How to Make a Bootable Flash Drive using ISObooter

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keniv
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Location: Scotland

#91 Post by keniv »

Hello rcrsn51

I am using the grub4dos method.
the original Grub4Dos way can. Just follow the same procedure as with the GRUB2 way.
This method suggests adding the word "persistent" to the "linux" line in the grub.cfg file. In grub4 dos there is no grub.cfg file only the menu.lst. The menu.lst file does not contain the "linux" line that is

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linux (loop)/casper/vmlinuz boot=casper iso-scan/filename=/ubuntu.iso noeject noprompt splash --
but does contain the similar line

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kernel /casper/vmlinuz boot=casper iso-scan/filename=/ubuntu.iso noeject noprompt splash  --
Should I add "persistent" to this line. Should I add the "(loop)" as well. If not can you tell me what to add to the entry that I have in my menu.lst which is currently as follows.

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title Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Desktop ISO 
 find --set-root /ubuntu.iso 
 map /ubuntu.iso (0xff) 
 map --hook 
 root (0xff) 
 kernel /casper/vmlinuz boot=casper iso-scan/filename=/ubuntu.iso noeject noprompt splash  -- 
 initrd /casper/initrd.lz
I intend to partition the USB flash drive and format the second partition as ext4 and label it as "casper-rw" as you suggest. Can you tell me if there is anything else I need to do.

Regards,

Ken.

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rcrsn51
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Location: Stratford, Ontario

#92 Post by rcrsn51 »

Add "persistent" to the "kernel" line.

nooby
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Location: SwedenEurope

#93 Post by nooby »

I wanted to try this on Zorin linux Lite that is only 650MB
but the isobooter only had this code

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title zorin-os-6.2-lite
partnew (hd0,3) 0x00 (hd0,0)/zorin-os-6.2-lite.iso
map --heads=0 --sectors-per-track=0 (hd0,0)/zorin-os-6.2-lite.iso (0xff)
map --hook
root (0xff)
chainloader (0xff)

So not the more expanded one that keniv retell

So Zorin being based on Ubuntu I got surprised.

http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=zorin
Zorin OS is an Ubuntu-based Linux distribution
designed especially for newcomers to Linux.
so where to add the persistence there would this work?

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title zorin-os-6.2-lite
partnew (hd0,3) 0x00 (hd0,0)/zorin-os-6.2-lite.iso
map --heads=0 --sectors-per-track=0 (hd0,0)/zorin-os-6.2-lite.iso (0xff)
map --hook
root (0xff)
kernel /casper/vmlinuz boot=casper iso-scan/filename=/zorin-os-6.2-lite.iso noeject noprompt splash persistent --
 initrd /casper/initrd.gz
chainloader (0xff)

I often see these -- in the end of a boot code.
I never heard an explanation for them? Is it for parsing too long lines
to prevent the parser to drop instructions due to too long line?

Edit after testing to add the word persistent to the line as indicated above

It boots the same as without it but it does not save any changes
either of Date and Time or Loudspeaker volume or coding of
browser or what homepage to use or setting of keyboard map
so what can be tested now that that did not work?

Don't one need a casper-rw file so the program for persistence
can find it and use it for changes?
I use Google Search on Puppy Forum
not an ideal solution though

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rcrsn51
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Location: Stratford, Ontario

#94 Post by rcrsn51 »

@nooby: Read my comment here.

[Edit] I looked at this again and got Ubuntu to work with persistence on ISObooter.

You need either a second flash drive or a second partition on your ISObooter drive. Format it as ext4 and label it "casper-rw"

Boot it with this kind of menu.lst entry:

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title ubuntu-10.10-desktop-i386
partnew (hd0,3) 0x00 (hd0,0)/ubuntu-10.10-desktop-i386.iso
map --heads=0 --sectors-per-track=0 (hd0,0)/ubuntu-10.10-desktop-i386.iso (0xff)
map --hook
root (0xff)
kernel /casper/vmlinuz boot=casper iso-scan/filename=/ubuntu-10.10-desktop-i386.iso noeject noprompt splash persistent --
initrd /casper/initrd.lz
Note that the "kernel" entry is on one long line.

