If you are already running Ubuntu, and you don't like the
update-manager option, Ubuntu has the capability to make USB startup
disks built in.  There is an application called Startup Disk Creator
installed by default that you can just point at another Ubuntu .iso
file and at a USB device that you don't mind wiping the filesystem on,
and it makes it for you.  It usually works fine with newer versions of
Ubuntu than what you are currently running.  I have used it many
times.
- Justin

On Wed, Dec 11, 2013 at 9:40 AM, gregrwm <tclug1 at whitleymott.net> wrote:
> and there's always netboot.  just download and boot the netboot linux&initrd
> pair.  easy.  the netboot installer is a tad annoying in that the questions
> it asks are dispersed amidst the long waits of the installation process.
> but it works just fine.
>
> another trick i use with netboot:  install a minimal system, ie no *-desktop
> or other major software.  keep it somewhere, tar it up if you like.  later,
> just use it again for a new release by merely changing /etc/lsb-release
> (followed by apt-get update and apt-get --auto-remove dist-upgrade).  this
> has never failed me, whereas the same trick is far more likely to fail if
> scads of packages are installed.  (then apt-get install your favorite
> *-desktop or whatever)
>
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