Introduction:

Are you looking to install Ubuntu 24.04 on your computer, but don’t have a CD/DVD drive? No problem! In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to create an Ubuntu 24.04 desktop installation USB disk on a Mac. This will allow you to boot from the USB drive and install Ubuntu on your computer.

What You’ll Need:

• A Mac with a USB port
• A blank USB drive with at least 4GB of free space (some 8GB for extra space)
• Ubuntu 24.04 desktop ISO file (download from the official Ubuntu website)
• Etcher or another USB creation tool (e.g., dd command)

Method 1: Using Etcher

Etcher is a popular and user-friendly tool that allows you to create bootable USB drives. Here’s how to use it:

1. Download and Install Etcher: Head over to the Etcher website and download the latest version of the software. Follow the installation instructions to install Etcher on your Mac.
2. Download the Ubuntu 24.04 Desktop ISO File: Visit the official Ubuntu website and download the 24.04 desktop ISO file.
3. Insert the USB Drive: Plug in the blank USB drive into your Mac.
4. Open Etcher: Launch Etcher on your Mac and select the USB drive from the dropdown menu.
5. Select the ISO File: Choose the Ubuntu 24.04 ISO file as the source image.
6. Create the Bootable USB Drive: Click “Flash!” to start the creation process. Etcher will format the USB drive, create a bootable partition, and copy the Ubuntu installation files.
7. Wait for the Process to Complete: Depending on the speed of your USB drive, this process should take around 10-15 minutes to complete.

Method 2: Using the dd Command

If you’re comfortable with the command line, you can use the dd command to create the bootable USB drive. Here’s how:

1. Download the Ubuntu 24.04 Desktop ISO File: Visit the official Ubuntu website and download the 24.04 desktop ISO file.
2. Insert the USB Drive: Plug in the blank USB drive into your Mac.
3. Open the Terminal: Launch the Terminal app on your Mac.
4. Identify the USB Drive: Use the diskutil command to identify the USB drive: diskutil list. This will show you a list of available disks. Identify the USB drive (e.g., /dev/disk2) and note its number.
5. Create the Bootable USB Drive: Use the dd command to create the bootable USB drive: sudo dd bs=4m if=/path/to/ubuntu-24.04-desktop-amd64.iso of=/dev/rdisk2 conv=fdatasync. Replace /path/to/ubuntu-24.04-desktop-amd64.iso with the actual path to the Ubuntu ISO file and /dev/rdisk2 with the actual device name of your USB drive.
6. Wait for the Process to Complete: Depending on the speed of your USB drive, this process should take around 10-15 minutes to complete.

Verifying the USB Drive

Once the creation process is complete, safely eject the USB drive from your Mac and plug it into a computer that can boot from USB (e.g., a PC or another Mac). Restart the computer and select the USB drive as the boot device (you may need to press a key like F12 or Ctrl+Alt+F1 to access the boot menu). If everything was done correctly, you should see the Ubuntu installation menu.

Conclusion:

Creating an Ubuntu 24.04 desktop installation USB disk on a Mac is a straightforward process using either Etcher or the dd command. By following the steps outlined in this tutorial, you should be able to create a bootable USB drive that allows you to install Ubuntu on your computer. Happy installing!