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
22 grml2usb provides multi-iso support, meaning you can specify several grml ISOs
23 on the command line at once and select the grml flavour you would like to boot
24 on the bootbrompt then. Notice that the default ISO (that's when pressing just
25 enter on the bootprompt or wait until the timeout matches) will be the *first*
26 one specified on the grml2usb command line.
31 The ISO[s] might be the path to one or multiple grml-ISOs as well as the path to
32 the currently running live-system (being /live/image).
34 The device either might be a device name like /dev/sda1 or a directory. When
35 specifying a device name the device is mounted automatically. When specifying a
36 directory it won't be touched but instead grml2usb is assuming that you did set
37 up a bootloader on your own and a bootloader won't be installed automatically.
39 The following options are supported:
43 Use specified bootoptions as default.
47 Do *not* copy files but instead just install a bootloader.
51 Copy files only but do *not* install a bootloader.
55 Avoid executing commands, instead show what would be executed.
56 Warning: please notice that the ISO has to be mounted anyway, otherwise
57 identifying the grml flavour would not be possible.
61 Format specified partition with FAT16.
62 **Important:** this will destroy any existing data on the specified partition!
66 Force any (possible dangerous) actions requiring manual interaction (like --fat16).
70 Install grub bootloader instead of syslinux. [Notice: not implemented yet.]
74 Display usage information and exit.
78 Install specified initrd instead of the default. You might want to specify
79 option *--kernel* as well. (Be aware when using multiboot setup.)
80 [Notice: not implemented yet.]
84 Install specified kernel instead of the default. You might want to specify
85 option *--initrd* as well. (Be aware when using multiboot setup.)
86 [Notice: not implemented yet.]
90 Use specified lilo executable to for installing master boot record (MBR)
91 instead of the default, being /usr/share/grml2usb/lilo/lilo.static.
95 Install a default master boot record (MBR) on the device.
99 Do not output anything but just errors on console.
103 Install specified squashfs file instead of the default.
104 [Notice: not implemented yet.]
108 Uninstall grml ISO files.
109 [Notice: not implemented yet.]
113 Return version and exit.
122 Directory layout on usb device
123 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
154 | `-- stage2_eltorito
172 |-- grml-cheatcodes.txt
187 |-- filesystem.module
189 |-- grml-medium.module
190 |-- grml-medium.squashfs
191 |-- grml-small.module
192 |-- grml-small.squashfs
195 |-- grml64-medium.module
196 |-- grml64-medium.squashfs
197 |-- grml64-small.module
198 `-- grml64-small.squashfs
203 git clone git://git.grml.org/grml2usb.git
205 Developers Debugging Hints
206 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
208 To play with grml2usb you can avoid using a real device via a loopback file
211 dd if=/dev/zero of=~/loopback bs=1M count=100 # adjust size to your needs
212 losetup /dev/loop1 ~/loopback
214 Then create according partitions either running for example:
216 echo -en "n\np\n1\n\n\n t \n 6\n a\n1\n w\n" | fdisk /dev/loop1
220 parted /dev/loop1 -s "mkpart primary fat16 0 -1s mkfs 1 fat16"
222 Finally create a filesystem and execute grml2usb as needed:
225 grml2usb --bootloader-only --mbr /grml/isos/grml-small_2008.11.iso /dev/loop1
231 # grml2usb /home/grml/grml_2008.11.iso /dev/sdb1
233 Install specified ISO on device /dev/sdb1.
235 # grml2usb /home/grml/grml_2008.11.iso /home/grml/grml_small_2008.11.iso /dev/sdb1
237 Install specified ISOs on device /dev/sdb1 for multibooting ISOs.
238 Note: boot "grml" as usual, for booting grml-small use "grml-small on the
239 bootprompt, for grml64 use "grml64" and so on... The *first* specified ISO is
240 the one being the default (when just pressing enter or waiting until the timeout
243 # grml2usb --fat16 --mbr /home/grml/grml_2008.11.iso /dev/sdb1
245 Install specified ISO on device /dev/sdb1, install MBR on /dev/sdb and
246 format partition /dev/sdb1 with FAT16 filesystem.
248 # grml2usb --grub /home/grml/grml_2008.11.iso /dev/sdb1
250 Install specified ISO on device /dev/sdb1 and use Grub as bootloader
251 (instead of syslinux being the default).
253 # grml2usb --kernel=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-grml --initrd=/boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-grml \
254 /home/grml/grml_2008.11.iso /dev/sdb1
256 Install specified ISO on device /dev/sdb1 but use given kernel and initrd
257 instead of the ones provided by the ISO.
259 # grml2usb --squashfs=/grml/grml-live/grml_cd/live/grml.squashfs \
260 /home/grml/grml_2008.11.iso /dev/sdb1
262 Install specified ISO on device /dev/sdb1 but use given squashfs
263 file instead of the one provided by the ISO.
265 # grml2usb --bootoptions="lang=de ssh=mysecret" grml_2008.11.iso /dev/sdb1
267 Install specified ISO on device /dev/sdb1 and use "lang=de ssh=mysecret" as
272 Please report feedback, link:http://grml.org/bugs/[bugreports] and wishes link:http://grml.org/contact/[to the grml-team].
276 Michael Prokop <mika@grml.org>
278 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
279 http://wiki.grml.org/doku.php?id=tips#multiboot_usb_pen
280 http://www.startx.ro/sugar/isotostick.sh
281 https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/FromUSBStick
282 http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/
283 http://www.tux.org/pub/people/kent-robotti/looplinux/rip/mkusb.sh
284 https://fedorahosted.org/liveusb-creator/
285 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////