UNetbootin explained

UNetbootin
Author:	Geza Kovacs
Latest Release Version:	Release 702^[1]
Programming Language:	C++ (Qt 4/5)
Operating System:	Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux
Genre:	Live USB
License:	GNU GPL version 2 or later^[2]

UNetbootin ("Universal Netboot Installer") is a cross-platform utility that can create live USB systems and can load a variety of system utilities or install various Linux distributions and other operating systems without a CD.

Modes

USB install

This installation mode creates bootable USB flash drives and bootable USB Hard Disk Drives; it is a Live USB creator.^[3]

• Cross-platform (available for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X)^[3]
• Non-destructive install (does not format the device) using Syslinux.
• Supports mainstream Linux distributions, such as Ubuntu, Fedora, openSUSE, CentOS, Gentoo, Linux Mint, Arch Linux, Mandriva, MEPIS, Slackware as well as FreeDOS, FreeBSD and NetBSD.^[3]
• Can load a variety of system utilities, such as Ophcrack, BackTrack.^[3]
• Other operating systems can be loaded via pre-downloaded ISO image or floppy/hard drive disk image files.^[3]
• Automatically detects all removable devices.^[3]
• Supports LiveUSB persistence (preserving files across reboots; this feature is for Ubuntu only)

Multiple installs on the same device are not supported.

Hard drive install

This installation mode performs a network installation or "frugal install" without a CD, similar to that performed by the Win32-Loader.^[4]

UNetbootin's distinguishing features are its support for a great variety of Linux distributions, its portability, its ability to load custom disk image (including ISO image) files, and its support for both Windows and Linux.^[5] Unlike Wubi, and similar to the Win32-Loader, when installing to hard disk, UNetbootin installs to a partition, not a disk image, thus creating a dual-boot setup between Linux and Windows.^{[4] [6]}

Reception

A review in Full Circle in February 2021 stated, "despite the rather dated-looking interface, UNetbootin works perfectly, allowing the writing of almost any Linux or BSD distribution to a USB stick for testing or installation. It is a great example of the Unix philosophy: an application that does one thing and does it well."^[7]

See also

• List of tools to create Live USB systems
• Live USB
• Windows To Go

Notes and References

1. Web site: UNetbootin Releases . 7 February 2020 . Kovacs. Geza . GitHub.
2. UNetbootin License and Credits
3. Web site: UNetbootin. 11 November 2020. Kovacs. Geza . GitHub. https://web.archive.org/web/20201110214709/https://unetbootin.github.io/. 10 November 2020. live.
4. Web site: UNetbootin. 11 November 2020. Softpedia. 9 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201006160754/https://www.softpedia.com/get/System/OS-Enhancements/UNetbootin.shtml. 6 October 2020. live.
5. Web site: Install Ubuntu Without a CD . Ubuntu . Geza Kovacs (tuxcantfly) . 2007-10-10.
6. Web site: UNetbootin. 11 November 2020 . Yep!. 10 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201111234524/https://yepdownload.com/unetbootin. 11 November 2020. live.
7. Web site: Review - UNetbootin. 26 February 2021. Hunt. Adam . Full Circle magazine. 26 February 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210226231825/https://dl.fullcirclemagazine.org/issue166_en.pdf. 26 February 2021. live.