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Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive?

From Piyavkin <piyavkin@gmail.com>
Newsgroups linux.debian.user
Subject Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive?
Date 2016-04-28 21:30 +0200
Message-ID <rsZNo-Z5-17@gated-at.bofh.it> (permalink)
References <rsVTr-5A5-5@gated-at.bofh.it> <rsX8T-6Ta-19@gated-at.bofh.it>
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Hi all!

On 28.04.2016 19:31, Curt wrote:
> On 2016-04-28, Richard Owlett <rowlett@cloud85.net> wrote:
>> I've some untried VAGUE ideas on how to accomplish.
> Maybe this would work if I'm understanding you correctly:
>
> http://www.pendrivelinux.com/boot-multiple-iso-from-usb-via-grub2-using-linux/#more-5352
>
>> Two questions:
>> Has this been done before?
>> Any comments?
>>
>> TIA
>>
>>
>>
>

Yep, it can be done and pretty easy. I've done (been doing) it using 
some instructions from the pendrivelinux.com.


The idea is simple:

1. Install grub2 on a USB-drive.

2. Place there .iso image (in root of the drive or in some directory as 
you like).

3. Use in the grub.cfg instructions like such:

menuentry "Xubuntu 14.04.1 Desktop i386 ISO" {
  set isofile="/xubuntu-14.04.1-desktop-i386.iso"
  loopback loop $isofile
  linux (loop)/casper/vmlinuz boot=casper iso-scan/filename=$isofile 
noeject noprompt splash --
  initrd (loop)/casper/initrd.lz
}

4. Profit!


Images from Ubuntu family works fine. As to the Debian there was some 
weirdness (I don't know if it still persists in newer versions), but it 
is possible to dodge it. Simple way (from here 
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Multiboot_USB_drive#Debian ) is:

0. Do steps 1 and 2 from list above.

1. Download proper initramfs (which matches your desirable Debian .iso 
image) from here:
https://mirrors.kernel.org/debian/dists/stable/main/installer-amd64/current/images/hd-media/initrd.gz
https://mirrors.kernel.org/debian/dists/stable/main/installer-i386/current/images/hd-media/initrd.gz
http://mirrors.kernel.org/debian/dists/stable/main/installer-i386/current/images/netboot/debian-installer/i386/initrd.gz
etc.

2. Place it somewhere on the USB-drive (in /deb/hdd directory, for example).

3. Use such instructions in grub.cfg:

menuentry "Debian 7.8.0 Desktop i386 Gnome CD ISO (CD Install; 
/deb/hdd/initrd.gz)" {
  set isofile="/debian-7.8.0-i386-CD-1.iso"
  set initrdfile='/deb/hdd/initrd.gz'
  loopback loop0 $isofile
  linux (loop0)/install.386/vmlinuz iso-scan/ask_second_pass=true 
iso-scan/filename=$isofile priority=low
# initrd (loop0)/install.386/initrd.gz
  initrd $initrdfile
}

4. Profit again!


Debian Live iso works without additional downloads (some kind of 
self-sufficient). It is possible to use fromiso param and to provide 
precise path to your iso and address your USB-drive by UID like this 
(theoretically it should speed up the process):

menuentry "Debian 7.8.0 Desktop i386 Xfce ISO (LIVE from ISO)" {
  set isofile="/debian-live-7.8.0-i386-xfce-desktop.iso"
  loopback loop0 $isofile
  linux (loop0)/live/vmlinuz1 boot=live 
fromiso=/dev/disk/by-uuid/19C5-2FB2$isofile live-media-path=/live config
  initrd (loop0)/live/initrd1.img
}


Best regards,
Dmitry Piyavkin


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Thread

Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive? Richard Owlett <rowlett@cloud85.net> - 2016-04-28 17:20 +0200
  Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive? Nicolas George <george@nsup.org> - 2016-04-28 17:30 +0200
    Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive? Richard Owlett <rowlett@cloud85.net> - 2016-04-29 17:00 +0200
      Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive? Nicolas George <george@nsup.org> - 2016-04-29 17:10 +0200
        Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive? Dan Ritter <dsr@randomstring.org> - 2016-04-29 17:20 +0200
        Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive? Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2016-04-29 18:10 +0200
          Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive? Nicolas George <george@nsup.org> - 2016-04-29 18:50 +0200
            Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive? Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2016-04-29 19:50 +0200
              Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive? Nicolas George <george@nsup.org> - 2016-04-29 19:50 +0200
  Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive? "Thomas Schmitt" <scdbackup@gmx.net> - 2016-04-28 17:40 +0200
    Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive? Richard Owlett <rowlett@cloud85.net> - 2016-04-29 17:20 +0200
  Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive? Curt <curty@free.fr> - 2016-04-28 18:40 +0200
    Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive? Piyavkin <piyavkin@gmail.com> - 2016-04-28 21:30 +0200
      Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive? Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2016-04-29 15:30 +0200
        Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive? Piyavkin <piyavkin@gmail.com> - 2016-04-29 21:00 +0200
          Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive? Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2016-04-29 22:00 +0200
            Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive? Piyavkin <piyavkin@gmail.com> - 2016-04-30 20:10 +0200
              Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive? Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2016-05-01 17:00 +0200
                Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive? Piyavkin <piyavkin@gmail.com> - 2016-05-02 17:00 +0200
                Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive? Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2016-05-02 20:00 +0200
                Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive? David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2016-05-02 21:20 +0200
                Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive? Piyavkin <piyavkin@gmail.com> - 2016-05-02 21:20 +0200
                Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive? Richard Owlett <rowlett@cloud85.net> - 2016-05-03 12:20 +0200
                Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive? Lisi Reisz <lisi.reisz@gmail.com> - 2016-05-03 15:40 +0200
                Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive? Richard Owlett <rowlett@cloud85.net> - 2016-05-14 14:10 +0200
                Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive? Rodary Jacques <rodaryj@free.fr> - 2016-05-17 02:50 +0200
                Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive? Piyavkin <piyavkin@gmail.com> - 2016-05-03 15:50 +0200
                Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive? Richard Owlett <rowlett@cloud85.net> - 2016-05-03 17:40 +0200
                Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive? Piyavkin <piyavkin@gmail.com> - 2016-05-03 18:40 +0200
                Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive? Richard Owlett <rowlett@cloud85.net> - 2016-05-04 17:40 +0200
                Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive? Richard Owlett <rowlett@cloud85.net> - 2016-05-05 12:10 +0200
    Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive? Richard Owlett <rowlett@cloud85.net> - 2016-04-29 17:40 +0200
      Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive? Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2016-04-29 18:20 +0200
  Re: Multiple live iso's on a single bootable flash drive? Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2016-04-28 21:30 +0200
  Extra links found on Ubuntu maullist Richard Owlett <rowlett@cloud85.net> - 2016-04-30 18:20 +0200
    Re: Extra links found on Ubuntu maullist Richard Owlett <rowlett@cloud85.net> - 2016-04-30 18:30 +0200

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