How to Make a Bootable Flash Drive using ISObooter

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Pelo

My previous pupsave, still on the pendrive, loaded

#211 Post by Pelo »

eh eh, success too.. :)
My previous pupsave, still on the pendrive, loaded at boot.. We could we ask more... Some devs are really useful to thousands of puppy passengers, and of Mintpup of course
Isobooter should work as well with the other Debian dogs (XenialDog had untill now his own pendrive)
Last edited by Pelo on Sun 16 Jul 2017, 11:10, edited 1 time in total.

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Max Headroom
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#212 Post by Max Headroom »

G'day rcrsn51, can yoU Please Advise the Best pmedia argument or edit 2 the menu.lst File that Helps Puppy Look 4 the Location of the Required Files ( sfs isn't it? ), Being that they're within the iso File on a USB, Not a CD or ide or sata... Sorry I'm Confused! is there a Universal Vanilla pmedia Helper Txt?

:)K

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rcrsn51
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#213 Post by rcrsn51 »

Just to be clear, the "pmedia" argument is used by Puppy when it starts up - it has nothing to do with ISObooter.

Different Puppies handle this argument different ways, and how it works depends on your hardware. There is no "best" option.

You need to describe your particular situation.

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Max Headroom
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#214 Post by Max Headroom »

Thanx rcrsn51, 4 your Reply, because I've got 50 odd isos ( Puppies, Dogs, Other Linuxes & M$ Virus Bait installers ) on Me 32Gb USB Flash Dr 4 Demoing & Testing, it could be on any Variety of Hardware / Configuration, Hence the objective of a Vanilla Universal pmedia aRugment...

:)K

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rcrsn51
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#215 Post by rcrsn51 »

The two sensible choices are "pmedia=cd" and "pmedia=usbflash". They should cover all the possibilities.

Unfortunately, some hardware doesn't like USB booting, no matter how you set it up. Here's the problem:

It's the job of the computer's BIOS to locate the first two Puppy files - vmlinuz and initrd.gz. It can usually find them on the USB drive.

It then passes control to Puppy, who tries to find its SFS file on the USB drive.

On a few computers, the USB system times out between those two phases. If Puppy cannot wake up the USB, it won't be able to find the SFS file, and booting will fail.

Traditionally, the "pmedia=cd" argument tells Puppy to look in lots of places. If it can find the SFS file on a hard drive, booting may succeed.

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Max Headroom
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#216 Post by Max Headroom »

Thanx again rcrsn51, just confirming that it is allowed 2 have Both pmedia=cd & pmedia=usbflash for each iso? in the menu.lst on the line that says kernel or root if it's chainloaded?

And can the USB system Timing be dictated in the menu.lst?

Also Wot is the Typical Error Message 4 that issue & if I could be aware of it could I add a puppy Boot Option on the Fly?

Thanx again 4 Sharing your Wisdom!

:)K

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rcrsn51
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#217 Post by rcrsn51 »

Max Headroom wrote: just confirming that it is allowed 2 have Both pmedia=cd & pmedia=usbflash for each iso? in the menu.lst on the line that says kernel
No. If you are booting with "splashscreen=n", you can have one or the other, but not both.
or root if it's chainloaded?
No. If you are booting with "splashscreen=y", you cannot use the pmedia option. For a Puppy, you are simulating booting from the CD, in which case "pmedia=cd" is already in place.
And can the USB system Timing be dictated in the menu.lst?
No. That is handled by Puppy.
Also Wot is the Typical Error Message 4 that issue
"SFS file not found"
& if I could be aware of it could I add a puppy Boot Option on the Fly?
It is possible to edit the GRUB menu on-the-fly, but it can be awkward.

Here is the basic idea:

1. Set up your Puppy ISO with "splashscreen=n" and the default "pmedia=cd".
2. If it boots, switch to "pmedia=usbflash" in hopes of improving the boot speed.
3. If #1 fails, switch to "splashscreen=y".
4. If #3 fails, try booting off a physical CD.

belham2
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#218 Post by belham2 »

Hi Rcrsn51,

I just wanted to say "Thank You" for ISObooter. I've always installed pups + ddogs + all other ubuntu/debian-based OSes either using frugal (for pups & ddogs) and/or just using a separate, single usb or dvd to dd the ubuntu/debian OSes to. I had always wondered if I could put multiple ubuntu/debian OSes on one usb stick, just in the form of their ISOs, and somehow have that ISO launch so I could run it, and if I like, install it to somewhere else. I tried Yumi, but it is/was hit or miss for me.

