Create a multi-boot USB drive
I need to create bootable media that allows for me to select which ISO to boot from?
Nadir ALTINBAS
Rufus
In the old days, you could use Easy2Boot to have all your ISO files on the USB drive and select it during boot.
These days it's mostly UEFI boot, and therefore, once a USB is prepared correctly, the file system takes care of it.
You have your root folder, and you can create subfolders. Every time you need to boot a different "ISO", you move all root files/folder (except the subfolder that hold all the "ISO", which aren't ISOs, just plain files) back to the correct subfolder, and move the subfolders file of your "ISO" to the root.
While this is not the ideal solution (as you need a PC or laptop to move the files around if you want to "change" your USB boot), it does mean you don't need the complicated Easy2Boot setup, and other requirements to keep the USB in that state (needs continuous defrag to keep it working)
These days it's mostly UEFI boot, and therefore, once a USB is prepared correctly, the file system takes care of it.
You have your root folder, and you can create subfolders. Every time you need to boot a different "ISO", you move all root files/folder (except the subfolder that hold all the "ISO", which aren't ISOs, just plain files) back to the correct subfolder, and move the subfolders file of your "ISO" to the root.
While this is not the ideal solution (as you need a PC or laptop to move the files around if you want to "change" your USB boot), it does mean you don't need the complicated Easy2Boot setup, and other requirements to keep the USB in that state (needs continuous defrag to keep it working)
For Windoze iso's, WinsetupFromUSB is the best utility to use. Make sure your USB stick is using FAT32 as the filesystem (that is required to boot & install to UEFI & GPT HD's). If the iso is larger than the max size allowed by FAT32 (4GB), it get's split into parts:
http://www.winsetupfromusb.com/
For Linux, unetbootin isn't too bad, but if I remember properly, it extracts the isos into different folders on the USB stick, so you don't have the actual iso's there. You probably also have to format with FAT32 for EFI compatibility, but I haven't used it for a long time:
http://unetbootin.github.io/
Personally I prefer to use the "USB Creator", which was built by SolydX:
https://solydxk.com/
https://repository.solydxk.com/changelogs/pool/main/u/
http://www.winsetupfromusb.com/
For Linux, unetbootin isn't too bad, but if I remember properly, it extracts the isos into different folders on the USB stick, so you don't have the actual iso's there. You probably also have to format with FAT32 for EFI compatibility, but I haven't used it for a long time:
http://unetbootin.github.io/
Personally I prefer to use the "USB Creator", which was built by SolydX:
https://solydxk.com/
https://repository.solydxk.com/changelogs/pool/main/u/
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I have created one with WinSetupFromUSB which rindi posted almost 6 years ago and that USB stick is still serving me a good work. Interesting thing - if I need to update the ISO - I simply replace that ISO with new one in folder on the USB stick and it still boot from it without any issue.
+1 for @Nadir's https://rufus.ie/en suggestion.
ASKER
Rufus https://rufus.ie/en
So far, I have looked at Rufus recommended by Nadir and David. It's not clear where yet the multiple ISOs are supposed to reside as it appears to ask for only one at-a-time. What I like so far is that it also appears that it will work with Windows or Linux ISOs but would need help figuring out how to get it to work for multiple ISO files.
Ventoy https://www.ventoy.net/en/index.html
Ventoy recommended by Adam seems pretty solid so far. I like the simplicity of the installation over Rufus and the fact that it seems to hide all the boot files by default so that it looks like an empty drive ready for ISO images which I have chosen to put in a folder called ISOs. Still testing...
So far, I have looked at Rufus recommended by Nadir and David. It's not clear where yet the multiple ISOs are supposed to reside as it appears to ask for only one at-a-time. What I like so far is that it also appears that it will work with Windows or Linux ISOs but would need help figuring out how to get it to work for multiple ISO files.
Ventoy https://www.ventoy.net/en/index.html
Ventoy recommended by Adam seems pretty solid so far. I like the simplicity of the installation over Rufus and the fact that it seems to hide all the boot files by default so that it looks like an empty drive ready for ISO images which I have chosen to put in a folder called ISOs. Still testing...
I believe Rufus writes 1 ISO to the USB drive and does not support multibooting of ISOs.
I should also mention not every ISO supports multibooting and you end up using Rufus to write the ISO to a USB flash drive anyways. An example is O&O Bluecon. It only works using Rufus to 1 USB drive, it does not work with Ventoy or the iODD.
I should also mention not every ISO supports multibooting and you end up using Rufus to write the ISO to a USB flash drive anyways. An example is O&O Bluecon. It only works using Rufus to 1 USB drive, it does not work with Ventoy or the iODD.
ASKER
Rufus does look more powerfull but I have gotten Ventoy to work and am happy with it for my needs so far. Thank you to all for the suggestions.
Alternative #1: Normally the way I do this is..
1) Install Linux.
2) Install VirtualBox.
3) Install Windows into a VirtualBox instance.
4) Use the Windows instance, till I can retire the Windows code being used.
This might be simply replacing the Windows code or maybe using WINE to port the code to Linux.
5) This approach means you're only booting Linux, so no multi-boot complexity to wrestle with.
1) Install Linux.
2) Install VirtualBox.
3) Install Windows into a VirtualBox instance.
4) Use the Windows instance, till I can retire the Windows code being used.
This might be simply replacing the Windows code or maybe using WINE to port the code to Linux.
5) This approach means you're only booting Linux, so no multi-boot complexity to wrestle with.
Alternative #2: File system hack.
1) Create all your externally connected disks using FAT32.
2) Now you can access your disk data using Linux, OSX or Windows directly.
3) Now create 2x USB sticks, 1x running Linux + 1x running Windows.
4) This approach is what I'm considering for a project right now.
The big win here is data can be accessed by any OS, so this escapes all the multi-OS filesystem incompatibilities... the bane of multi-boot setups...
5) One other Linux consideration, likely worth research, is to use Alpine Linux, booting the entire OS into memory.
This is a massive performance win as the entire OS runs out of RAM, rather than any USB I/O.
You'll use this approach... when you... "feel the need for speed"... :-)
1) Create all your externally connected disks using FAT32.
2) Now you can access your disk data using Linux, OSX or Windows directly.
3) Now create 2x USB sticks, 1x running Linux + 1x running Windows.
4) This approach is what I'm considering for a project right now.
The big win here is data can be accessed by any OS, so this escapes all the multi-OS filesystem incompatibilities... the bane of multi-boot setups...
5) One other Linux consideration, likely worth research, is to use Alpine Linux, booting the entire OS into memory.
This is a massive performance win as the entire OS runs out of RAM, rather than any USB I/O.
You'll use this approach... when you... "feel the need for speed"... :-)
I don't think that is the point. What he wants to do is have multiple OS Install Iso's on one USB stick to install the OS's to Hardware from.
Besides that, if you install Linux, why use VirtualBox? There is KVM which is native to Linux, & since it is a kernel based Hypervisor, it performs better than VBox. I have installed several M$ OS instances under KVM, and those work fine.
Besides that, if you install Linux, why use VirtualBox? There is KVM which is native to Linux, & since it is a kernel based Hypervisor, it performs better than VBox. I have installed several M$ OS instances under KVM, and those work fine.
@rindi...
Linux + VirtualBox + Windows, means Linux + Windows can run off 1x boot, so no multi-boot requirement.
Linux + VirtualBox + Windows, means Linux + Windows can run off 1x boot, so no multi-boot requirement.