How to Make a Bootable Flash Drive using ISObooter

[nooby]

Ooops sorry now I see that text.
thanks

[rcrsn51]

Read half-way down the post for ISObooter. It is new.

[nooby]

Thanks I did as it said and are writing from Peppermint
booted that way. So that was success. I reboot
and test if Porteus will boot too.

Edit writing from Porteus so that is good

Now I will test other isos

[rcrsn51]

Excellent. If you get the "dis-contiguous" problem, just reformat the drive and start again.

Or get a second drive, set it up with ISObooter and copy all the ISOs from the first drive to the second.

[nooby]

The Error 60 discontig thing seems to happen to me
each time I transfer a new iso to it. So that is a disappointment

I am trying to check out crunchbang now but have to start all over
with formatting and moving the files.

[rcrsn51]

The Error 60 discontig thing seems to happen to me each time I transfer a new iso to it. So that is a disappointment.

Did you delete any ISOs from the USB drive before adding new ones? That would be a sure way to cause the problem.

Other than running a Windows defragging tool or starting over, there is no way around this.

[nooby]

Oops did not know that was a No No to do. Sorry.

Another error surfaces. Error 62 Number of heads
--heads=0 may not work for you

and it did not. Second time me have that error.

Damn I hate using Ms Windows.

Why did all those Linux fans tell me to discard Ms Win
all together. It is obvious one need it at time.

Take Smartphones. They only upgrade if one have Ms Windows
for the phone maker does not do it over linux. Crazy.

But Puppyluvr told about this trick that one should copy files too and fro
but he recommend ext3 for to make it work best?

Is that something you remember? Maybe only work of the fat32
is low level formatted and not the fast format by Gparted?

[rcrsn51]

Oops did not know that was a No No to do. Sorry.

That was my mistake for not mentioning it in the instructions. If you will continue testing on a new setup, I would like to know how many ISOs you can load without getting the error.

Another error surfaces. Error 62 Number of heads --heads=0 may not work for you

This problem is mentioned in the instructions with TInyCore Linux. I have seen several other distros that do it.

You must manually edit the menu.lst file and make this change

Code: Select all

title xxx
....
map --heads=0 --sectors-per-track=0 (hd0,0)/xxx.iso (0xff)
....

Damn I hate using Ms Windows.

What does this have to do with Windows?

But Puppyluvr told about this trick that one should copy files too and fro

This was my other suggestion - to get a second USB drive and copy all the ISOs from one to the other. But it's probably easier for you to just start over.

[nooby]

Thanks I used your code to edit that menu.lst and that made wonder
It booted Crunchbang and I use that OS now to write in the forum.
So what other Linux OS should I try? I have only tested on small
cheap USBflash 1GB so that is too small I should try bigger ones
and several Os on each.

I will most likely use gparted to wipe these clean each time.
Hopefully that work.

I am not sure but I got the impression they get corrupted each time
but that could be me deleted for to free up space for the next OS

[rcrsn51]

I am not sure but I got the impression they get corrupted each time but that could be me deleted for to free up space for the next OS

When you delete a file, that leaves a "hole" in your filesystem. When you add a new file, your OS will eventually want to use the empty space in that hole. But if the new file is too big to fit in the hole, the OS will need to split it up into pieces. Now the file is discontiguous.

If you have a large USB drive, the OS may not need to use the hole. But with only 1 GB, you will definitely run into problems.

So what other Linux OS should I try?

I thought that you had hundreds of them

I will most likely use gparted to wipe these clean each time. Hopefully that work.

It will definitely work.

[nooby]

Yes DW got some 250 or so Just kidding.
I have all Linux OS spread over some 6 computers.
Some bought and other from local scrapbox people
buying better and sending them to trash and me
try to catch them before the trash guys take them.

Unfortunately they have ended that now.

Okay Crunchbang is kind of different this later 64 bit versio
from 2013.

Despite being live it allow me to edit files and delete files
and change names without using any su or sudo or root
or anything. It just works which is very surprising them into
Debian and everything them so cautious on such.

I have not tested to make any persistence file or to save
file to hard disk other than to save one that is already there
Editing a html and saving it back to itself and that worked

I\ve now even tested to download Antix from DW and
then copy that file from Downloads to my HD that went well
not asking anything it behaved as puppy. That is odd indeed.

