How to install Ubuntu on a laptop with a portable external Hard Drive?

System

OS:Windows 10

Laptop: Lenovo X1 Carbon gen7

Description

I want install Linux Ubuntu on portable external Hard Drive USB 2.0(Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex[500GB]). I have already booted Ubuntu 20.04 from a Usb and clicked try now. My external hard drive is partially filled(50%), I need to keep all files., but I want to safely boot from the external hard drive and not disturb the internal drive or windows, since this is my main computer.

I want the Ubuntu install to be completely separate from my internal drive. Can somebody guide me on how to do this. I have tried looking for tutorials,but I have only found ones for desktop.

2 Answers

Full Install of Ubuntu to External Drive

• Back up Data on external drive.

• Determine Windows 10 boot mode. Type System Information in Windows Start panel. Under "BIOS Mode" it will say if Windows is Legacy or UEFI.

• If UEFI mode unplug your internal drive, or the drive will try to use Windows EFI partition.

• Boot a Ubuntu 20.04 Live USB in the same mode as Windows boot mode. Plug in the External drive.

• Use GParted to reduce the existing External HDD Data partition to make room for Ubuntu. 200GB should be plenty.

• If UEFI mode create a 500MB FaT32 partition.

• Create an ext4 partition in the remaining empty space.

• Click the Install Ubuntu 20.04 LTS icon, Select Language, Keyboard, Wireless, Normal Installation, Install third Party...

• Select Something else.

• Under "Device for boot loader installation" select the external drive. This is important.

• Select the new ext4 partition and click change, Select use as Ext4, Mount point = / then OK. select format this partition,

• If UEFI, select the new FAT32 partition and click change, Select Use as: EFI System Partition then OK. Select format this partition.

• Click Install now. Confirm partitions to be formatted if asked, click continue.

• Select your location.

• Insert your name, computer name, username, password and select if you want to log in automatically or require a password. - Click "Continue".

• After install, if internal drive was unplugged, plug it back in.

• Boot the external drive and run sudo update-grub to add Windows to it's boot menu.

Note:

This drive will only boot in the mode it was created in. If you need to boot both BIOS and UEFI we can modify the instructions.

If it was me, I would use your internal hard drive for the operating systems (Ubuntu 20.04 only needs about 25 gb or more) and use the external for files.