MultiBootUSB - Install and boot multiple Linux from Pendrive / Flash drive / USB disk

[nooby]

Wow that was impressive.

I found something similar here Install Ubuntu from iso using Grub4Dos
http://agnipulse.com/2011/08/install-ubuntu-hard-disk/

Not exactly the same but helpful never the less.

One can use a variation of that code to "Live" boot every ubuntu distro
and a Linux Mint that is based on Ubuntu but not any of the Debian varieties works good. Some boot some dont.


title lubuntu 11.10 desktop version
find --set-root --ignore-floppies --ignore-cd /lubuntu-10.10.iso
kernel /lubuntu/casper/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper iso-scan/filename=/lubuntu-10.10.iso kmap=se LANG=sv_SE.UTF-8 keymap=sv-latin1 noeject noprompt quiet splash --
initrd /lubuntu/casper/initrd.lz

title Netrunner 2011 frugal iso boot of netrunner-3.2.iso
find --set-root --ignore-floppies --ignore-cd /netrunner-3.2.iso
kernel /netrunner/casper/vmlinuz rw file=/cdrom/preseed/netrunner.seed boot=casper iso-scan/filename=/netrunner-3.2.iso noeject noprompt quiet splash --
initrd /netrunner/casper/initrd.lz


compare with the code he gave. My simple version worked for me.
One need to put the casper and preseed directories on / on the hdd.
But that hdd can be a Ms Win7 or any other of that kind. So a good
way for a noob who have a Net book without CD and have no USB to boot from
then one can get a fast version of how all ubuntu's compare. One can add as many Ubuntu as one want only need to put them in their own directories like in my example.

[deckoff]

I dont know if the OS is the one responsible for the tool, but I will share my thoughts - My desktop will only boots usbs that are formatted to boot MS-DOS. Then the pc lists the pendrive as hard-drive and boots OK.
If the pendrive is prepared in any other way( unetbootin, Ubuntu live usb, Multiboot, etc) the pendrive will report "boot error" or if GRUB is installed, the sisytem will declare the USB not bootable.
So, I kindly ask for Grub4DOS version of this tool or at least for a way to boot off a multibootUSB out of USB-DOS booted machine.
The method described above me will work for ubuntu and family, but I cant figure out how to boot OpenSUSE ( have not tried with fedora and others anyway)

[sundar_ima]

Have you tried windows version of MultiBootUSB. Windows version uses Syslinux as boot manager and known for supporting FAT file system. Link is here sourceforge.net/projects/multibootusb/files/Windows/

I have tested MultiBootUSB (Linux/Windows) on many machines and did not encountered any issue with booting.

My desktop will only boots usbs that are formatted to boot MS-DOS

Did you format your pendrive with FAT filesystem or NTFS? I am not sure about NTFS but you should not have any issue with FAT filesystem.

Could you explain method followed in making MultiBootUSB step by step? This would help in troubleshooting and also the output of terminal (if you used MultiBootUSB (linux))

[deckoff]

Did you format your pendrive with FAT filesystem or NTFS? I am not sure about NTFS but you should not have any issue with FAT filesystem.

Could you explain method followed in making MultiBootUSB step by step? This would help in troubleshooting and also the output of terminal (if you used MultiBootUSB (linux))

1) I have not tried the Windows version, i will.
2) I do think the BIOS is to blame - the same USB will work on at least 4 other different PCs without any issues. Since the usb works on all but one pc ok, I assume I do things right
3) On the other hand, as I said not only multibootUSB, but Unetbootin and ubuntu Live usB creator will fail to boot.("boot error" - that is the whole error message) When I do clean install of GRUB2 on the usb, the BIOS will state the usb is not bootable (although it will then again boot OK on other PCs)
4) I would be happy to know how the boot process of this tool works, I think chainloading my multibootUSB flash with another one, using grub4dos(0.4.4) might solve my issue.
I have tried with this entries:

title Boot form HD0
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/grub/core.img
savedefault
boot

title Boot form HD1
root (hd1,0)
kernel /boot/grub/core.img
savedefault
boot 


title Boot form HD2
root (hd2,0)
kernel /boot/grub/core.img
savedefault
boot

but i receive error that file is not existent( even though the drive is found).
So, more info on the method used to boot (grub, grub2, syslinux etc)

I confused this tool with MultiSystemUSB! i will try and report...

