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 *******************************************************************************
20 grml2usb installs grml on a given partition of your usb device and makes it
21 bootable. It provides multi-iso support, meaning you can specify several grml
22 ISOs on the command line at once and select the grml flavour you would like to
23 boot on the bootprompt then. Note that the *first* ISO specified on the grml2usb
24 command line will become the default one (that's the one that will boot when
25 just pressing enter on the bootprompt or wait until the boot timeout matches).
28 By default a compatible master boot record (MBR) is installed on the device
29 (being for example /dev/sdx when executing 'grml2usb grml.iso /dev/sdx1')
30 and grub is being used as default bootloader. Avoid installation of the
31 default MBR using the --skip-mbr option or if you encounter any problems
32 with the default MBR consider using --syslinux-mbr instead. If bootloader
33 grub doesn't work for you check out the --syslinux option.
39 The ISO[s] should be the path to one or multiple grml-ISOs and/or the path to
40 the currently running live-system (being /live/image).
42 The device either might be a device name like /dev/sdx1 or a directory. When
43 specifying a device name the device is mounted automatically. When specifying a
44 directory grml2usb is assuming that you did set up a bootloader on your own (or
45 don't need one) and a bootloader won't be installed automatically.
47 The following options are supported:
49 *\--bootoptions=...*::
51 Use specified bootoptions as default.
53 *\--bootloader-only*::
55 Do *not* copy files but instead just install a bootloader. Note that the boot
56 addons are copied to /boot/addons at this stage as well. If you want to skip
57 copying the boot addons consider using the --skip-addons option.
61 Copy files only but do *not* install a bootloader.
65 Avoid executing commands, instead show what would be executed.
66 Warning: please notice that the ISO has to be mounted anyway, otherwise
67 identifying the grml flavour would not be possible.
71 Format specified partition with FAT16.
72 **Important:** this will destroy any existing data on the specified partition!
76 Force any (possible dangerous) actions requiring manual interaction (like --fat16).
80 Display usage information and exit.
82 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
85 Install specified initrd instead of the default. You might want to specify
86 option *--kernel* as well. (Be aware when using multiboot setup.)
87 [Notice: not implemented yet.]
88 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
90 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
93 Install specified kernel instead of the default. You might want to specify
94 option *--initrd* as well. (Be aware when using multiboot setup.)
95 [Notice: not implemented yet.]
96 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
98 *\--lilo-binary=...*::
100 Use specified lilo executable for installing master boot record (MBR) when using
101 the --syslinux-mbr option. By default any system wide (from $PATH) lilo
102 executable is taken. If there can not be find any lilo executable the
103 statically compiled version of the grml2usb Debian package (see
104 /usr/share/grml2usb/lilo/lilo.static.[amd64|i386]) is taken.
108 Install master boot record (MBR) with integrated boot menu: interactively choose
109 the partition to boot from, with a timeout to load the default partition, or
110 boot from floppy. When NOT using the --mbr-menu option a MBR with LBA and large
111 disc support but without an integrated boot menu is installed (so it's not
112 visible at all but instead directly jumps to the bootloader - being grub or
113 syslinux). Note: This options is available only when using the default MBR and
114 won't have any effect if you're using the --syslinux-mbr option.
118 Do not output anything but just errors on console.
122 Do not install /boot/addons/ files (like dos, grub, memdisk,...).
124 *\--skip-grub-config*::
126 Skip generation of grub configuration files. By default the configuration
127 files for syslinux *and* grub will be written so you've a working configuration
128 file no matter whether you're using grub or syslinux as bootloader.
132 Do not touch/install the master boot record (MBR).
134 *\--skip-syslinux-config*::
136 Skip generation of syslinux configuration files. By default the configuration
137 files for syslinux *and* grub will be written so you've a working configuration
138 file no matter whether you're using grub or syslinux as bootloader.
