installing and using multiple linux distros on usb stick

[v1nsai]

I've been going through guides and whatnot trying to get my 8gb usb stick set up how I want it, here's what I've got so far:


Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 1 305 2449881 b W95 FAT32
/dev/sdb2 306 342 297202+ 6 FAT16
/dev/sdb3 343 586 1959930 5 Extended
/dev/sdb4 587 974 3116610 b W95 FAT32
/dev/sdb5 343 465 987966 b W95 FAT32
/dev/sdb6 466 586 971901 b W95 FAT32

Here's how I want to use them:

sdb1 - has windows programs and extra space. It's in the first position so Windows can see it.

sdb2 - Damn Small Linux, for working with old crappy systems

sdb3 - Extended partition
sdb5 - Ultimate Boot Disk (Windows)
sdb6 - Fedora 10

sdb4 - Ubuntu 9.04 ;)

I've gotten it partitioned properly and have been installing the distros using unetbootin in windows (anyone know of another one that actually works??) so my question is about setting up grub. I've been looking around and everything I find requires access to the /boot/grub/menu.lst but since I've essentially installed a livecd I don't have access to the filesystem until I have actually booted into it. I've been at this for quite some time, but I'm pretty stumped. Help appreciated :\

[v1nsai]

Got ubuntu to boot from one of my partitions (taking the time to make a boot cd and using the liveusb creator is the only utility I have used that just f*cking WORKED. Excuse my enthusiasm.) It didn't help as much as I thought it might though, the /boot folder only contains some files I'm not familiar with, no grub/menu.lst or anything similar, so I'm still pretty lost on how to set up menu.lst (can someone confirm that once I get menu.lst set up I just grub> setup (drive,partition) to install it to mbr of flash drive right?)

**edit: I found 'info grub'! For anyone who would like to learn grub themselves, 'sudo apt-get install grub-doc(s?)' will install the real grub man pages. Armed with this I have learned grub pretty quickly. I found initrd and vmlinuz files on /Casper of my ubuntu partition, and gotten it installed to my mbr. I'm still not able to get it to boot but wanted to provide help for anyone else who might have a similar problem, since no one is going to help me /shrug. I'd still appreciate some help with menu.lst but not too worried about it, I'll figure it out with a little guesswork ;)

[v1nsai]

Sorry for another bump, but nothing I have tried has worked. I'm trying to get this running for work tomorrow, I'm a mobile computer tech and it'd be amazing to have all my tools with me on one flash drive :guitar:

Can anyone suggest anything? Is it even possible to boot what is essentially a live cd like this? Ubuntu 9.04 can install itself to a flash drive but its a 4.4 gb install, my live cd is only taking ~700 mb. Where can I find the files that I need since the filesystem is only accessible from inside the livecd?

[v1nsai]

Well, I found a great boot menu called sbm, it installs through windows or linux to the mbr then boots and allows you to select from any of the partitions on your disk that it automatically detects :guitar:

Buuuuuuutttt when I try to boot ubuntu with it, I get to the live cd menu, I select try ubuntu blah blah blah and after the splash screen I get sent to busybox, it says that IO APIC resources could not be allocated. Been researching it but everything I have found suggest that the BIOS or motherboard are at fault, but it boots properly without the sbm booter so I know it isn't that. Bah.

[travelinrob]

Did you get any further with this? I would like to do the same type of configuration. I've been searching and haven't found any definitive instructions.

Rob

[Diego Garcia Mendoza]

Yeah i'm tying to do the same, i'll start some test and tell you about any advance... I don't wanna buy/carry 10 USB for my distros and utils :(

[C.S.Cameron]

Well Nimblex is a small, (200mb), distro that comes with Vbox.
You should be able to run just about any iso file you choose.
Only I'm not sure if you can use virtual tools to fix something on another drive.

[oldfred]

I have seen several ways. Grub will boot some ISO directly if they are set up for it. I have several ISO directly booting on my USB.
Also there is nothing preventing your USB from being another multiboot drive. This will be my next test.

How to install ubuntu on USB drive and carry entire computing system in pocket?
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=789528
With details on some of the ccaveats, std install.
http://www.ubuntugeek.com/a-much-easier-way-to-install-ubuntu-on-a-usb-device-stick-or-hd.html
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/FromUSBStick

http://www.pendrivelinux.com/
http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

MultiBoot USB with Grub2 (boot directly from iso files)
http://www.panticz.de/MultiBootUSB

http://members.iinet.net/~herman546/p20/GRUB2%20Bash%20Commands.html#GRUB_USB
HOWTO: Booting LiveCD ISOs from USB flash drive with Grub2
http://ubuntu-ky.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1288604
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http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showthread.php?t=217113