Simplest and non-disruptive way to boot on Ubuntu with a USB key ?

Hi,

What would be the simplest and less disruptive way to be able to boot on Ubuntu with a USB key on the GPD Pocket?

I most often need to use it on Windows mode but in some rare occasions I need it to run natively on Linux and I would neither want to create a complex and maybe problematic dual-boot installation nor take space in my internal drive which I already find quite limiting at 128GB.

What would be a method of doing this boot through a USB Key without modifying the boot loader of the internal drive and without taking any risk to corrupt my Windows OS or stay stuck not being able to boot.

Would just setting priority to booting from USB on the BIOS let me do that? If yes, how can I install the Ubuntu firmware provided by GPD on a bootable USB key?

Thanks.

For now here are my findings :

- Created a Linux Live disk with persistent session using the resin .ISO files available for GPD pocket

- Disabled Fast Boot on the BIOS

- Inserted the flashed disk containing the Linux distro

- Used Fn-F7 to bring the BIOS boot manager

- Choose the UEFI partition corresponding to my Linux disk.

Current limitations :

- Limited personalisation / usage of the Live OS based Linux installation

- Limited OS upgradability.

For now I have failed to create a real installation to a disk from a respun Live ISO (looks like a storage issue I had on the target) so if I achieve this, I'll update here.

If someone has an easy method to perform a full and independent installation of one of the Linux distros respun for the GPD that doesn't break the Windows boot loader of the GPD, your advise is more than Welcome.

Here is the way I accomplished this:

- Created a Linux Live disk with persistent session using the resin .ISO files available for GPD pocket

- Disabled Fast Boot on the BIOS

- Inserted the flashed disk containing the Linux distro

- Used Fn-F7 to bring the BIOS boot manager

- Choose the UEFI partition corresponding to my Linux disk.

- Inserted the target device (USB-Key) for installation of the OS

- Launched the installer

- When on the target partition wizard screens : created a root partition on my target USB device and chose it as well as target for the boot loader. This step is important, also check which devices are checked as to be formatted so as to make sure none of the devices related to the internal eMMC are part of these.

- Once installation is finished, use the same procedure as first steps to boot on the USB device.

Known issues:

- You have to use one of those .isos respun for the GPD Pocket in order to avoid problems

- You might need to manually rotate the desktop of the Linux even when using those respun distros

- There is a bug with small text display on GNOME UI related to the screen ratio, so you may have to change the display resolution or text size of GNOME UI.

Here is the way I accomplished this:

- Created a Linux Live disk with persistent session using the resin .ISO files available for GPD pocket

- Disabled Fast Boot on the BIOS

- Inserted the flashed disk containing the Linux distro

- Used Fn-F7 to bring the BIOS boot manager

- Choose the UEFI partition corresponding to my Linux disk.

- Inserted the target device (USB-Key) for installation of the OS

- Launched the installer

- When on the target partition wizard screens : created a root partition on my target USB device and chose it as well as target for the boot loader. This step is important, also check which devices are checked as to be formatted so as to make sure none of the devices related to the internal eMMC are part of these.

- Once installation is finished, use the same procedure as first steps to boot on the USB device.

Known issues:

- You have to use one of those .isos respun for the GPD Pocket in order to avoid problems

- You might need to manually rotate the desktop of the Linux even when using those respun distros

- There is a bug with small text display on GNOME UI related to the screen ratio, so you may have to change the display resolution or text size of GNOME UI.