Then, I I came across your ISOBooter thread here, and, well, all my questions were answered. It works fantastic. I tried it first with a large number of ubuntu/debian-based distros---all the ISOs launch just as if they were launched from their own DVD). Next up, going to try a couple handfuls of Pup ISOs.


You know, the number of things in all these different pups I like to use that have your touch & imprint on is quite a bit when I sit down and think about it. I come across your name inside many scripts when I am hunting & pecking around inside the pups. Wish I had just a little of your skills so I could do something similar for the puppy community. Thanks much again :)

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rcrsn51
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#219 Post by rcrsn51 »

Thank you for those kind words. But most of the credit for ISObooter should go to Scooby's work with Grub4Dos here.

It contains the key piece of code that makes ISObooter work - how to link the fourth entry in the partition table back into the ISO, so the distro can locate all its files.

Pelo

Happy with isobooter but...

#220 Post by Pelo »

Happy with isobooter but...
I installed Xenialdog alone on a 8GB usb pendrive, session is saved and boot script is modified by adding changes = Path.../changes.dat
I installed 3os (mintpup, dogStrectch, and Puppy strecth with ISObooter on another pendrive.. But i don't know where to act to get saves loaded at boot..
Any idea ?
more details here

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rcrsn51
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#221 Post by rcrsn51 »

@Pelo:

1. Format your flash drive with two partitions - fat32 for the ISOs and ext4 for data.

2. In the data partition, create the folder "xenialdog".

3. Run ISObooter with "splashscreen=n"

4 Change the menu.lst entry to something like

Code: Select all

kernel /live/vmlinuz1 edd=off noauto from=/  changes=/mnt/sdb2/xenialdog/
initrd /live/initrd1.xz
(For xenial, the folders may be named "casper" instead of "live".)

Pelo

rcrsn51 , God bless you...

#222 Post by Pelo »

rcrsn51 , God bless you...
Hum, i try first and come back .
IT would be a good idea to teach your knowledge to an assistant
pupsave rcrsn51!
Attachments
isobooter.jpg
One step forward to success
(59.1 KiB) Downloaded 275 times

Pelo

Positive ; menu.lst shows details, can be modified.

#223 Post by Pelo »

:evil: :evil: :evil: something wrong only Puppy Linux now boots
Positive ; menu.lst shows details, can be modified.
09.36 AM
Try number 150 :

Eureka ! choose boot with data, press TAB and modify cheat code..
Not easy, because your keyboard is french and Linux types English, of course
!,nt!sdq3!DebiqnDog!stretch.dqt
is what you need to type on french keyboard then Linux understands
/mnt/sda3/DebianDog/stretch.dat

UK and US citizen could not imagine how muh you must like Puppy not to give up :P
Last edited by Pelo on Mon 07 Aug 2017, 10:17, edited 7 times in total.

Pelo

ISObooter would not be the reason why boot fails.

#224 Post by Pelo »

ISObooter would not be the reason why boot fails.
Data were saved on HDD linux partition. Perhaps sda is not to be used but hdd or something like that..
No problem for several tries, that is only 3 ou 4 minutes.
On last chance i will format second part of USB as Linux as explained here, by Pr rcrsn51

9 AM . process back with Splashscreen : the three OS boot :!: :?: :?: :?:
Last edited by Pelo on Mon 07 Aug 2017, 11:10, edited 1 time in total.

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rcrsn51
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#225 Post by rcrsn51 »

kernel /vmlinuz pmedia=cd psavemark=1 pfix=fsck changes=/mnt/sda3/DebianDog/stretch.dat
That's wrong. It's a Puppy line.

