UNetbootin ("Universal Netboot Installer") is a cross-platform utility that can create live USB systems and can load a variety of system utilities or install various Linux distributions and other operating systems without a CD.

UNetbootin
Original author(s)Geza Kovacs
Initial releaseApril 2007; 17 years ago (2007-04)
Stable release
Release 702[1] / February 4, 2021; 3 years ago (2021-02-04)
Repository
Written inC++ (Qt 4/5)
Operating systemMicrosoft Windows, macOS, Linux
TypeLive USB
LicenseGNU GPL version 2 or later[2]
Websiteunetbootin.github.io

Modes

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USB install

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This installation mode creates bootable USB flash drives and bootable USB Hard Disk Drives; it is a Live USB creator.[3]

Multiple installs on the same device are not supported.

Hard drive install

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This installation mode performs a network installation or "frugal install" without a CD, similar to that performed by the Win32-Loader.[4]

UNetbootin's distinguishing features are its support for a great variety of Linux distributions, its portability, its ability to load custom disk image (including ISO image) files, and its support for both Windows and Linux.[5] Unlike Wubi, and similar to the Win32-Loader, when installing to hard disk, UNetbootin installs to a partition, not a disk image, thus creating a dual-boot setup between Linux and Windows.[4][6]

Reception

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A review in Full Circle in February 2021 stated, "despite the rather dated-looking interface, UNetbootin works perfectly, allowing the writing of almost any Linux or BSD distribution to a USB stick for testing or installation. It is a great example of the Unix philosophy: an application that does one thing and does it well."[7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Kovacs, Geza. "UNetbootin Releases". GitHub. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  2. ^ UNetbootin License and Credits
  3. ^ a b c d e f Kovacs, Geza. "UNetbootin". GitHub. Archived from the original on 10 November 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  4. ^ a b "UNetbootin". Softpedia. 9 November 2020. Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  5. ^ Geza Kovacs (tuxcantfly). "Install Ubuntu Without a CD". Ubuntu. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
  6. ^ "UNetbootin". Yep!. 10 November 2020. Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  7. ^ Hunt, Adam (26 February 2021). "Review - UNetbootin" (PDF). Full Circle magazine. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
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