Linux has had bootable USBs for years, but getting one set up as an everyday desktop hasn’t always felt as seamless to me. Some live USB setups I tried couldn’t be upgraded like a normal installation. Other installers defaulted to putting GRUB, the bootloader, on the internal drive, or the USB’s filesystem setup got in the way of installing apps such as Dropbox.
Those are the sorts of things I wanted Linux To Go to make easier. The goal is to make the experience as seamless as possible, especially for someone coming from Windows: a full Linux installation on a USB stick, with your own account, apps and files staying there between sessions. You can get to know Linux at your own pace, without having to repartition your usual Windows drive or commit to switching straight away.
I’m also working towards smoother Wine and Proton integration, including being able to double-click a Windows .exe file and have it open in Linux. That’s still a work in progress, but making familiar apps easier to use is part of making the move to Linux less daunting.
Download Linux To Go for Windows.
This is v1.006, with no expiry or time limit. Download the Windows app and run it directly; the installation tools are already bundled in. You’ll also need a Linux ISO, which is the image file the app uses to install Linux. The ones I’ve tried are listed below.
Windows x64 · v1.006 · 43.3 MB
Built 14 October 2026. I haven’t signed the executable, so Windows may show an unknown-publisher warning.
File details and SHA-256
LinuxToGo-v1.006.exe
43,259,392 bytes (41.3 MiB)
f6b6a808200f0ff974e1851bd4f265f2f2fa26ba02046fb1091f3a33b86a03b9
Some very cheap USB drives failed or locked up while I was writing to them. I’ve tried a few fixes, but I haven’t fully solved that yet, so a reliable drive is worth using.
The USB you choose will be erased. Back up anything on it and double-check its model and capacity before confirming.
Start with one of these Linux images.
I’ve tried the images below and they work with this build. Stick to these exact versions for now: a different edition, revision or Linux distribution probably won’t work. The app checks what’s inside the ISO, so renaming another image won’t make it compatible.
| Linux image | Desktop / architecture |
|---|---|
| Zorin OS 18 Core r3 | Zorin Core desktop · x86-64 |
| Zorin OS 18.1 Core | Zorin Core desktop · x86-64 |
| openSUSE Leap 16.0, Build178.27 | KDE Plasma · x86-64-v2 |
My latest testing with openSUSE went well. Secure Boot also seems to work, although that can vary from one PC to another.
Get an ISO from Zorin’s download page or the openSUSE Leap 16.0 download page. For Leap, choose the Intel/AMD x86_64 Offline Image. Leap needs an x86-64-v2-compatible processor. If a download has since been replaced by a newer build, it may not match the image this app accepts.
Exact filenames, sizes and SHA-256 checksums
Zorin OS 18 Core (r3), 64-bit
Zorin-OS-18-Core-64-bit-r3.iso
3,787,948,032 bytes
SHA-256: 09959ce793b8a065b70207e46cd646b1de805fc7e0bad925ce28df6e04b7f807
Zorin OS 18.1 Core, 64-bit
Zorin-OS-18.1-Core-64-bit.iso
3,909,091,328 bytes
SHA-256: 44649b97bd307fc4c8529205d098ebbf98575a1e1ba2ee7d7005b697af1721d5
openSUSE Leap 16.0 (Build178.27), KDE Plasma, x86-64-v2
Leap-16.0-offline-installer-x86_64.install.iso
4,538,236,928 bytes
SHA-256: 3c0ace903c0a78b13a09d5649ffc4409370f6d8dab2a79fea310b20ac20a2ac2
Getting your USB ready.
You’ll need a 64-bit Windows PC, administrator access, one of the supported ISOs and a reliable USB stick of at least 32 GB. Keep the app and ISO on your computer, separate from the USB you’re setting up. Leave some free disk space for working files, too. If you’re using Zorin, you’ll need an internet connection for the first compatibility-package downloads.
- Open Linux To Go. Plug in your USB stick and double-click the downloaded app.
- Pick the USB and ISO. Check the drive’s model, capacity and serial number, then choose one of the supported image files.
- Choose your Linux login. Set the username and password you want to use when you boot into Linux.
- Let it install. Confirm which USB to erase and approve the Windows administrator prompt. You can follow the progress and live log in the app. How long it takes depends on your drive.
- Give Linux a try. Wait until the app says it’s finished and has released the drive. Restart a compatible PC, choose the USB in its boot menu and sign in with the account you just created.
If you’re not sure how to find your PC’s boot menu, try Boot help in the app. If something goes wrong, Open Logs takes you to the saved details. If you cancel an installation, wait for the installer to stop before unplugging the USB. You’ll need to start that installation again.
What the app does for you.
I’ve put the setup steps into a Windows app so you don’t have to work through them all yourself. The interface and installation controller are written in Rust, and a bundled copy of QEMU runs the Linux installer. Zorin and openSUSE each have their own installation recipe. You end up with a full Linux system, including your account and the boot files, on the USB.
- Choose your USB and ISOThe app checks the drive and recognises the Linux image.
- Let the app install itIt works through the setup for your chosen Linux version.
- Make yourself at homeBoot from the USB and keep your apps, files and settings.
Helping people try Linux while keeping their normal Windows setup is a big part of why I built this. The app filters out system disks, along with drives holding the app, ISO or working files. It checks your chosen drive again before writing and asks you to confirm that it can be erased. Those checks help, but it’s still worth taking a moment to make sure you’ve picked the right USB.
The installation engine and firmware are bundled into the download, so there’s no separate QEMU or developer-tool setup to work through. The app writes straight to the USB, without first making a file on your PC as big as the entire drive.
Making it feel familiar.
I want this to feel like a desktop you can settle into. Your files, installed apps and settings stay on the USB, ready for the next time you boot it.
For Zorin, I’ve included a familiar taskbar layout along with Wine, UMU and GE-Proton. These are the pieces I’m using for the Windows app integration; it’s still a work in progress, and compatibility varies from app to app. The openSUSE setup uses KDE Plasma; I haven’t added the Windows app integration to that one yet. Its current configuration also turns off SELinux and AppArmor.
There are a few choices underneath to suit a portable setup: compressed RAM is used for swap, disk swap and hibernation are turned off, and the desktop won’t automatically mount other attached drives.
There are still rough edges, and I’m continuing to improve the installer and try it on more hardware. If you give it a go, I’d love to hear which ISO, USB stick and PC you used, and how you got on.