I also followed the procedure for creating a new Ubuntu user.

nooby
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Location: SwedenEurope

#95 Post by nooby »

Thanks yes I knew it needed something like what you explain here
Format it as ext4 and label it "casper-rw"
I use Google Search on Puppy Forum
not an ideal solution though

keniv
Posts: 583
Joined: Tue 06 Oct 2009, 21:00
Location: Scotland

#96 Post by keniv »

Hello rcrsn51
Add "persistent" to the "kernel" line.
I have done this and am now able to boot ubuntu with "persistence". So far I have downloaded an installed 581 updates. I have also installed VLC and Flashplayer. Downloading and installing these seemed very slow. I thought this might be something to do with demand on the repositories as I also installed addblock and flashblock in Firefox and this seemed about normal or a difference in speed between a flash drive and an hdd. All I have done is still there after rebooting several times. I have also added my two favourite Puppies as frugal installs to the fat32 partition and both are booting properly. I am very pleased with this. Thanks for your help in getting it working.
I did wonder how often ubuntu writes to the flash drive. Is it possible to do with ubuntu what can be done with puppy and only allow saving to the flash drive at shutdown or even elect not to save at all?

Regards,

Ken.

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rcrsn51
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Location: Stratford, Ontario

#97 Post by rcrsn51 »

Writing to a flash drive is definitely slower then writing to a hard drive. And some flash memory is slower than others. You can test this yourself by copying a large file, like an ISO, to both media.
I did wonder how often ubuntu writes to the flash drive
Does your drive have an LED indicator light? I expect that it is blinking constantly.

Be aware that flash drive setups are much easier to corrupt than hard drives. I wouldn't be saving any important data in your Ubuntu home directory.

keniv
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Joined: Tue 06 Oct 2009, 21:00
Location: Scotland

#98 Post by keniv »

No there is no LED on this one and I suspect it is not very fast as it was cheap. Thanks for the warning about possible corruption of the flash drive.

Regards,

Ken.

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d4p
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#99 Post by d4p »

@rcrsn51

Before I have already total about 230 multibootable Linux liveos include windows, dos & android on 500 GB usb external HD with multiple partitions.
I move everything to 2Tb external HD with 10 partitions (some ntfs, vfat, ext3 and one for partnew partition) and put 20 additional isos which bootable with partnew methode but unfortunatly the 20 isos will not boot on old pc pentium 4 (2 Gb rambus).
Without partnew methode all isos, flat files (frugal), imgs just work fine on that machine. I think Partnew methode is not for old computers???.
At the moment I dont have another old computer for testing.

Grub4dos is the best multi-boot manager ever.

nooby
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Location: SwedenEurope

#100 Post by nooby »

Grub4dos is the best multi-boot manager ever.

In some other thread there is opinion to skip
grub4dos and instead use some other loader.

I know too little to get what is good and bad about them.
I use Google Search on Puppy Forum
not an ideal solution though

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rcrsn51
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Location: Stratford, Ontario

#101 Post by rcrsn51 »

d4p wrote: I think Partnew methode is not for old computers???.
I don't have any really old P4 machines to test, but ISObooter works fine on my old Athlon box.

Did you see any error messages?

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d4p
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#102 Post by d4p »

@nooby

There are a lot of loader alternatives you can choose depending on your need.
I have no idea which other loader can support ntfs, vfat, linux ext* and cdfs format.
I use all formats for multiboot on a usb external HD and it suppose to work on a lot of computers, but not for uefi.
Some limitations each format what I know so far:
vfat can not handel a file over 4 Gb
linux ext* will not support windows and iso file
Many linux liveos(s) do not support ntfs
cdfs will not work on extended partition

@rcrsn51

No problem on athlon, p5, i3, i5, i7

error 29: disk write error
Dell workstation 340
pci card usb 2.0
boot from plop
p4 2.8 ghz
rambus 2 Gb

nooby
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Location: SwedenEurope

#103 Post by nooby »

I don't want to derail this thread but the following thread
has implication for the grub4DOS usage in Puppy?