142 Install syslinux bootloader instead of the default (being grub).
146 Install syslinux' master boot record (MBR, which is booting from the partition
147 with the "active" flag set) instead of the default one. If you encounter any
148 problems with the default MBR you can try using the syslinux MBR instead. If
149 that works for you please <<author,let us know>> so we can adjust our default
150 MBR accordingly. Note: When using the --syslinux-mbr option lilo is executed
151 before the MBR is installed so the according partitions are set active.
153 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
156 Install specified squashfs file instead of the default.
157 [Notice: not implemented yet.]
158 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
160 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
163 Uninstall grml ISO files.
164 [Notice: not implemented yet.]
165 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
169 Return version and exit.
179 Directory layout on usb device
180 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
184 | |-- allinone.img [grub - all in one image]
185 | |-- bsd4grml/ [MirBSD]
186 | |-- balder10.imz [FreeDOS]
187 | |-- memdisk [chainloading helper]
188 | |-- memtest [memtest86+]
191 | | |-- linux26 [Kernel]
192 | | |-- initrd.gz [initramfs]
194 | | |-- linux26 [Kernel]
195 | | |-- initrd.gz [initramfs]
197 | | |-- linux26 [...]
209 | |-- grml.png [splash screen for grub2]
210 | |-- grub.cfg [configuration file for grub2]
211 | |-- menu.lst [configuration file for grub1]
212 | |-- splash.xpm.gz [splash screen for grub1]
214 |-- boot.msg [boot splash for syslinux]
215 |-- f1 [screen when pressing f1]
216 |-- f2 [screen when pressing f2]
225 |-- logo.16 [graphical part of boot splash]
226 `-- syslinux.cfg [configuration file for syslinux]
229 |-- grml2usb.txt [not yet implemented]
230 |-- grml-cheatcodes.txt [list of bootoptions for grml]
231 |-- grml-version.txt [file containing information about grml-version]
232 |-- LICENSE.txt [license information]
233 |-- md5sums [md5sums of original ISO]
234 |-- README.txt [informational text]
235 `-- web/ [browser related files]
246 | |-- filesystem.module [module specifying which squashfs should be used for grml]
247 | `-- grml.squashfs [squashfs file for grml]
249 | |-- filesystem.module [module specifying which squashfs should be used for grml-medium]
250 | `-- grml-medium.squashfs [squashfs file for grml-medium]
252 | |-- filesystem.module [module specifying which squashfs should be used for grml-medium]
253 | `-- grml-small.squashfs [squashfs file for grml-small]
260 % git clone git://git.grml.org/grml2usb.git
263 Developers Debugging Hints
264 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
266 To play with grml2usb you can avoid using a real device via a loopback file
269 # dd if=/dev/zero of=~/loopback bs=1M count=100 # adjust size to your needs
270 # losetup /dev/loop1 ~/loopback
272 Then create according partitions either running for example:
274 # echo -en "n\np\n1\n\n\nt\n6\na\n1\n w\n" | fdisk /dev/loop1
278 # parted /dev/loop1 -s "mkpart primary fat16 0 -1s mkfs 1 fat16"
280 Finally create a filesystem and execute grml2usb as needed:
282 # mkfs.vfat /dev/loop1
283 # grml2usb --bootloader-only /grml/isos/grml-small_2009.05.iso /dev/loop1
285 [[performance-tracing]]
289 # blktrace -d /dev/sdx -o - | blkparse -i -
290 # grml2usb grml_2009.05.iso /dev/sdx1
293 Troubleshooting and Pitfalls when booting
294 -----------------------------------------
296 Here is a list of common error messages from BIOS/bootloader when trying to boot
299 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
300 TODO: better list type for the error message / reason part?
301 See http://www.methods.co.nz/asciidoc/userguide.html
302 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
305 *Error message*:: ran out of input data. System halted
307 *Reason*:: Everything OK, except for the filesystem used on your usb device. So
308 instead of fat16 you are using for example fat32. Fix: use the appropriate
309 filesystem (fat16 for usb pens usually). The Bootsplash might be displayed, the
310 kernel loads but you very soon get the error message.
312 *Error message*:: Invalid operating system
314 *Reason*:: the partition layout is not ok. Very probably there's no primary
315 partition (/dev/sdX{1..4}) or none has the flag 'bootable' set.