You need the Debian lines like I showed you above. Or use your own syslinux commands:

Code: Select all

kernel /casper/vmlinuz noauto from=/ copy2ram changes=/mnt/sda3/Porteus/changes.dat 
initrd /casper/initrd1.xz

Pelo

13:00 Pm Sucessful try

#226 Post by Pelo »

Near to success. Topic modified here above because useless alternatives. Isobooter is not guilty. I should have learnt to better use DOGstretch.

DOGS are different from Puppy Linux, until now.. They will progress fast, with our help. isobooter is a new way for them. XenialDog is really the better Xenial OS available
Puppy Linux has yet a Puppy stretch running nice (tuxx and sailor enceladus versions tested). Dogstretch will not do better.

13.00 PM Final success. Bookmarks are here in Firefox, proof that previous session well saved and loaded. :!:
Mintpup was there for training purpose
Saves are done on my linux Partition sda3, no need to create a linux partion on the pendrive. However it would be fine not to have to type all the path with my french keyboard.
Attachments
ISOs test Bench.jpg
Xeniad Dog To add (Mintpup will be deleted if not enough place)
(33.78 KiB) Downloaded 848 times

Pelo

New Isobooter on Intenso 4GB

#227 Post by Pelo »

One partition FAT32 2GB
plus One Part ext 4 2GB label casper-rw

title slackbox_base
partnew (hd0,3) 0x00 (hd0,0)/slackbox_base.iso
map --heads=0 --sectors-per-track=0 (hd0,0)/slackbox_base.iso (0xff)
map --hook
root (0xff)
kernel /vmlinuz pmedia=cd psavemark=1 pfix=fsck
initrd /initrd.gz

title StretchDog32-2017-07-04
partnew (hd0,3) 0x00 (hd0,0)/StretchDog32-2017-07-04.iso
map --heads=0 --sectors-per-track=0 (hd0,0)/StretchDog32-2017-07-04.iso (0xff)
map --hook
root (0xff)
chainloader (0xff)

title xenial-7.0.6
partnew (hd0,3) 0x00 (hd0,0)/xenial-7.0.6.iso
map --heads=0 --sectors-per-track=0 (hd0,0)/xenial-7.0.6.iso (0xff)
map --hook
root (0xff)
kernel /vmlinuz pmedia=cd psavemark=1 pfix=fsck
initrd /initrd.gz

title More ISOs (see the instructions)
configfile (hd0,x)/menu.lst
commandline

Pelo

click on isobooter is active from Puppy Linux

#228 Post by Pelo »

click on isobooter is active from Puppy Linux, but inefficient from debian dogs :!: and :?:
It does not really matter, i will do my changes from Little Puppy Linux
Changes mean add an iso or splashscreen Y/N
Last edited by Pelo on Tue 15 Aug 2017, 07:11, edited 2 times in total.

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rcrsn51
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Re: click on isobooter is active from Puppy Linux

#229 Post by rcrsn51 »

Pelo wrote:inefficient from debian dogs
Be specific. Are you trying to make the drive bootable? I don't know if the dogs have Grub4Dos, which you will need.

sheldonisaac
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Re: How to Make a Bootable Flash Drive using ISObooter

#230 Post by sheldonisaac »

rcrsn51 (in part) wrote:ISObooter is a procedure for booting many Linuxes, including Puppy, directly from their ISO files.
Hi, I just used it successfully, and am VERY pleased and impressed!
I copied the menu.lst it produced on /mnt/sda3 (a FAT32 partition) into my "regular"
menu.lst on /mnt/sda1 (EXT4). It works there, too!

Code: Select all

title gparted-live-0.29.0-1-i686
partnew (hd0,3) 0x00 (hd0,2)/gparted-live-0.29.0-1-i686.iso
map --heads=0 --sectors-per-track=0 (hd0,2)/gparted-live-0.29.0-1-i686.iso (0xff)
map --hook
root (0xff)
chainloader (0xff)
Thank you!

Oh, sda is a 128GB SSD
Dell E6410: BusterPup, BionicPup64, Xenial, etc
Intel DQ35JOE, Dell Vostro 430
Dell Inspiron, Acer Aspire One, EeePC 1018P

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