can't download ubuntu onto usb stick

Question

I tried to install Ubuntu onto a USB stick but it doesn't install all of the files. I don't see the Ubuntu logo appearing in my USB drive, only an ideogram of a sheet with a folded corner and it will be labeled Ubuntu. I've read to install LiLi USB Creator on a stick with either FAT or FAT32 partition which I read only worked on 4GB sticks and on 34bit computers with 2.0 USB ports. I tried it with exFAT and FAT32 partitions and the last time I tried downloading Ubuntu onto a stick it completed 99% of the download and then quit. What exactly do I need to do to get an Ubuntu system fully downloaded onto a thumb drive and loaded onto 64bit laptop?

Answer 1

Step number one:
a disk image (a *.iso for a Linux distro) is to be written with special software (disk image writer, USB boot disk creator, ...) that creates the disk by writing "blocks" from the disk image onto the stick.

Most notably

• the USB stick does normally NOT need to be "formatted" before starting.
• the image file is NOT to be "File copied" to the stick.
• the result after writing is at least one partition with files.

Step number two:
After this process you will see a number of files on the stick - it may be necessary to remove (use "safe remove"!) and reinsert the stick into the computer though.

Step number three:
When done properly the stick will now be bootable, you might need to tell the computer to actually use the stick as a bootable device - often by pressing F11 or F12 as the computer BIOS starts - then selecting the USB stick in the menu that appears.

In this state the stick is your "Live (as in 'try') Ubuntu", "Last resort salvage disk" and "Installation media" in one package.

NOTE: A "Live" system like this has/does not (at least historically) have/had any writable area, in which case any files you create or download cannot be retained AFTER a reboot - unless you make sure to 'mount' any writable media; e.g. your live "/home", or what you intend to be that.