Previous improvements were reported at
mkusb version 12 ---> 22 ---> 23
Version 12 of the mkusb tool was only bash scripts and version 23 is still a set of bash scripts.
The menus and dialogue windows are graphical using zenity. 
or text based using dialog or even very basic text, if neither zenity nor dialog is available.
dus started as mkusb version 12
dus is a new interface and structure replacing mkusb and mkusb-nox; dus should be easier to use and to maintain. There is a graphical user interface with a desktop file, guidus.
Should work with minimal instructions
guidus is a GUI front-end to dus. It provides a desktop file, that is available via the menu system in many linux flavours or dash in Unity. The graphical mode will be selected automatically for most users (running graphical desktop environments)
Quick start manual version 12 alias dus (old), ../mkUSB-quick-start-manual-12.pdf
Quick start manual version 22- alias dus, https://phillw.net/isos/linux-tools/mkusb/mkUSB-quick-start-manual-22.pdf
Live-only by cloning
mkusb-dus can make live-only drives from all hybrid iso files, and most modern linux distros provide hybrid iso files.
- Hybrid iso files
- All current Ubuntu iso files
- 12.04 iso files except early mini.iso files
- Possible to make into hybrid iso files
- Ubuntu 10.10 and newer desktop iso files
- Examples:
- isohybrid ubuntu-10.10-desktop-i386.iso
- isohybrid ubuntu-11.04-desktop-amd64.iso
- Examples:
- Ubuntu 10.10 and newer desktop iso files
- Impossible to make into hybrid iso files
- Ubuntu 10.04, 10.04.x and older iso files
- But mkusb-dus can make a persistent live drive of Ubuntu 10.04.1 LTS
Persistent live
- Linux distributions, 'distros'
mkusb-dus can only make persistent live drives running in and creating from 'desktop' or 'live' iso files of the following distros
Ubuntu, Ubuntu community flavours and some respins based on Ubuntu
Debian and some respins based on Debian 8 'Jessie' and newer versions
- Versions
- Current versions
mkusb-dus can make persistent live drives in and from current versions of Ubuntu (not versions that have passed end of life)
- Running mkusb-dus in Ubuntu 12.04 (which has passed end of life)
search --set=root --fs-uuid <the-UUID-of-partition-no-4> does not work because the UUID cannot be detected. Instead the old set root=(hd0,4) method is used (in grub.cfg), which works in most cases, but the persistent live drive may fail in some new computers running in UEFI mode. Working persistent live drives can be created with 12.04 itself as well as of the current releases including the developing version.
- Running mkusb-dus in Ubuntu (the current releases including the developing version).
- Persistent live drives made from Ubuntu 12.04.1 LTS do not boot with persistence because the casper-rw partition cannot be overlayed, but they boot live only. (It does not work with the precise kernel.)
- Persistent live drives made from Ubuntu 12.04.5 LTS boot with persistence. (It works with the trusty kernel.)
- Running mkusb-dus in Ubuntu 16.04.1 LTS and newer versions
- Persistent live drives made from Ubuntu 10.04.1 LTS, 12.04.1 LTS and newer versions boot with persistence.
- Current versions
New features
The intention is to continue to maintain the tools belonging to mkusb and to report the progress here for
mkusb-dus: dus: dus-live, dus-persistent, dus-iso2usb, dus-restore, dus-wipe ...
mkusb-plug
mkusb-nox
mkusb-bas: mkusb version 7.4.3 (old)
mkusb-11: mkusb 11.2.2 (old)
- mkusb 23.0.1
dus-iso2usb: increased size of partition for iso file 5G --> 7G because the Lunar Ubuntu Desktop iso file exceeds 5G
- mkusb 23.1.0
- dus-iso2usb: read_params, tweak_grub: check for 'layerfs' in grub in the iso file, when found modify the linux-line to match the boot structure of the new installer in standard Ubuntu 23.04 'Lunar' Desktop iso file.
- mkusb 23.1.1
- dus-persistent: probe_source, grub_n_iso tweak 5: check for 'layerfs' in grub in the iso file, when found modify the linux-line to match the boot structure of the new installer in standard Ubuntu 23.04 'Lunar' Desktop iso file.
- mkusb-nox 23.1.2
- mktst: livedrive from df can list whole nvme device
- mkusb 23.1.2
dus-iso2usb: read_params: minor fix to improve output when target drive size >= 128GB
- mkusb 23.1.3
dus: p_snff & p_sniff: Modifications to show that only mkusb-plug works well to make persistent live drives with Debian 12 (drives by dus-persistent work only in UEFI mode)
- mkusb 23.1.4
dus-persistent: partitioner: if [ "$part_type" == "gpt" ] then use template to avoid mismatch with grub versions > 2.04 (only workaround, new version of grub should be added to mkusb)
- dus: p_sniff: Modification to show that also dus-persistent works well to make persistent live drives with Debian 12
- mkusb 23.1.5
- dus: p_usb_pack_manage: or (not and) condition for updating usb-pack and grub image (fixing old bug)
- mkusb 23.1.6
dus: p_toolsel: "$source ... --> "\"$source\" ... to allow file names with spaces to be transferred to dus-iso2usb
- mkusb 23.2.0
- modications in dus, dus-iso2usb and a new file
- dd_grub-boot-template-for-uefi-n-bios_grub-new.img.xz:
- new template with grub 2.12-rc1 (replacing 2.0.6)
- new grub menuentries:
- 'live-only with toRAM' and
- new memtest86+ v6.20 that works also in UEFI mode
- modications in dus, dus-iso2usb and a new file