from a self contained operating environment without leaving traces
on the host machine.
How to Create a Bootable USB Drive
To create a USB drive that can boot from ISO files for Linux or
Windows, you can use one of the following Pendrive Linux live USB
utilities. Both tools provide a categorized list of example bootable
distributions, information on where to download the ISO files, and links
to each corresponding project page. If you are just getting started, we
recommend using YUMI exFAT as it supports multibooting a USB stick from
both BIOS and UEFI systems and is the most frequently updated. It can
also be run from within most modern Linux environments using WINE.
Follow these simple steps to make a USB installer for Linux or Windows:
- Download a Tool: Get YUMI or UUI from Pendrive Linux.
- Download an ISO: Choose your Linux distribution or Windows version ISO.
- Insert a USB drive: Use at least 8 GB (or larger), it'll be dual formatted FAT32/exFAT.
- Run the Installer: Launch YUMI/UUI, select your ISO and USB drive.
- Enable Persistence (optional): If supported, setup a persistence file to save settings and data across reboots.
- Create the USB: Click "Create" and wait for the files to be written.
- Boot from USB: Reboot, enter BIOS/UEFI (press F2, F12, Esc, Del), and select the USB drive as your boot device.
Best Tools to Make a Bootable USB (Windows & Linux)
Here are two of our most popular USB boot creator tools, long
regarded as some of the best software you can use to make USB bootable
drives:
Updated: 12 Sep, 2025 - YUMI-exFAT-1.0.3.1.exe
Create a USB boot drive with YUMI multiboot USB media creator
for Windows or Linux. YUMI allows you to multi‑boot from USB with
multiple ISO files, including Linux distributions, Windows installers,
antivirus utilities, and system diagnostic tools.
