Ventoy turns a single USB drive into a reusable boot launcher. Instead of re-flashing a drive every time you want to install a different operating system, you install Ventoy on the drive once, and after that you simply drag ISO files onto it. Need to boot Linux Mint today and a diagnostic tool next month? Same drive, no re-flashing.
What You'll Need:
- A USB flash drive, 8 GB or larger (this will be erased)
- A working Windows, Mac, or Linux computer to prepare the drive
- The laptop you're converting (just needs to be nearby for later)
Think of Ventoy like a repeater for ISO files — set it up once, and it'll relay any distro you throw at it.
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Steps:
- Download the Ventoy package for your current operating system (Windows or Linux)
- Unzip the download and plug in the USB drive you want to use
- Run Ventoy2Disk (Windows) or VentoyGUI (Linux)
- Select your USB drive from the list and click Install
- Confirm the warning that the drive will be erased — this is expected
- Wait for the "Success" message — Ventoy is now installed on the drive
This only needs to be done once per USB drive. From here forward, you just copy ISO files onto it like a regular flash drive.
Steps:
- Visit the official Linux Mint download page
- Choose the Cinnamon edition for most laptops (or XFCE for laptops older than ~10 years or with 4 GB RAM or less)
- Pick a download mirror close to you and download the .iso file
Mint's download page loads about as fast as 20 meters opens on a good morning — instant, no propagation required.
The .iso file is a few gigabytes — if your club's internet is faster than the member downloading it at home, consider grabbing it at the next meeting on the club Wi-Fi.
- Plug the Ventoy USB drive into your computer
- Open the drive — it will appear as a normal USB drive named Ventoy
- Drag and drop the Linux Mint .iso file onto the drive
- Wait for the copy to finish, then safely eject the drive
That's it — no special flashing tool needed. Ventoy reads ISO files directly off the drive at boot time.
Every laptop brand uses a different key to enter the BIOS/UEFI setup menu. Plug in the Ventoy USB drive first, restart the laptop, and start tapping the key for your brand immediately after powering on.
Finding the right BIOS key is a lot like finding a clear frequency on 40 meters at night — expect to try a few before you land on the right one.
Tap F12 repeatedly at power-on for the One-Time Boot Menu, then select the USB drive.
If F12 doesn't work, try F2 to enter Setup, then find the Boot Order/Sequence tab.
Tap Esc repeatedly at power-on to open the Startup Menu, then press F9 for Boot Options and select the USB drive.
Tap F12 repeatedly at power-on for the Boot Menu (older ThinkPads sometimes use the small Novo button near the power button instead).
Tap F12 (Acer) or F12 / F2 (Toshiba) repeatedly at power-on for the Boot Menu.
Tap Esc or F8 repeatedly at power-on for the Boot Menu.
If You Don't See the USB Drive Listed:
- Enter the full BIOS/UEFI setup and look for a "Secure Boot" option — try disabling it
- Look for "Legacy Boot" or "CSM" and try enabling it
- Confirm the USB drive is plugged directly into the laptop, not through a hub
Booting from the USB drive opens a "live session" — a temporary desktop you can explore, logged in automatically. Nothing you do here is saved permanently until you run the installer. Double-click Install Linux Mint on that desktop, then work through these screens in order:
Select Your Language
Sets the language for the rest of the installer.
Connect to the Internet
Pick your Wi-Fi network and enter the password, or plug in an Ethernet cable (it connects automatically).
Install Multimedia Codecs
Only shown if you're connected to the internet — tick this box so MP3s, DVDs, and other common formats work right away.
☑ Install multimedia codecs → Continue
Choose an Installation Type
For most club conversions, wipe the drive for a clean shack computer:
Erase disk and install Linux Mint → Install Now → Continue
Want Windows to stay too? See the dual-boot note below.
Select Your Timezone
Click your location on the map, or type your city.
Select Your Keyboard Layout
Almost always "English (US)" unless your laptop shipped elsewhere.
Enter Your User Details
- Your name can be anything — it only shows on the login screen
- Username and computer name: lowercase letters only, no spaces or punctuation
- Optional: tick "Encrypt my home folder" to protect your data if the laptop is lost or stolen
- Choose a strong password
Let It Install
A slideshow plays while Mint copies itself onto the drive.
Good time for a coffee, or to argue about band conditions.
Restart
When the installer finishes, click Restart Now.
Restart Now
Remove the USB Drive
The computer will prompt you to remove the drive before it finishes shutting down. Do so, then press Enter — your new Linux Mint desktop should start.
⚠ About Full-Disk Encryption
The installer may offer to encrypt the entire drive. At that point in the install, your keyboard layout hasn't been set yet, so it defaults to US English — keep that in mind if you type a password with any special characters. There are also known issues with this option on some NVIDIA graphics drivers. If you're newer to Linux, the "Encrypt my home folder" option in Step 7 above is the simpler, safer choice.
