MultiBoot USB

[golf4fun]

Found a nice little program to multiboot a USB key.

Ventoy --> https://www.ventoy.net/en/index.html ---> These iso files are known to work https://www.ventoy.net/en/isolist.html - others might also work.

Used it to create a multiboot key with 10 different Linux systems so far.

When you run the script it creates a bootloader that is invisible on the key - all you have to do is copy an iso to the key and reboot. Pick the iso and it boots!

[jlittle]

Noted.

I've been using aguslr/multibootusb, but not much; I mostly iso boot from an SSD, because the SSD is much faster than a USB key. The aguslr/multibootusb project user community was quite responsive when I had trouble with an iso.

[Qqmike]

Doing pioneer work, huh, golf4fun? And that is a good thing, keep the spirit going.

People would do this sort of thing with the old GRUB, and along those lines, the history follows ...

Erich Boleyn's Home Page
http://www.uruk.org/~erich/

Original GRUB page
http://www.uruk.org/orig-grub/

and there were various versions of extreme multibooting, like this (based on the 2005 date, this may have been the first, or among the first, I just can't recall now):

A grub menu booting 100+ systems of Dos, Windows, Linux, BSD and Solaris
http://forums.justlinux.com/showthre...SD-and-Solaris

The point? Push the limits! You are making Linux multi-booting history! ;-)

[hallergard]

I prefer using a proper installation, as if installing to a PC partition (or cloning pa PC partition), as long as the PCs being hosts do not have too different chipsets. Ranish partition manager is a useful tool. https://goo.gl/83o2FO and https://youtu.be/-5dO2VAlGeM

[golf4fun]

I use Ventoy to be able to boot utility iso images like PartedMagic, Rescatux, SuperGrubDisk, Kasperski LiveCD, and a few versions of Linux systems I use to help others install Linux.

I also tried Hirn's but not sure why it fails to load. Multiboot USB worked for Hiren's but not Rescatux

Nice thing about Ventoy I can use the USB to store files as well as iso images. Without any iso images the key looks and acts quite normal

[Don B. Cilly]

Hmm. I just noticed that Amazon (Spain) sell 128 GB pendrives for less than €20. 256GB for some €44.
3.0, Sandisk, not Chinese rip-offs. Free shipping, Prime and all...
Makes one almost curious enough to try it

[GreyGeek]

Ventoy acts as a BIOS.
I've tried several distros and some don't work in Ventoy. The Deepin 20 is one. It doesn't run as a LiveUSB so one is forced to install it if they want to play with it. Ergo, KVM/QEMU.
Another that didn't work was mxlinux because even though it passed the sum check when it booted it failed to find a particular file and aborted.

Right now my 64Gb USB stick has KDE Neon, Kubuntu, Mint, PCLinuxOS and UbuntuDDE on it.

[hallergard]

I can see the point of having ISOs with rescue tools, but do not understand why have several linux ISOs. Are they "persistent"?

[GreyGeek]

I can see the point of having ISOs with rescue tools, but do not understand why have several linux ISOs. Are they "persistent"?

Why climb a mountain? Because it is there. Persistent? No.
I like this idea. I always carry around the latest LTS Kubuntu on a 64Gb USB stick. The Ventoy allows me to have multiple choices when installing on someone else's machine. Kubuntu is ALWAYS my first choice, but some people think KDE is too complicated for them. Thus, UbuntuDDE, or Mint, etc. Right now I am downloading KaOS to add to my USB stick.

[hallergard]

Get it! Makes sense if you are in the "installation business"