317 *Error message*:: No operating system found.
319 *Reason*:: you forgot to set the boot-flag on the partition. Or there really isn't
320 any operating system at all. :)
322 *Error message*:: kernel-panic: unable to mount root-fs...
324 *Reason*:: Kernel boots but fails to find the root filesystem. The root=
325 argument in your kernel commandline is pointing to the wrong device. Adjust
326 root=..., consider using root=UUID=....
328 *Error message*:: Could not find kernel image: ...
330 *Reason*:: either a broken isolinux/syslinux version or a broken BIOS. Check out
331 whether the vendor provides a BIOS update or if using bootloader grub instead of
332 isolinux/syslinux fixes the problem.
335 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
336 --------------------------------
339 Where can I get grml2usb?
340 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
342 grml2usb is available as Debian package via link:http://deb.grml.org/[the
343 grml-testing Debian repository]. Please make sure you really have the Debian
344 package installed as having just the grml2usb script available is definitely
347 If you do NOT have a Debian based system but still want to be able to use
348 grml2usb you can use the provided
349 link:http://grml.org/grml2usb/grml2usb.tgz[http://grml.org/grml2usb/grml2usb.tgz]
350 (link:http://grml.org/grml2usb/grml2usb.tgz.md5.asc[gpg signed md5 hash]).
351 Download and extract the tarball and execute the provided script 'install.sh'.
353 [[grml2hd-vs-grml2usb]]
354 What's the difference between grml2hd and grml2usb?
355 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
357 grml2hd installs a running grml system to a harddisk. When rebooting the
358 harddisk installation can be modified and changes will find their way to the
359 harddisk immediately. grml2usb copies just the compressed chroot filesystem
360 (being the squashfs file), some further informational files and a bootloader to
361 your device. This way you don't need as much space as with a harddisk
362 installation (just a USB device with >=ISO size) and when rebooting the system
363 your changes will be lost (unless you are using the persistency feature, see
364 link:http://wiki.grml.org/doku.php?id=persistency[http://wiki.grml.org/doku.php?id=persistency]).
365 Think of using a better CD version: booting is (usually) faster, you don't need
366 to burn a new CD when a new ISO version arrives (just install the new ISO using
367 grml2usb) and you can carry additional files on a writable medium with yourself.
370 Why can't I just dd the ISO to a USB device?
371 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
376 Note that ANY existing data on your USB device will be destroyed when
377 using the dd approach.
379 Grab a recent grml ISO and use
380 link:http://syslinux.zytor.com/wiki/index.php/Doc/isolinux#HYBRID_CD-ROM.2FHARD_DISK_MODE[isohybrid
381 from the syslinux project]:
383 % isohybrid grml_2009.05.iso
385 This allows you to dd the grml ISO to your USB device (use for example
386 link:http://www.chrysocome.net/rawwrite[rawwrite] if you've just a Windows
387 system available) running:
389 % dd if=grml_2009.05.iso of=/dev/sdX
391 where /dev/sdX is your USB device.
394 Upcoming stable versions of grml will provide dd-able ISOs straight
395 out-of-the-box (and current link:http://daily.grml.org/[daily snapshots] already
396 do) using a so called manifold boot method.
399 What's the difference between grml2usb and just using dd?
400 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
402 grml2usb does not remove any data from your USB device and does not alter the
403 partition table at all. grml2usb provides multi-ISO support, support for adding
404 default bootoptions and selecting the bootloader (grub vs. syslinux) without
405 having to manually touch the ISO at all.
411 grml2iso is a script which uses grml2usb to generate a multiboot ISO out of
412 several grml ISOs. See 'man grml2iso' for further details.
415 Why is there a menu.lst and a grub.cfg inside /boot/grub/?
416 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
418 grml2usb supports grub version 1 (grub1) as well as grub version 2 (grub2).
419 Whereas grub1 uses menu.lst the new version grub2 needs grub.cfg.
420 Providing both files allows grml2usb to install grub on the target device
421 no matter which grub version is available on the host where grml2usb is
425 grub-install fails with 'The file ../boot/grub/stage1 not read correctly"?!