Simplifying the Boot process for all PUP use: Clearing it UP
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=85059

Sorry I am too lazy to go through each post and only quote
the exact text that tells me that if them have any say in the future
then there will be no GRUB4DOS anymore :) That is how I read them
I use Google Search on Puppy Forum
not an ideal solution though

amigo
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Joined: Mon 02 Apr 2007, 06:52

#104 Post by amigo »

nooby, I think you got the wrong idea. The upshot of the other thread is that isolinux is the most likely thing to be able to boot nearly anywhere. grub4dos is way more flexible where it can be used -but a LiveCD that boots with *any* grub will fail to boot on some machines, where and *isolinux* Live CD will boot.

nooby
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Location: SwedenEurope

#105 Post by nooby »

Amigo thanks for pointing out the real issue
and the driving motivation of that thread.

To find a boot loader that would always work
on a CD/DVD way of booting.

But on small computers like Netboots
they have no CD/DVD so one can use SD card reader
built in and that work also for the USB connector way
of booting but then one need a bootloader made for
booting a USB or SD Card.

rcrsn51 coming up with Isobooter works well
for USB I have tested it many times now.

So if all puppies goes over to *isolinux* Live
would that still work? Mabye it does I only felt
a scare feeling of the end of booting Puppies
this easy way?

What about *isolinux* Live and frugal install on the HD?
Would not that need Grub3dos if one have NTFS only partitions?

*isolinux* Live would need Fat32 or Ext2 or so on?

I know too little but posted my fear here so somebody could explain
I use Google Search on Puppy Forum
not an ideal solution though

nooby
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Joined: Sun 29 Jun 2008, 19:05
Location: SwedenEurope

#106 Post by nooby »

I found this text on the other easy way to iso boot page.
an ".isomem" extension is recognized
to cause a non-contiguous ISO
to be copied to RAM first.
It will try to write the sdx4 phantom partition
but perhaps it would boot anyway.
Yes!
The new version does work on a read only media!
It does not fail if it can not write the dbx4 partition!
I have only used the Easy2boot once or twice
and did not understand it and ended up with
non contigious error too often due to me on fat 32

So I went over to your isobooter instead that always
create a new contigious fat32 and is even more easy to use.
At least for me.

But I fail to get what they write in that text that I quoted
from here http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 500#698500
I use Google Search on Puppy Forum
not an ideal solution though

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d4p
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#107 Post by d4p »

always create a new contigious fat32
Not only fat32, ntfs will do almost the same thing.
".isomem" extension is recognized to cause a non-contiguous ISO to be copied to RAM first.
but it takes some time to load and finally booting.
If you get the "dis-contiguous" problem, just reformat the drive and start again.
Maybe ok just for 2 or 3 files only, how about if you have hundreds iso files like mine.

I think you can reduce the contiguous problem with multi partitions methode.
At least I dont need to do defragmentation all the time.

nooby
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Location: SwedenEurope

#108 Post by nooby »

Thanks my questions was not clear enough.
I never heard of the technical term isomem
so I asked more about how does it come up at all
and what cause it and how to avoid it and so on.
Is it GParted that created it or is it the Iso Devs
that chose to include it or is it a kind of error warning or what?
I use Google Search on Puppy Forum
not an ideal solution though

User avatar
d4p
Posts: 439
Joined: Tue 13 Mar 2007, 02:30

#109 Post by d4p »

Isomem is a good idea (Steve website for tech detail), but (in my opinion) bad result at the end.
Some you may to know:
How big/fast is your physical ram/computer?
How big is your iso file to be copied to ram memory?
How long is the copy process?
How long is the iso booting until you get your desktop?
You will find out some of copied iso will not boot at all.
You can not run isomem from ntfs.

Direct iso booting is better to go and/or anyway frugal booting is the most reliable.

nooby
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Joined: Sun 29 Jun 2008, 19:05
Location: SwedenEurope

#110 Post by nooby »

Thanks for explaining what the term refers to.

I fail to get frugal install of Elive to work on HD
it don't allow me to access the HD even if me root.

Same with Antix both being Debian.

the cute thing is that SickGut made a Debian
that do allow frugal install and still access to HD
so he is clever indeed and none of the others have done that?

Unfortunately I am not good at understanding how to use Pussy Linux.
and when I asked him how to install MakeHuman on Pussy he
seem not sure either how to do it.

But I am derailing our thread here. Apology to rcrsn51
I use Google Search on Puppy Forum
not an ideal solution though

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