UNetbootin

UNetbootin, short for Universal Netboot Installer, is a cross-platform utility designed to create bootable live USB drives for a wide range of Linux distributions without burning a CD. In addition to USB creation, it can install a system to a hard drive and support netboot installations in some configurations. It aims to simplify the process of running or installing Linux on computers that lack optical drives.

The program runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS. Its user interface presents a list of supported distributions and release versions, with the option to download an ISO image from official mirrors or to use a local ISO file. After selecting a distribution and ISO, UNetbootin writes the image to a chosen USB drive and installs a bootloader, typically Syslinux, to make the device bootable on diverse hardware. Some configurations also permit netbooting over the network.

UNetbootin supports a broad array of distributions, including Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, openSUSE, and Linux Mint, among others. It also provides options for creating persistent storage for certain Ubuntu-based systems, enabling a portion of the USB to retain changes between reboots.

Usage considerations include administrative privileges to access and modify USB devices, and the need to format the target drive during the process. The resulting USB can be used to boot on systems with legacy BIOS or, in some cases, UEFI, depending on the distribution and setup.

UNetbootin is open-source software released under the GPL. It is distributed through its official site and repositories. Maintenance has varied in recent years, and users may consider other tools such as Rufus or the Ubuntu Startup Disk Creator for certain environments.