This quick guide walks you through getting WoeUSB on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS so you can build bootable Windows installers without leaving the Linux environment. It starts by removing any previous installation, adding Tomas Pinto’s official PPA, and refreshing the package list to make sure the latest metadata is available. After installing woeusb along with its required libraries like libfuse2, you can confirm the binary works with a simple version check before moving on to creating the USB drive using either the graphical frontend or a command‑line invocation that writes directly to the raw device. If driver errors pop up after kernel updates, installing libfuse2 again usually fixes them, and for users on very recent kernels there is also an alternative fork called WoeUSB‑ng that addresses UEFI quirks not yet in the default Ubuntu repositories.

Install WoeUSB on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS – Build a Windows USB from Linux

In this quick guide you’ll learn how to get WoeUSB running on the latest LTS so you can create bootable Windows installers without leaving your favorite distro.

Clean out any old copy first

sudo apt remove woeusb

If you’ve tried an older version before, remnants of it can trip up the install. Removing it clears the way for a fresh start and makes sure you’re not fighting against stale libraries.

Add the official WoeUSB PPA

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:tomaspinto/woeusb

I’ve seen people hit “package not found” errors on 22.04 because they went straight to sudo apt install woeusb and it didn’t exist in the default repos. The PPA keeps the package updated for newer Ubuntu releases.

Update your package list

sudo apt update

Updating pulls the latest metadata from the new repository, ensuring that when you ask to install WoeUSB the system knows exactly where to grab it from.

Install WoeUSB (plus its dependencies)

sudo apt install woeusb

When I ran this on a fresh 22.04 install, the process pulled in libfuse2, python3‑setuptools, and a handful of build tools automatically. Those libraries are what let WoeUSB write raw USB devices instead of just mounting them.

(Optional) Verify the binary works

woeusb --version

If you see something like WoeUSB 3.x, you’re good to go. If not, double‑check that the PPA was added correctly and that you didn’t miss a step.

Create your bootable Windows USB

You can use either the GUI or the CLI. The GUI is handy if you want a quick drag‑and‑drop:

sudo woeusb-frontend-wxgtk

Or, from the terminal (replace windows.iso and /dev/sdX with your ISO file and target USB device):

sudo woeusb --device windows.iso /dev/sdX

Why specify the raw device? Because WoeUSB has to write partition tables directly; using a mounted path like /media/usb would just copy files, not make the drive bootable.

What if you hit “invalid or missing driver”?

I’ve seen users running into that after a recent kernel update. The fix is usually to install the libfuse2 package separately:

sudo apt install libfuse2

Then try step 6 again.

A word on the new WoeUSB‑ng

If you’re on a very recent kernel and still get odd behavior, consider switching to woeusb-ng. It’s a fork that fixes many UEFI quirks but isn’t available in the default Ubuntu repos yet. For most 22.04 users, the original package is solid enough.

That’s all there is to it. Grab your Windows ISO, plug in a USB stick, and you’ll have a bootable installer faster than you can say “update drivers.” Happy hacking!