I'm in a bit of a bind because my USB drive got damaged by water and it's unusable now. I checked the local store, and they don't have any USB drives available. So, I'm wondering if there are any alternative ways to install Linux without relying on a USB drive.
5 Answers
I suggest trying to borrow a USB stick from a friend or neighbor. There's also the choice to order one online if you can't find any locally. Installing Linux is usually quick, and it might simplify things for you in the long run.
If you have a DVD drive on your computer, you could burn the ISO file to a DVD. That's the traditional way of installing Linux! It works well if you still have some old DVDs lying around.
Unfortunately, my laptop doesn't support DVDs anymore, so that's not an option for me.
Another option is to use virtualization. If you already have some virtualization software, you can load the ISO into a virtual machine and install Linux that way. Just keep in mind it might not give you the full experience of a regular installation.
You could try creating a new partition on your hard drive and place the ISO file there. It might work, but I've had mixed results—some distros don’t play nicely with this method. It's definitely worth a shot if you're in a pinch!
Have you thought about using PXE booting? If you have another computer on your network, you can set it up to serve the installation ISO via the network. Just make sure to enable PXE in the BIOS of the machine you're installing Linux on.
I haven't used this method in ages, but it's still a valid option. Definitely better than nothing! I'd totally go for it if I were in your shoes.