I doubt that the maker of Crunchbang wanted it that way.
when I where active on their forum some 2 years ago
it was not possible even to read the HD it was not allowed
to even mount in live for to protect it. So either the isobooter
kind of bypass these protection or them changed attitude???
Crunchbang had Iceweasel with flash built in.

[rcrsn51]

I have not tested to make any persistence file or to save file to hard disk other than to save one that is already there.

With Puppies, a save file should be handled automatically.

But as you know, other Linuxes work differently. If you find one that has persistence, you would need to modify your menu.lst entry to handle it.

BTW, you can check the contiguity of an ISO file by running

Code: Select all

filefrag xxx.iso

A report of "1 extent found" is good.

[gcmartin]

Slacko/Precise did NOT use its save-session on system reboots. No parms were used at boot: system was allowed to start on its own. USB files are shown below.

The system boots, it finds those things that exist in its ISO and if finds SWAP on HDDs. But, it does not search or use save-session that are in same folder as the ISOs on sdb1.

Here to help

[gcmartin]

In the case of both Precise and Slacko, the system uses its USB (sdb1) AND IT CREATES a "sdb4". The sdb4 contains the exposed contents of the ISO file used at boot time.

Questions
Is this ro mount suppose to hang around during the life of system operation? Is it required or merely an aid in booting?

Here to help

[nooby]

I tested Slitaz and Zorin.

Slitaz stalled waiting for something from the kernel.
Could be I try it on an AMD CPU Compaq?

Zorin booted fast and I could save to the HD
and rename files and edit files and save pictures
so it works very good.

Oops for here is the code I used

Code: Select all

title zorin-os-6.1-lite
partnew (hd0,3) 0x00 (hd0,0)/zorin-os-6.1-lite.iso
map --heads=0 --sectors-per-track=0 (hd0,0)/zorin-os-6.1-lite.iso (0xff)
map --hook
root (0xff)
chainloader (0xff)

I used same --heads=0 --sectors-per-track=0 on
Slitaz and will now reboot and see if it helps to take it away.
using this instead

title slitaz-4.0
partnew (hd0,3) 0x00 (hd0,0)/slitaz-4.0.iso
map (hd0,0)/slitaz-4.0.iso (0xff)
map --hook
root (0xff)
chainloader (0xff)

That one boots a long way. But then says

Requesting events from the kernel

and then kernel panic and the only way is to do 4 second
hard reboot. Zorin Lite worked very well. Very similar to Crunchbang
in that everything i tried worked.

I don't know if any of these can set up persistence on teh USB
or the HD so would be cool to know

[rcrsn51]

Slacko/Precise did NOT use its save-session on system reboots. No parms were used at boot: system was allowed to start on its own. USB files are shown below.

I have both Slacko and Precise on sdb1. ISObooter set them up with the "n" option to make them work like frugal installs. In each case, I made a save file on sdb1. In each case, the save file was correctly detected on reboot.

As the instructions state, this is the preferred method for installing Puppies.

If you set them up to boot off the splash screen, you need to use the boot argument "puppy psavemark=1".

I have added a note in the instructions about this scenario.

[rcrsn51]

In the case of both Precise and Slacko, the system uses its USB (sdb1) AND IT CREATES a "sdb4". The sdb4 contains the exposed contents of the ISO file used at boot time.

This is precisely how the Easy2Boot/ISObooter technique works. It creates a kind of virtual CD-ROM drive in sdb4 and loads it with the ISO file.

Each time you boot a new ISO, the contents of sdb4 changes.

This is why the instructions state that Partition #4 must NOT be used.

Is this ro mount suppose to hang around during the life of system operation? Is it required or merely an aid in booting?

Yes and Yes. But Postfs1 pointed out that this "feature" could have another use. It would be handy to have the ISO already unpacked if you wanted to do a remaster.
.

[rcrsn51]

Slitaz stalled waiting for something from the kernel.

I downloaded the latest Slitaz and installed it in ISObooter to start off the splash screen. It worked correctly for me.

I don't know if any of these can set up persistence on the USB or the HD so would be cool to know

I once looked at setting up persistence with a frugal install of Slitaz. IIRC, I got it working, but it required a bunch of extra boot options.

[nooby]

I trust you on Slitaz it maybe be something I messed up.

Here I am booted using your isobooter
and ahve Pearl OS booted. Seems to work
like Zorin did too. I will now test if it allow me
to edit and save without being root.

[rcrsn51]

Excellent. Are you putting more than one ISO on your USB drive? Or are you re-formatting it each time?