Is there a way to run a Linux distribution, like Ubuntu, live from a USB without needing to install it? I'm looking for a way to make it so that nothing gets saved after I shut down my computer, meaning I'd lose all my changes and data each time I reboot. Any tips or methods would be greatly appreciated!
2 Answers
To achieve what you want, just create your live USB without persistence. Tools like Ventoy or Rufus can help with that. If you set it up with persistence, your changes will save, but for a live experience that resets every time, just skip that option. Almost all live USB setups behave this way by default, so you're good to go!
You might want to check out Debian's live CD resources or Tails if you're after something that doesn't save any data. Tails is great for privacy and it resets everything after use. But if you want Ubuntu specifically, there are ways to set it up that way too! Just let me know if you need more help!
Thanks for the suggestion! I'm familiar with Tails, but I really want Ubuntu with pre-installed Snap packages. But this is helpful!
So every live session really keeps nothing? Even opened files won't show up later? That's good to know, especially for shared USB usage. Just wanted to make sure it's secure!