6 grml2usb - install grml ISO(s) on usb device for booting
10 grml2usb [ options ] <ISO[s]> <device>
12 *******************************************************************************
13 Important! The grml team does not take responsibility for loss of any data!
14 *******************************************************************************
19 grml2usb installs grml on a given partition of your usb device and makes it
20 bootable. It provides multi-iso support, meaning you can specify several grml
21 ISOs on the command line at once and select the grml flavour you would like to
22 boot on the bootbrompt then. Note that the *first* ISO specified on the grml2usb
23 command line will become the default one (that's the one that will boot when
24 just pressing enter on the bootprompt or wait until the boot timeout matches).
27 By default a compatible master boot record (MBR) is installed on the device
28 (being for example /dev/sdb when executing 'grml2usb grml.iso /dev/sdb1')
29 and grub is being used as default bootloader. Avoid installation of the
30 default MBR using the --skip-mbr option or if you encounter any problems
31 with the default MBR consider using --syslinux-mbr instead. If bootloader
32 grub doesn't work for you check out the --syslinux option.
37 The ISO[s] might be the path to one or multiple grml-ISOs as well as the path to
38 the currently running live-system (being /live/image).
40 The device either might be a device name like /dev/sda1 or a directory. When
41 specifying a device name the device is mounted automatically. When specifying a
42 directory it won't be touched but instead grml2usb is assuming that you did set
43 up a bootloader on your own and a bootloader won't be installed automatically.
45 The following options are supported:
49 Use specified bootoptions as default.
53 Do *not* copy files but instead just install a bootloader. Note that the boot
54 addons are copied to /boot/addons at this stage as well. If you want to skip
55 copying the boot addons consider using the --skip-addons option.
59 Copy files only but do *not* install a bootloader.
63 Avoid executing commands, instead show what would be executed.
64 Warning: please notice that the ISO has to be mounted anyway, otherwise
65 identifying the grml flavour would not be possible.
69 Format specified partition with FAT16.
70 **Important:** this will destroy any existing data on the specified partition!
74 Force any (possible dangerous) actions requiring manual interaction (like --fat16).
78 Display usage information and exit.
80 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
83 Install specified initrd instead of the default. You might want to specify
84 option *--kernel* as well. (Be aware when using multiboot setup.)
85 [Notice: not implemented yet.]
86 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
88 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
91 Install specified kernel instead of the default. You might want to specify
92 option *--initrd* as well. (Be aware when using multiboot setup.)
93 [Notice: not implemented yet.]
94 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
98 Use specified lilo executable for installing master boot record (MBR) when using
99 the --syslinux-mbr option. By default any system wide (from $PATH) lilo
100 executable is taken. If there can not be find any lilo executable the
101 statically compiled version of the grml2usb Debian package (see
102 /usr/share/grml2usb/lilo/lilo.static.[amd64|i386]) is taken.
104 *--mbr-manager=...*::
106 Install master boot record (MBR) with integrated boot manager, providing a
107 simple selection for specifying the device for booting from. This options is
108 available only when using the default MBR and won't work if using the
109 --syslinux-mbr option.
113 Do not output anything but just errors on console.
117 Do not install /boot/addons/ files (like dos, grub, memdisk,...).
121 Do not touch/install the master boot record (MBR).
125 Install syslinux bootloader instead of the default (being grub).
129 Install syslinux master boot record (MBR) instead of the default one. By
130 default a very compatible MBR is installed, if you encounter any problems
131 with it you can try using the syslinux MBR instead. If that works for you please
132 <<X7,let us know>> so we can adjust our default MBR accordingly.
133 Note: When using the --syslinux-mbr option lilo is executed before the MBR
134 is installed so the according partitions are set active.
136 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
139 Install specified squashfs file instead of the default.
140 [Notice: not implemented yet.]
141 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
143 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
146 Uninstall grml ISO files.
147 [Notice: not implemented yet.]
148 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
152 Return version and exit.
161 Directory layout on usb device
162 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
166 | |-- allinone.img [grub - all in one image]
167 | |-- bsd4grml/ [MirBSD]
168 | |-- balder10.imz [FreeDOS]
169 | |-- memdisk [chainloading helper]
170 | |-- memtest [memtest86+]
173 | | |-- linux26 [Kernel]
174 | | |-- initrd.gz [initramfs]
176 | | |-- linux26 [Kernel]
177 | | |-- initrd.gz [initramfs]
179 | | |-- linux26 [...]
