Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

[rcrsn51]

Update: This article was originally about using GRUB2 to boot various Linuxes directly out of their ISO files. It was a way to test distros without having to burn their CDs. However, it only worked with Ubuntu and its variants. It didn't work at all with Puppy.

The new ISObooter project (see below) removes this limitation. It can boot most Linuxes and all recent Puppies.

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Many distros, including those from the Ubuntu family, use GRUB2 as their bootloader. The following instructions explain how to make a bootable flash drive that just uses the ISO file without having to extract it.

1. Download and install the attached PET.

2. Using Gparted, delete any old partitions on your flash drive.

3. Create a new ext2 partition and flag it as bootable.

4. Mount the flash drive.

5. Assuming that the flash drive is device sdb, type the command

[nooby]

Wow, awesome, Thanks indeed! Very interesting. I did a test ASAP

Friendly smile from Nooby. Check out the typo in --nofloppy should be --no-floppy
grub-install --force --no-floppy --root-directory=/mnt/sdb1 /dev/sdb

Edit again
Jay great success. I did as you told me and it worked and I booted the USB 2GB Kingston up. I had placed a LinuxMint variety there named Peppermint and I write from it now. Fan runs wild so not sure how good peppermint is on being on Acer D250 mall Atom N270 maybe demanding using only 1GB RAM.

Edit again later. Sadly it suddenly refused to boot the iso on the usb memory.
Maybe I changed something but after reinstalling it has booted several times so maybe some glitch??? But now to my important question

How do I get it to boot isos on NTFS HDD from the usb?
I want to boot from my HDD ntfs hdd. So how can I tell the grub2 to look for the iso on sda3 instead of just loop as it says now?
I use these codes but none of them show up except the first one. Very odd due to them look normal to me.

[nooby]

Some progress but set backs too.

I boot up Peppermint linux as iso on the ext2 USB with the help of rcrsn51's pet based on pendrivelinux ways to do it.

And if it is booted up from the usb flash then it allow you to access the NTFS HDD but if you boot up from the USB but from the iso on the HDD then the HDD get owned by root and Ubuntu don't allow you to use filemanager to access what is owned by root. That is how I get it.

Maybe one can do gksu or some other variety but I know such too little.

Anyway I went about it like this. I used puppy and mounted the Lubuntu 10.10 iso and dragged the directories to root/mnt/home like casper and all the others. one of them are invisible to look out for the one with a .disks or some similar name. and then I asked on Peppermint forum how they do it and a friendly guy there Eric he described it and it worked right away.

menuentry "lubuntu ISO on /dev/sda3" --class ubuntu_iso {
loopback loop (hd1,3)/lubuntu/lubuntu-10.10.iso
linux (loop)/casper/vmlinuz boot=casper iso-scan/filename=/lubuntu/lubuntu-10.10.iso noprompt
initrd (loop)/casper/initrd.gz
}

The thing that made it possible was that I used (hd1,3) instead of (hd0,3)

The very bad thing is that it take away the partition that it boots from.

Unless you can tell us how to allow filemanager to access it. It is not even visible while if you boot from an iso on the USB then you can play music and see pictures and read texts on your hdd.

I mean is that not odd? why do they do such things. Okay I am a true noob in that sense that I ahve no idea how one get access but I would not want to be a new newbie wanting to show every body I knew and then have to admit that I fail to make use of the 250GB big HDD ever due to some Dev wanting to protect me from it.

Edit another success story. I am editing from WattOS on the NTFS HDD and using the same code as for Lubuntu. Thanks to Eric on Peppermint forum for teaching me how to.

[nooby]

New success. Ubuntu 11.04.iso using same code as above booted just fine thanks to tip from Eric at Peppermint forum.

[gcmartin]

[nooby]

Martin yes I try. I am using Peppermint OS now booted from USB but iso on NTFS HDD and it works great with this code on the grub.cfg on the usb

menuentry "Peppermint-Ice-10012010 ISO on /dev/sda3" --class ubuntu_iso {
loopback loop (hd1,3)/Peppermint-Ice-10012010.iso
linux (loop)/casper/vmlinuz boot=casper iso-scan/filename=/Peppermint-Ice-10012010.iso noprompt
initrd (loop)/casper/initrd.gz
}

if you are on partition 1 then change 3 to 1 instead. I tried first with 0,3 but it needed 1,3 at my computer.

I have now tested Lubuntu and WattOS and Ubuntu NN 11.04 the newest and this Peppermint-Ice very new too and all of them booted from the NTFS HDD so great progress for me.

thanks to all who have supported me to be able to do this this easily.

tip the hdd is at isodevice when one use the filemanager. in ubuntu one need to do the sudo nautilus but in peppermint maybe one don't Test it
I have to go back to bed now. Has only slept 90 minutes tonight.

[nooby]

oops I I am so sleepy that I made a double post. answer above this one
Sorry I really have to turn in now my eyes are hurting.

I used this iso and it works great having it on the internal hdd Peppermint-Ice-10012010.iso
but one need to have the grub2 on the USB unles you actually install grub2 to your hdd but that could break other dual boots. So be careful

[pacer106]

does this method of booting from a usb flash stick work on a pc that does not support booting from a usb device?

i really am interested in figuring out how to boot from my usb key on a few old boxes that dont have cd drive or floppy drive.

thanks in advance

[rcrsn51]

[nooby]

[Aitch]

pacer106

try PLOP [needs windoze/dos] but can be installed to harddrive

http://www.plop.at/en/bootmanager.html


or if you have a floppy drive, download a win98 boot image and add usbaspi.sys or duse

http://www.computing.net/answers/dos/usbaspisys-a-usb-driver-for-dos-/15928.html

http://www.bootdisk.com/usb.htm

it worked on my old IBM 570 lappy with no CD drive

Aitch

[pacer106]

im very new to linux and puppy so havent done a whole lot but mess around im not a command line person as of yet but im learnin thanks nooby i will try that out 1 of my issues also that i didnt mention was no hard drive on 1 either so its just a mobo & RAM for the most part. im just experimenting & learnin for future possible fixes as i do some computer repair & maintainance i get lots of extra parts of old hardware. so workin on makin a puppy testin station type thing.

aitch thanks for the advice no floppy drive though and no hard drive so plop wont do much for me there. if i had those i would be able to use wakepup or something in puppy

[aarf]

booting from external HD may be a option. dont think usb and external HD are treated the same in the bios.

[Aitch]

[aarf]