So I have a hosed Ubuntu box and want to recover some files.

Created a Ubuntu 22 flash drive with the persistent option. Booted off of it. The first option was "try or install".
It's asking me to install things, pointing to storage devices.
I don't want to install anything. Or overwrite anything.
I just want to boot to a prompt with the new flash drive.

Where is the "try it" option?

It's going into the "Selecting continue will begin the installation process and result in the loss of data on the disks selected to be formatted".
This is exactly what I don't want.

Are you sure you downloaded a "live" ISO, where'd you get it from?
I tried searching live Ubuntu and found this: https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/try-ubu...etting-started hope it helps.

It kicking into the installation and the flash drive is not visible in the choice of disks.
I want to install on the flash without affecting the disk that's already there.

I chose the "persistent" option when I made the bootable flash using rufus.

I used this one. I thought the live option was available in it.

https://ubuntu.com/download/server

I will try the link above.

So there it is, I had to download install Ubuntu Desktop. The server version has no live boot option.

Learn something new every day. I wish they would articulate that on the site.

1 members found this post helpful.

Most of the usb creators make a working drive that is live. ??

While a server could be live; I'd think it's a pretty specific thing, at least the first one says:maybe the "server, Alternative releases" can?

The Ubuntu 'server' edition does not have a graphical user interface so that is probably not what you want. Yes, it doesn't state specifically that it is not a live image you can try. On the server download page it says "USB or DVD image based physical install" so it is only an installation iso.