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Most Linux-distributions, amongst them Ubuntu comes with the LiveCD-feature, this is a CD that gives you the possibility to try out the operating system without doing something to your previous install.

But you can also get a LiveUSB, in this way you use a USB flash drive, this gives a lot of advantages:

• You do not need to worry about failed CD-recordings
• No need to trow away the CD when the distributions gets old
• Its cheaper, see previous point
• If it is a old version it is easy to update it so it always contains the current version
• You can use it on computers without CD-rom, for example Asus Eee and other netbooks
• Easier to put in a pocket if you need to fix somebody elses computer

Requierments:

• Computer with broadbandaccess
• To follow this guide you need Linux, but it shouldn't be to dificult to find the correct guide for other operating systems
• USB flash drive with at least 1GB free space

This guide does not tell you how to make a fancy LiveUSB that remembers your settings from time to time, this is a plain and simple LiveUSB that you can use to test the distribution and possibly install it.

This is how you do it:
Download the image-file (the file containing the LiveCD/USB and install files) from Ubuntu.com, or one of the partnersites, and put the file in your home folder.
Insert the flashdrive you want to use, but if you need to format it you can use gParted that you can install by typing this in the terminal:

When this is completed it is wise to see where the flash drive is mounted on the system, you can see this in gParted, normally it is something like sdc1 or sdb1.Now, open the terminal and copy/paste the following:

Insert the correct values where it says ubuntu-xxxx-something-something with the name of the image-file you download and /dev/sdX1 with the mount location of the flashdrive.
It might give some errormessages but it is the finalmessage that is important
^{The howto is fetched from Installation/FromUSBStick}