191 | |-- grml.png [splash screen for grub2]
192 | |-- grub.cfg [configuration file for grub2]
193 | |-- menu.lst [configuration file for grub1]
194 | |-- splash.xpm.gz [splash screen for grub1]
196 |-- boot.msg [boot splash for syslinux]
197 |-- f1 [screen when pressing f1]
198 |-- f2 [screen when pressing f2]
207 |-- logo.16 [graphical part of boot splash]
208 `-- syslinux.cfg [configuration file for syslinux]
211 |-- grml2usb.txt [not yet implemented]
212 |-- grml-cheatcodes.txt [list of bootoptions for grml]
213 |-- grml-version.txt [file containing information about grml-version]
214 |-- LICENSE.txt [license information]
215 |-- md5sums [md5sums of original ISO]
216 |-- README.txt [informational text]
217 `-- web/ [browser related files]
228 | |-- filesystem.module [module specifying which squashfs should be used for grml]
229 | `-- grml.squashfs [squashfs file for grml]
231 | |-- filesystem.module [module specifying which squashfs should be used for grml-medium]
232 | `-- grml-medium.squashfs [squashfs file for grml-medium]
234 | |-- filesystem.module [module specifying which squashfs should be used for grml-medium]
235 | `-- grml-small.squashfs [squashfs file for grml-small]
241 % git clone git://git.grml.org/grml2usb.git
243 Developers Debugging Hints
244 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
246 To play with grml2usb you can avoid using a real device via a loopback file
249 # dd if=/dev/zero of=~/loopback bs=1M count=100 # adjust size to your needs
250 # losetup /dev/loop1 ~/loopback
252 Then create according partitions either running for example:
254 # echo -en "n\np\n1\n\n\nt\n6\na\n1\n w\n" | fdisk /dev/loop1
258 # parted /dev/loop1 -s "mkpart primary fat16 0 -1s mkfs 1 fat16"
260 Finally create a filesystem and execute grml2usb as needed:
262 # mkfs.vfat /dev/loop1
263 # grml2usb --bootloader-only /grml/isos/grml-small_2008.11.iso /dev/loop1
268 # blktrace -d /dev/sdb -o - | blkparse -i -
269 # grml2usb grml_2008.11.iso /dev/sdb1
272 Troubleshooting and Pitfalls when booting
273 -----------------------------------------
275 Here is a list of common error messages from BIOS/bootloader when trying to boot
278 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
279 TODO: better list type for the error message / reason part?
280 See http://www.methods.co.nz/asciidoc/userguide.html
281 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
284 *Error message*:: ran out of input data. System halted
286 *Reason*:: Everything OK, except for the filesystem used on your usb device. So
287 instead of fat16 you are using for example fat32. Fix: use the appropriate
288 filesystem (fat16 for usb pens usually). The Bootsplash might be displayed, the
289 kernel loads but you very soon get the error message.
291 *Error message*:: Invalid operating system
293 *Reason*:: the partition layout is not ok. Very probably there's no primary
294 partition (/dev/sdX{1..4}) or none has the flag 'bootable' set.
296 *Error message*:: No operating system found.
298 *Reason*:: you forgot to set the boot-flag on the partition. Or there really isn't
299 any operating system at all. :)
301 *Error message*:: kernel-panic: unable to mount root-fs...
303 *Reason*:: Kernel boots but fails to find the root filesystem. The root=
304 argument in your kernel commandline is pointing to the wrong device. Adjust
305 root=..., consider using root=UUID=....
307 *Error message*:: Could not find kernel image: ...
309 *Reason*:: either a broken isolinux/syslinux version or a broken BIOS. Check out
310 whether the vendor provides a BIOS update or if using bootloader grub instead of
311 isolinux/syslinux fixes the problem.
313 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
314 --------------------------------
316 What's the difference between grml2hd and grml2usb?
317 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
319 grml2hd installs a running grml system to a harddisk. When rebooting the
320 harddisk installation can be modified and changes will find their way to the
321 harddisk immediately. grml2usb copies just the compressed chroot filesystem
322 (being the squashfs file), some further informational files and a bootloader to
323 your device. This way you don't need as much space as with a harddisk
324 installation (just a USB device with >=ISO size) and when rebooting the system
325 your changes will be lost (even though a persistent root feature is
326 work-in-progress). Think of using a better CD version: booting is (usually)
327 faster, you don't need to burn a new CD when a new ISO version arrives (just
328 install the new ISO using grml2usb) and you can carry additional files on a
329 writable medium with yourself.
