possibility to create multiple distro live usb?

[supermooshman]

a thing I've been wondering for quite a while now,

Since from time to time I succeed in converting someone to linux, they mostly ask me what the best distro is. Even though this is a sensitive topic (less than the whole apple/windows/linux discussion) I figured, how about if I just create a live usb stick with my favorite ones?
I was wondering whether this is possible and how to go about this...

Is it possible to partition my stick and use a partition per distro, or is there more to it?

Many thanks!

[oldfred]

If you have a newer large flash drive you can install multiple copies or if installing you can use grub2 or other bootloaders to loopmount ISOs and you can fit many ISO on a flash drive. Not all distributions can be loopmount but many can.

I did this before the scripts came out to semi-automate the process.
MultiBoot USB with Grub2 (boot directly from iso files)
Basically you just install grub2, create a folder for the isos and edit a grub.cfg to loop mount the isos.
HOWTO: Booting LiveCD ISOs from USB flash drive with Grub2
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1288604
http://ubuntu-ky.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1535864
Install grub2 to USB -general info
http://members.iinet.net/~herman546/p20/GRUB2%20Bash%20Commands.html#GRUB_USB

Each script has different defaults, I have not used any of them as I already had my system set up:
This is a script to install many ISOs. Some that will not loopmount by installing a kernel and boot image.
MultiBootUSB - Install and boot multiple Linux from Pendrive / Flash drive / USB disk
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1518273
http://sourceforge.net/projects/multibootusb/files/
multicd.sh - combine Linux ISOS into one
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1071869
http://multicd.tuxfamily.org/
Another: multiboot055.sh
http://blog.p-mt.net/archives/644
MultiSystem Another LiveUSB Multiboot
http://liveusb.info/dotclear/
Pendrive also has page on booting ISOs
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/

[RagingLoon]

I have a thumbdrive with SARDU (http://www.sarducd.it/) and another with YUMI (http://www.pendrivelinux.com/yumi-multiboot-usb-creator/) both are easy to setup with Ubuntu, Fedora or whatever you desire. I have well over a dozen OS'es on those two thumbdrives. SARDU is great for Windows and Linux OS'es and YUMI works awesome for Linux distros. However, my FreeBSD is housed on it's own thumbdrive and I can't remember why?


Hope this helps.

[supermooshman]

If you have a newer large flash drive you can install multiple copies or if installing you can use grub2 or other bootloaders to loopmount ISOs and you can fit many ISO on a flash drive. Not all distributions can be loopmount but many can.

I did this before the scripts came out to semi-automate the process.
MultiBoot USB with Grub2 (boot directly from iso files)
Basically you just install grub2, create a folder for the isos and edit a grub.cfg to loop mount the isos.
HOWTO: Booting LiveCD ISOs from USB flash drive with Grub2
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1288604
http://ubuntu-ky.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1535864
Install grub2 to USB -general info
http://members.iinet.net/~herman546/p20/GRUB2%20Bash%20Commands.html#GRUB_USB

Each script has different defaults, I have not used any of them as I already had my system set up:
This is a script to install many ISOs. Some that will not loopmount by installing a kernel and boot image.
MultiBootUSB - Install and boot multiple Linux from Pendrive / Flash drive / USB disk
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1518273
http://sourceforge.net/projects/multibootusb/files/
multicd.sh - combine Linux ISOS into one
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1071869
http://multicd.tuxfamily.org/
Another: multiboot055.sh
http://blog.p-mt.net/archives/644
MultiSystem Another LiveUSB Multiboot
http://liveusb.info/dotclear/
Pendrive also has page on booting ISOs
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/

at the moment I'm :confused: but hopefully after reading through your information I'll be :D

if not, I'll be back!
Thanks!

[RagingLoon]

at the moment I'm :confused: but hopefully after reading through your information I'll be :D

if not, I'll be back!
Thanks!

Hey, the pendrivelinux that oldfred mentioned is YUMI. It's very straightforward, just read the page on it. Down towards the botom of the page you'll see "List of Installable Live Linux Distributions (http://www.pendrivelinux.com/yumi-multiboot-usb-creator/#)" I'm sure you'll find every flavor of Linux you want right there.YUMI will take care of the rest for you. ;)
(http://www.pendrivelinux.com/yumi-multiboot-usb-creator/#)

[Rebelli0us]

It can be done but USB sticks are cheap, so why not do one distro per stick. Then if they like it you can let them have the flash drive.

[supermooshman]

awesome, i will try yumi tomorrow


It can be done but USB sticks are cheap, so why not do one distro per stick. Then if they like it you can let them have the flash drive.
cheap yes, free no (actually yes, I only use usb sticks that I find and cant track down the owner)
but a single 8gb stick I can attach to my keychain, eight 1gb sticks... well let's just say I would be able to attach a key to my usbchain :P

[C.S.Cameron]

I would suggest MultiBootUSB, mentioned in Oldfred's post.

For more info see:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1518273