I have a Windows Laptop and a Macbook Air. I would like to install Ubuntu on a SD card. Can I boot the OS from the same SD Card to either laptop? Can all the settings/programs be saved on the card as long as it is big enough?
Thanks
Hi Graham,
The first question we need to ask is whether both laptops can easily boot from SD card? Not all laptops support this feature. There is a way to circumvent the lack of BIOS’s SD card boot option by using another external USB drive or internal hard-drive to contain the /boot partition however this might defeat the purpose of having SD card Ubuntu installation.
In case both of your laptops can boot from SD card the installation of Ubuntu should not require any special treatment as you should be able to simply install Ubuntu on your SD card using the normal installation Ubuntu process while selecting your SD card as a destination hard drive.
Another alternative:
I understand that in your question you asked for the SD card solution however you might make your life simpler if instead of SD card you perform the Ubuntu Linux installation USB stick. For example you might consider our How to create a Persistent Ubuntu USB stick using mkusb tool guide to install Ubuntu on USB stick with persistent mode. Persistent mode means that the USB stick with the Ubuntu installation will retain any data or settings after reboot. The USB stick should also easily boot on laptop which supports BIOS USB boot option.
Hope this helps
Lubos