331 Why is there a menu.lst and a grub.cfg inside /boot/grub/?
332 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
334 grml2usb supports grub version 1 (grub1) as well as grub version 2 (grub2).
335 Whereas grub1 uses menu.lst the new version grub2 needs grub.cfg.
336 Providing both files allows grml2usb to install grub on the target device
337 no matter which grub version is available on the host where grml2usb is
340 grub-install fails with 'The file ../boot/grub/stage1 not read correctly"?!
341 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
343 Check whether the partition has the right partition type. For example do NOT use
344 FAT16 (partition type 6) when using a ext3 filesystem on the partition but
345 instead use the correct partition type ('83' - Linux) then.
347 Why do I have to use a FAT16 filesystem?
348 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
350 You have to use a FAT16 filesystem only if you consider using syslinux, Syslinux
351 (currently) does not support any other filesystems. If you want to use another
352 filesystem (like ext2/3) just don't use syslinux (drop the --syslinux option)
353 but use the default bootloader (grub) instead.
355 I think I've got a really cool idea!
356 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
358 Great! Please check out
359 link:http://git.grml.org/?p=grml2usb.git;a=blob;f=TODO;hb=HEAD[the TODO file].
360 Feel free to <<X7,report your wishes to the author>>. Patches highly
363 I've problems with booting from USB.
364 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
366 Check out <<X6,Troubleshooting and Pitfalls when booting>>.
371 Please <<X7,report it to the author>>. Please provide usage examples and output
372 of your grml2usb commandline (consider using the "--verbose" option).
377 # grml2usb /home/grml/grml_2008.11.iso /dev/sdb1
379 Install specified ISO on device /dev/sdb1.
381 # grml2usb /home/grml/grml_2008.11.iso /home/grml/grml_small_2008.11.iso /dev/sdb1
383 Install specified ISOs on device /dev/sdb1 for multibooting ISOs.
384 Note: boot "grml" as usual, for booting grml-small use "grml-small on the
385 bootprompt, for grml64 use "grml64" and so on... The *first* specified ISO is
386 the one being the default (when just pressing enter or waiting until the timeout
389 # grml2usb --fat16 /home/grml/grml_2008.11.iso /dev/sdb1
391 Install specified ISO on device /dev/sdb1 and format partition /dev/sdb1 with
394 # grml2usb --syslinux /home/grml/grml_2008.11.iso /dev/sdb1
396 Install specified ISO on device /dev/sdb1 and use syslinux as bootloader
397 (instead of grub being the default).
399 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
400 # grml2usb --kernel=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-grml --initrd=/boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-grml \
401 /home/grml/grml_2008.11.iso /dev/sdb1
403 Install specified ISO on device /dev/sdb1 but use given kernel and initrd
404 instead of the ones provided by the ISO.
406 # grml2usb --squashfs=/grml/grml-live/grml_cd/live/grml.squashfs \
407 /home/grml/grml_2008.11.iso /dev/sdb1
408 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
410 Install specified ISO on device /dev/sdb1 but use given squashfs
411 file instead of the one provided by the ISO.
413 # grml2usb --bootoptions="lang=de ssh=mysecret" grml_2008.11.iso /dev/sdb1
415 Install specified ISO on device /dev/sdb1 and use "lang=de ssh=mysecret" as
421 Check out the link:http://grml.org/grml2usb/[grml2usb webpage] and the
422 link:http://git.grml.org/?p=grml2usb.git[grml2usb git repository].
426 Please report feedback, bugreports and wishes <<X7,to the author>>.
431 Michael Prokop <mika@grml.org>
433 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
434 http://wiki.grml.org/doku.php?id=tips#multiboot_usb_pen
435 http://www.startx.ro/sugar/isotostick.sh
436 https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/FromUSBStick
437 http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/
438 http://www.tux.org/pub/people/kent-robotti/looplinux/rip/mkusb.sh
439 https://fedorahosted.org/liveusb-creator/
440 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////