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Linux: Dual-boot on Dell tower - create Linux USB stick

[last updated: 2019-09-30]
Linux home page
Dell tower home page
dual-boot - USB testing
dual-boot - Prepare to Install
dual-boot - Install Linux
dual-boot - Next Steps
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  • This machine ("Dell tower") came with Windows 10 pre-installed.
  • My desire/intention is to have a "dual-boot" setup, so I can choose to run either W-10 or Linux.
    These instructions came from these tutorials:
    (link to:) tutorial on itsfoss.com
    (link to:) tutorial on opensource.com
    (link to:) tutorial on groovypost.com
    (link to:) tutorial on pcworld.com
    (link to:) tutorial on hackernoon.com
  • See also:

    • ------------------------------

  • Create a "live" Linux USB stick: Follow These Steps:
    • Backup all files
    • Make a Windows "restore point":
      • If not already visible, show search box:
        Select Start > Settings > Personalization > Taskbar
        Turn off "Use small taskbar buttons"
        Set Taskbar location to Bottom.
      • Enter "restore point" <CR> in search box
        Click "Yes" to allow control panel to make changes.
        The System Properties dialog box will come up.
        Click the System Protection tab, then click the Configure button,
        Turn on system protection, then click "OK"
      • Click "Create"
        Type a description for the new restore point, then click "Create".
        When "restore point was created successfully" comes up, click "Close"
      • If later you want to restore your system to this (or any other) restore point,
        in System Properties box, select "restore" and proceed...
    • In case things crash:
      • Have original Windows installation disks available.
      • -or- Have a Windows boot repair disk available. You can create one on a USB drive using:
        (link to:) sourceforge
      • -or- Have a live (bootable) disk of Windows available.
        • (link to:) Download the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool.
        • Launch the tool and follow the prompts.
          • Select to create installation media on USB flash drive. It will take about an hour.
        • Note: Even if you already have Windows 10 installed, it's still a good idea to create bootable media, just in case something goes wrong and you need to reinstall it.
    • Create a live (ie bootable) USB drive with Linux OS:
      • (link to:) linuxMint website
        and select Cinnamon 64-bit, then click a download mirror site,
        Click Save File, then OK to download the ISO file, and monitor download progress until done (about an hour)
      • (link to:) Verify the integrity of the ISO
        • First, whether using Windows or Linux, click the button for the Mint version you downloaded (19.2 for me):
          This will drop down additional instructions.
        • Preparation:
          • 1. Create a directory called "ISO" in your home directory.
              • On Linux systems, the concept of "home directory" is unambiguous. Not so much in Windows.
              On my system, I created: Documents/myFiles/masterWorkingFiles/Tech/Linux/installation/ISO
          • 2. Move the ISO image you downloaded into this directory.
          • 3. Download the following files:
            from link > 19.2 above, hover over filename, then right-click > Save Link As,
            and move them into the "ISO" directory.
            sha256sum.txt Contains the SHA256 sums to check the integrity of the ISO images.
            sha256sum.txt.gpg Signed by the Linux Mint team to check the authenticity of the sha256sum.txt file.
          • Your ~/ISO directory should now contain 3 files:
            Your ISO image, the sha256sum.txt file and the sha256sum.txt.gpg file.
            Don't modify these files in any way.
          • If installing onto a Windows system, now click link:
            (link to:) How to verify the ISO image on Windows
            and proceed with Step 2 of Preparation:
            • Browse to (link to:) [download site].
              Scroll down to GnuPG Binary Releases.
              In the table section for Windows, find: "download sig    Simple installer for the current GnuPG".
              Note that "download" and "sig" are two separate links, and download 2 different files.
              Click "download", and save to Desktop.
              [not sure why, but JWID]: Now click "sig" on the same line, it will download a file with the same name but an additional ".sig" suffix (also to Desktop).
            • Now install the gnupg...exe "Without Administrator" is fine.
              Double-click desktop file: gnupg-w32-2.2.17_20190709.exe
              Follow prompts, installation successful (did not ask me about Admin)
              [double-click .exe.sig file did nothing. Ignored it]
          • Now continuing from "How to verify..." link above,
            proceed with Step 3 of Preparation:
            • Find the ISO folder containing the files you downloaded in the first step
              (be in the parent folder, ie. one folder above the ISO folder).
              Hover over the ISO folder name, hold Shift, and right-click.
              Select to open a command window (on my system the option is: "Open PowerShell Window here").
            • Type: cmd <CR>
              (this didn't seem to do anything, just returned a (slightly different) prompt).
        • Preparation is done. Proceed with "Integrity Check":
          • In Command window, type:
            CertUtil -hashfile filename.iso SHA256
            where 'filename' will be the name of the ISO file you downloaded.
          • Press <CR> to execute.
          • After some time (about 40sec on my I7), an alphanumeric sequence will be printed out. This is the "hash".
          • Compare this hash to the one contained in sha256sum.txt.
            If they match, the integrity of your .iso file is good.
            If they don't match, delete this .iso file and try again, perhaps downloading from a different mirror site.
            (they matched in my case)
          • ISO Integrity is now Checked and Valid