Step 4's Installation Type screen also offers a "Something else" option that lets you manually create and assign partitions instead of using the guided choices above. This is a semi-advanced path meant for people who already know what they want their partition layout to look like — it isn't necessary for a typical club laptop conversion, so we won't walk through it here. If you want to go this route, the official installation guide covers it in full:
Want to keep Windows alongside Mint instead of erasing the drive? Choose "Install Linux Mint alongside Windows" on the Installation Type screen instead — but if you're setting this up from scratch, install Windows first. The official Multi-boot Guide covers the full walkthrough.
Do These First:
- Open "Update Manager" and install all available updates — look for the shield icon in the bottom-right system tray; a colored badge on it means updates are waiting
- Open "Driver Manager" and install any additional drivers it detects (Wi-Fi chipsets especially)
- Settings → Power Management → set "Lid close" to "Do nothing" if you'll run this as a shack computer with the lid shut
- Settings → Screensaver → this one's a personal call: disable automatic screen lock if you'd rather not type a password every time you sit back down at home, or leave it on if you'd like the extra security. Your laptop, your preference
Prefer the terminal to check for updates instead of the Update Manager window? This does the same thing:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade
For Laptops With 4 GB RAM or Less:
- Use the XFCE edition of Mint instead of Cinnamon if you haven't already
- Add or increase swap space via "Disks" or the Update Manager's driver tool if the system feels sluggish under WSJT-X + a logger running together
Housekeeping Tip: Move the Panel
Want your taskbar somewhere else — top of the screen, a different edge? Right-click the panel and choose "Panel Edit mode", then drag the panel to any edge of the screen you like. Right-click again and choose "Leave Panel Edit mode" to lock it back in place.
Protect Your Install
Two small habits now can save a full reinstall later.
Set Up Timeshift (System Snapshots)
Timeshift takes a snapshot of the operating system so you can roll back if an update ever breaks something. Open Timeshift from the menu and work through its setup wizard:
- Snapshot Type — choose RSYNC (correct for Mint's default file system)
- Snapshot Location — select your main system partition unless you have a second drive
- Schedule — enable only Daily (keep 2) and Weekly (keep 1) — leave Hourly, Monthly, and Boot unchecked
- Users — leave this tab alone; Timeshift protects the operating system, not your personal files
- Click through to Finish, then click Create once to take your first snapshot right now
Timeshift only protects the operating system, not your personal files — and keeping too many snapshots can quietly eat up a lot of space on an older hard drive. Back up your own photos, logs, and documents separately, once a week, to a thumb drive or SD card.
Enable the Firewall
Open "Firewall Configuration" from the menu (or run sudo ufw enable
from a terminal) so incoming connections are blocked by default.
These are all free, open-source, and run natively on Linux Mint. Open a terminal (search for "Terminal" in the menu) and paste the install command under each app.
WSJT-X
The standard for FT8, FT4, and JT65 weak-signal digital work. If you do nothing else on this list, install this one.
sudo apt update && sudo apt install wsjtx
GridTracker
Pairs with WSJT-X to plot every contact live on a map by grid square — a great way to hook a new operator on FT8.
chmod +x GridTracker*.AppImage
./GridTracker*.AppImage
Download the AppImage first from gridtracker.org.
FT8: proof that you can complete a full QSO without ever actually talking to anyone — the ultimate mode for hams who married introverts.
HAMRS
Clean, simple general-purpose logging with QRZ lookup and export to LoTW and eQSL.
Download the .deb from hamrs.app, then double-click to install, or:
sudo apt install ./hamrs*.deb
Not1MM
A Linux-native contest logger built to feel familiar to N1MM+ users — supports 45+ contests, CAT control, and a bandmap.
sudo apt install -y pipx libportaudio2 libxcb-cursor0
pipx ensurepath
# log out and back in, then:
pipx install not1mm
A good logging program is a lot like a good spouse — it remembers every contact you made, and never lets you forget the one you almost worked.
fldigi
The classic suite for PSK31, RTTY, Olivia, and dozens of other digital modes.
sudo apt install fldigi
flrig
Rig-control companion for fldigi — lets your radio and software talk to each other over CAT.
sudo apt install flrig
CHIRP
Programs HTs and mobile radios from dozens of manufacturers — huge time-saver over programming channels by hand.
sudo snap install chirp-snap
sudo snap alias chirp-snap chirp
Graywolf
A modern all-in-one APRS station — software modem, digipeater, iGate, and a browser-based dashboard, no config files to hand-edit.
Download the .deb from the project's GitHub releases page, then:
sudo apt install ./graywolf*.deb
Nothing pairs better with a slow FT8 QSO than a folding chair, a park bench, and a POTA reference number — this rig works just as well at a picnic table as it does in the shack.
Speaking of getting out and operating: K4C keys up every August for the Battle of Camden, and K4H answers every April for the Battle of Hobkirk's Hill — good reason to have this laptop shack-ready before then.