Set up Ubuntu Server 16.0.4 on a storage device and prepare it for booting.
Set up Ubuntu Server 16.0.4 on a storage device and prepare it for booting.
You can install Ubuntu Server 16.0.4 on a separate hard drive without using your Mac’s internal drive. You can also connect that drive to another Windows machine and boot from it directly. No need to extract your desktop or perform a full installation on the original drive.
The way you're speaking suggests you might be using an external HD setup. Ubuntu can definitely be installed and run from a USB drive, though performance may vary based on the connection type—USB 2.0 will likely cause slower speeds.
Sure, I can try running it from a USB with persistence, but I wasn’t aiming for that since the performance problems were a concern. I was planning to... Set up Ubuntu Server on a hard disk using my Mac, connect the drive to my PC, and run it in headless mode so I could SSH in and install things.
Essentially you're thinking of using it as a standalone server without any connections. I'm not sure if Ubuntu will function well after moving between systems, but if you set it up on a desktop with OpenSSH installed, tools like Putty can let you access it remotely as long as network settings are correct. I run Minecraft servers and have experience transferring terminal sessions from one PC to another. The only alternative might be using a KVM switch if things become too complex with programs and installations.