        ------------------------------------------------------

      • Integrity is Verified. Now Proceed with Authenticity Check:
        • Step 1:
          • Copy & paste this command into the command window and press Enter to run it:
            gpg --keyserver hkps://keyserver.ubuntu.com:443 --recv-key 27DEB15644C6B3CF3BD7D291300F846BA25BAE09
          • For some users this fails with a keyserver or network error.
            In that case (and only then) try this variant instead:
            gpg --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-key 27DEB15644C6B3CF3BD7D291300F846BA25BAE09
          • If that too fails, try this one:
            gpg --keyserver hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:80 --recv-key 27DEB15644C6B3CF3BD7D291300F846BA25BAE09
          • If that fails too, try again later - the server might be down - otherwise you're out of luck.
          • In my case, it appears to have worked (ie. no errors were reported). The following lines were returned:
            gpg: keybox 'C:/Users/Jay/AppData/Roaming/gnupg/pubring.kbx' created
            gpg: C:/Users/Jay/AppData/Roaming/gnupg/trustdb.gpg: trustdb created
            gpg: key 300F846BA25BAE09: public key "Linux Mint ISO Signing Key " imported
            gpg: Total number processed: 1
            gpg: imported: 1
        • Step 2:
          • Copy & paste this command into the command window and press Enter to run it:
            gpg --verify sha256sum.txt.gpg sha256sum.txt
          • The following was returned:
            gpg: Signature made 07/29/19 09:43:47 Pacific Daylight Time
            gpg: using RSA key 27DEB15644C6B3CF3BD7D291300F846BA25BAE09
            gpg: Good signature from "Linux Mint ISO Signing Key " [unknown]
            gpg: WARNING: This key is not certified with a trusted signature!
            gpg: There is no indication that the signature belongs to the owner.
            Primary key fingerprint: 27DE B156 44C6 B3CF 3BD7 D291 300F 846B A25B AE09
        • Step 3:
          Since it says:
          "Good signature from "Linux Mint ISO Signing Key "
          instructions say ISO Authenticity is now Verified as valid and to ignore the "warning".

        ------------------------------------------------------

      • Both Integrity and Authenticity have been verified.
        Proceed to create your bootable disk/usb: (link to:) (instructions here)
          • 3 options:
        • Right-click the ISO file and select Make Bootable USB Stick:
          However on my Windows 10 I did not have that option. The only option offered was to burn a DVD.
        • Launch Menu ‣ Accessories ‣ USB Image Writer.
          However I did not have that option either.
          OTOH I did find a USBWriter on (link to:) sourceforge,
          and downloaded to desktop and unzipped.
            • USBWriter is tiny Windows tool that lets you write an image file directly to an USB drive.
            No installation is required. Just save it to your desktop.
            ??Select your USB device and click Write.?? - [have not tried this yet...]
        • (link to:) Download Etcher:
          click: Download for Windows (x86|x64)
          Save setup File to Desktop (about 3min)
          double click to install. Desktop shortcut to balenaEtcher was created
          • Double-click shortcut
          • Click Select image and select your ISO file.
          • Click Select drive and select your USB stick.
          • Click Flash! (about 6 minutes)
          • Your USB drive should now contain a bootable Linux OS
          • This method worked for me

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    • Now proceed with testing and installation:
      go to: dual-boot USB Testing

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