How to format a USB drive in Ubuntu

Those of us who are just starting to use Linux-based operating systems have many questions in mind. After spending years immersed in Windows, it is normal to feel a little lost, even when performing simple actions. In this post we will talk about How to format a USB drive in Ubuntu, from the graphical interface and using the Terminal.

Format a USB drive in Windows 10 and 11 is a simple process. And, although it may not seem so, doing it on Ubuntu or other Linux distributions is also simple. You just have to use the right app or enter the right commands.. And the result is the same: the drive will be clean and ready to store files and use in Linux or Windows.

Format a USB drive in Ubuntu

Need? Format a USB drive in UbuntuThis Linux distribution is one of the most used by free software fans. In addition to being very easy to use, it also stands out for receiving frequent updates and having a robust backup. Another advantage is that it has a large number of applications that are easy to download and install.

Now, what you want to do right now is format a USB drive using your Ubuntu computer. To do this, you have several options, the easiest being to use the native tool Disks. On the other hand, if you have some skills with using commands, You can use the terminal to format. A third way is to download an application designed to format drives. Let's get to it.

Using the Disks app

The easiest way to format a USB drive in Ubuntu is by using the Disks utility or application. This application usually comes pre-installed on most Linux distributions. It works very similarly to its Windows equivalent, the Team tool., as it gives you access to all storage drives connected to your computer.

To find the Disks application in Ubuntu, you just have to Open the applications menu and type Disks. Select this utility and a window will open where you will see all the disks and drives that are connected to the computer. If you have not connected the USB drive to be formatted, do so so that it appears in the list in the left column.

Choose the format type for the USB drive

Then, Select the USB drive you want to format. You will see that on the right side of the window all the information about the disk appears: Model, Serial Number, size, occupied space, partition type, etc. You will also see a gear-shaped button that gives access to additional partition options. Click on it to bring up a floating menu.

In the floating menu, select the Format Partition option. A new window will open with the options to format a USB drive in Ubuntu. You can assign a new name to the drive and choose the format type:

• Internal disk for use with Linux systems only (Ext4)
• For use with Windows (NFTS)
• For use with all systems and devices (FAT)
• Other: Indicates advanced custom formatting options.

Generally, FAT format is preferred due to its compatibility with Linux, Windows and other devices. You can choose this type of format and click Next. The next window will display a warning that all data on the drive will be erased. If you agree, click Format and it will be done in a few seconds.

From the Command Terminal

Another method to format a USB drive in Ubuntu is via command terminalAs you probably already know, this tool allows you to interact with the system through written commands. It is used very frequently in Linux distributions, so it is worth testing your performance with it by performing a simple task. Formatting a USB drive is a good exercise.

To open the command terminal, just press the keys Alt+Ctrl + T, or search for terminal in the applications menu if you use Gnome. Once the terminal is open, type the command df to view the list of media and disks connected to your computer. You can identify the USB drive in the list by its name or its storage capacity.

Unmount and format the USB drive

The next step is to unmount the USB drive so that you can then format it. The command you need to enter to unmount is $ sudo umount /dev/sdb1. Don't forget to replace sdb1 by the label that the USB drive receives in the command terminal.

In this point, You can now format a USB drive in Ubuntu using the mkfs command. Along with this command, you need to specify the format type parameter. As we said above, the NFTS or FAT file type is usually recommended because they are compatible with different devices. Depending on the one you choose, you can write it like this, always replacing sdb1 with the label of your drive:

• sudo mkfs.ntfs /dev/sdb1 for the NTFS file system.
• sudo mkfs.vfat /dev/sdb1 for vFAT file system.
• sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdb1 for the EXT4 file system.

Once the command is executed, the formatting process will begin and may take a while. When it is done, you can Safely eject the drive using the command sudo eject /dev/sdb. This way you will have formatted your USB drive from the command terminal in Ubuntu.

Format a USB drive in Ubuntu with GParted

A third way to format a USB drive in Ubuntu is using the GParted application. For download it, you can run the command sudo apt-get install gparted in the command terminal. Or you can search for it in the software store you use on your Ubuntu computer.

After you install GParted, find it in the app drawer and open it. This tool is very intuitive and easy to use.. On the right you will see a drop-down tab where you can select the USB drive you want to format. Once it appears in the list, right-click on the drive and select the Unmount option.

Once the application has unmounted the drive, it is time to format it. To do this, Right click on the drive and choose Format As. Choose the file system you want to use on the USB drive and click Format. One of the advantages of this app is that it offers various file system options for formatting a USB drive in Ubuntu.