[deckoff]

1.1) OpenSUSE fails to boot when trying it from MultibootUSB.
Since Xubuntu loads OK, I presume there are some changes in latest ISO
1.2)Linux Mint 12 new iso is not recognized as a distro
2) Creating DOS-usb which is able to execute grub4dos, and then chainloading GRUB2 off grub4dos boots this USB OK.
I use tthis entry:

title Boot MultiBOOT LinuxUSB
find --set-root /boot/bootme.tag
kernel /boot/grub/core.img
savedefault
boot

for this to work, NON-empty (random text is OK) file, named bootme.tag, should be added in /boot/ of the MultiBOOTUSB USB. NOT IN THE DOS USB

[saana]

I tried latest MultiBootUSB by first creating a FAT32 partition on USB memory stick and executing MultiBootUSB.sh. Then I selected to manually add Debian live image

http://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/...6-standard.iso

to it. Apart from a few rm error messages and cp overwrite question, installation went fine.

Then I booted my PC from the USB memory stick and chose from grub menu to install Debian Live image. That failed with lots of "device for boot... isofrom not found /dev/disk/by-uuid/Debian/...". The final error message was "Unable to find a medium containing a life file system".

It is so that the above mentioned Debian live image is not supported by MultiBootUSB or what was it that I did wrong?

[s0n0fagun]

Thanks for the script. Even though I had issues, I saw what you did and made modifications. Ubuntu 11.10 works, however Linux Mint 12 and Sabayon 8 did not work. Looking into the functions script, I noticed it is chained copy of all the allowed distributions. After locating Linux Mint 11, copied the entries into Linux Mint 12 and it worked. Sabayon 8 (could be my ISO is special or because it is Gnome built) placed the label in the info.txt(something *.txt) instead of the standard grub.conf. Repeated the process of copy and paste. Then it worked like a charm. After the reboot though, I had duplicate entries so I had to reboot and fix the list. Now if someone can tell me how to manipulate this script to include Windows 7 iso, I would be grateful. I read though the iso needs to be the first entry in the boot sector but who knows? I am not good at that stuff.

By the way, why do you only support the 32bit version of Arch? I only see the 64 and the 686.

It is so that the above mentioned Debian live image is not supported by MultiBootUSB or what was it that I did wrong?

As I described, you might need to do some hackery to get it to work. I suspect it cannot find the label in your Debian ISO so the script actually fails to copy the iso to your flash drive. Instead you are left with an empty bootable pen drive that does not point to the iso.

[cocoa117]

I have used the version 4.7 which is latest, and it does not show ISO image I added in the second and third time when it ask to add more images.

[cocoa117]

I just realised the problem, it seems MultiBootUSB doesn't do well with ubuntu alternate installation CD, the linux kernel image is located in /install folder rather then /casper folder.

In addition, the Ubuntu alternate installation CD still suffer from "Incorrect CD-ROM detected" error, even with the method of cdrom-detect/try-usb=true

Anyway to fix the above bug? Maybe I can learn to write a patch, so others can benefit from it.

[koegs]

I just realised the problem, it seems MultiBootUSB doesn't do well with ubuntu alternate installation CD, the linux kernel image is located in /install folder rather then /casper folder.

In addition, the Ubuntu alternate installation CD still suffer from "Incorrect CD-ROM detected" error, even with the method of cdrom-detect/try-usb=true

Anyway to fix the above bug? Maybe I can learn to write a patch, so others can benefit from it.

Any update on that topic?

I am trying to use several ISOs with manual editing of grub.cfg but still not luck with the alternate cd, all other isos are working:

menuentry "Xubuntu 11.10 Alternate AMD64" { 	loopback loop /iso/xubuntu-11.10-alternate-amd64.iso 	linux (loop)/install/vmlinuz cdrom-detect/try-usb=true file=/cdrom/preseed/xubuntu.seed boot=casper iso-scan/filename=/iso/xubuntu-11.10-alternate-amd64.iso noeject noprompt -- 	initrd (loop)/install/initrd.gz }