Create bootable USB drives
from GNU/Linux

A free, open source tool to flash .iso images to a USB stick — including Windows installers — without leaving Linux.

Download prufus_installer.zip Build from source

Why prufus

Built for people who repair computers or just want a straightforward way back to Windows when they need it.

🖥️

Native GNU/Linux

No virtual machines or dual booting required. Runs directly on your Linux desktop with GTK.

💾

Handles large images

Splits Windows installation files larger than 4GB automatically to work around the FAT32 limit.

🔓

Open source, GPL 3

Modify it, rename it, or sell it — as long as your changes to the source stay open.

⚡

GUI or terminal

Use the desktop app, or drive it from a script: prufus.sh image.iso /dev/sdb.

🔒

UEFI / GPT only

Targets modern GPT + UEFI setups. No legacy BIOS hacks, no TPM bypasses — ever.

🗂️

Two partitions

Creates an EFI boot partition plus an NTFS data partition with a proper disk label.

See it in action

Pick an .iso, pick a drive, and prufus takes care of the rest.

prufus ready to create a bootable USB — Select an .iso and target drive

prufus writing progress — Writing the bootable USB

Warning: disk operations on GNU/Linux need root privileges — you won't even see your USB drive without sudo, and the GUI will ask for it to format the drive.

Install from source

Dependencies: GTK 4.16.7, make, gcc, rsync, wimlib-imagex, dosfstools, ntfs3g.

Install build dependencies (Ubuntu/Mint):

sudo apt-get install git libgtk-4-dev
sudo apt install wimtools

Clone and build:

git clone https://github.com/oscarpavon/prufus
cd prufus
make

Install the program, launcher, icon and desktop entry:

sudo make install

Launch prufus from your desktop, or run it directly from the terminal:

sudo prufus.sh ./Downloads/Windows.iso /dev/sdb

Create bootable USB drivesfrom GNU/Linux