Ubuntu server 22.04 – boot from another USB/SD disk

In some scenarios, you need to boot from different device than from the one where the system is installed. For example when your BIOS dosn’t allow you to choose from which HDD to boot and the boot position of controller is already occupied by other disk.

Prerequisities

Bootable USB instalation media of Ubuntu 22.04 (Download server iso and create bootable USB using Rufus. Dont forget create it as MBR !!!) Here is step by step tutorial

Another USB stick or SD card – that will be used as bootable device.

During the installation of Ubuntu 22.04 server you can choose a different boot device than the disk you want to install the system to, but there is no possibilty to choos.e SD card or USB flash disk as a boot device if it had not been previously made as bootable. So let’s make it bootable via Rufus:

Making empty USB flashdisk or SD card bootable via Rufus (this is not installation media, just “disk” for booting after installation)

Next step is to boot from USB installation media. The other empty bootable USB/SD left aside for now, insert it after successful boot.

Now you can plug the other empty bootable USB/SD in. We will need it during installation. Then select Try or install Ubuntu.

In next installation steps choose language, keyboard, installation typ (Ubuntu Server), network, proxy, mirror… and proceed to next screen, where you select Custom storage layout.

Now you can see all your disk at theirs intial state.

In the next step choose Reformat at both USB and disk you wish to install system to.

Select Reformat at USB and at future system HDD

This is the goal – have free space (here is a **mistake** in the picture – Samsungs free space should be underlined)

Choose USB and pick **Use as boot device** (just this, don’t format, don’ mount – this is going to be bootable disk only)

Then choose format and mount system disk this way:

This is how should your USED DEVICES section looks like

Select DONE and proceed next step of installation. Choose install SSH and proceed to next screen, where you select only canonical livepatch.

And then instalation begins. After it finishes remove installation media and try to boot. Don’t forget choose your boot USB as permanent boot device in BIOS.

//update system
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

//Window manager for LQxt (i thing itsn faster - change it in preferrences)
sudo apt -y install openbox

////install Ubuntu desktop environment
//sudo apt -y install ubuntu-desktop

//install Lubuntu desktop environment
sudo apt -y install lubuntu-desktop

//Chrome
wget https://dl.google.com/linux/direct/google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
sudo apt install ./google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
//DobleCommander
sudo apt install doublecmd-qt

//install webmin
sudo -s
cd /root
wget https://download.webmin.com/jcameron-key.asc
cat jcameron-key.asc | gpg --dearmor >/etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/jcameron-key.gpg
sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list
//add lines to the end
# deb https://download.webmin.com/download/repository sarge contrib
deb https://download.webmin.com/download/repository sarge contrib
apt-get install apt-transport-https
apt-get update
apt-get install webmin
sudo ufw allow 10000

//install xrdp Remote desktop
wget https://www.c-nergy.be/downloads/xRDP/xrdp-installer-1.4.4.zip
unzip xrdp-installer-1.4.4.zip
chmod +x  xrdp-installer-1.4.4.sh
./xrdp-installer-1.4.4.sh --loginscreen
(run this also for change desktop environment used by xrdp)

//LXQt Network manager
sudo apt install cmst

//Double commander
sudo apt install doublecmd-qt

//Krusader (commander)
sudo apt-get install kate
sudo apt-get install rpm
sudo apt-get install rar
sudo apt-get install kdiff3
sudo apt-get install krusader