426 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
428 Check whether the partition has the right partition type. For example do NOT use
429 FAT16 (partition type 6) when using a ext3 filesystem on the partition but
430 instead use the correct partition type ('83' - Linux) then.
432 [[grub-install-xfs_freeze]]
433 grub-install complains about /sbin/grub-install and/or xfs_freeze?!
434 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
436 The following message:
438 You shouldn't call /sbin/grub-install. Please call /usr/sbin/grub-install instead!
439 xfs_freeze: specified file ["/tmp/tmpqaBK6z/boot/grub"] is not on an XFS filesystem
441 This is "normal". grub-install sends those messages to stderr. To avoid hiding any
442 possible real error messages grml2usb doesn't ignore those messages.
445 grub-install complains about /boot/grub/device.map?!
446 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
448 The following message:
450 grub-probe: error: Cannot open `/boot/grub/device.map'
452 This is "normal" (at least with grub1). This isn't a problem, because the
453 device.map file will be generated on the target device anyway.
456 grub-install complains about a unary operator?!
457 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
459 The following message:
461 '/usr/sbin/grub-install: line 374: [: =: unary operator expected'
463 This is "normal". Just ignore it.
466 I'm getting something like "Error: /usr/share/grml2usb/grub/splash.xpm.gz can not be read"!?
467 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
469 Looks like you've only the grml2usb script itself available. Please make sure
470 you've the grml2usb Debian package installed. The most resent stable version is
471 available via link:http://deb.grml.org/[the grml-testing Debian repository]. If
472 you do not have a Debian system please see section <<download,Where can I get
473 grml2usb?>> in this FAQ.
476 Why do I have to use a FAT16 filesystem?
477 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
479 You have to use a FAT16 filesystem only if you consider using syslinux. Syslinux
480 (currently) does not support any other filesystems. If you want to use another
481 filesystem (like ext2/3) just don't use syslinux (drop the \--syslinux option)
482 but use the default bootloader (grub) instead.
485 I think I've got a really cool idea!
486 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
488 Great! Please check out
489 link:http://git.grml.org/?p=grml2usb.git;a=blob;f=TODO;hb=HEAD[the TODO file].
490 Feel free to <<author,report your wishes to the author>>. Patches highly
494 I've problems with booting from USB.
495 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
497 Check out <<troubleshooting,Troubleshooting and Pitfalls when booting>>.
503 Please <<author,report it to the author>>. Please provide usage examples and output
504 of your grml2usb commandline (consider using the "\--verbose" option).
510 # grml2usb /home/grml/grml_2009.05.iso /dev/sdx1
512 Install specified ISO on device /dev/sdx1.
514 # grml2usb /home/grml/grml_2009.05.iso /home/grml/grml_small_2009.05.iso /dev/sdx1
516 Install specified ISOs on device /dev/sdx1 for multibooting ISOs.
517 Note: boot "grml" as usual, for booting grml-small use "grml-small on the
518 bootprompt, for grml64 use "grml64" and so on... The *first* specified ISO is
519 the one being the default (when just pressing enter or waiting until the timeout
522 # grml2usb /live/image /dev/sdx1
524 Install currently running grml live system on device /dev/sdx1.
526 # grml2usb /live/image /home/grml/grml_2009.05.iso /dev/sdx1
528 Install currently running grml live system and the specified
529 ISO on device /dev/sdx1 for multibooting.
531 # grml2usb --fat16 /home/grml/grml_2009.05.iso /dev/sdx1
533 Install specified ISO on device /dev/sdx1 and format partition /dev/sdx1 with
536 # grml2usb --syslinux /home/grml/grml_2009.05.iso /dev/sdx1
538 Install specified ISO on device /dev/sdx1 and use syslinux as bootloader
539 (instead of grub being the default).
541 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
542 # grml2usb --kernel=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-grml --initrd=/boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-grml \
543 /home/grml/grml_2009.05.iso /dev/sdx1
545 Install specified ISO on device /dev/sdx1 but use given kernel and initrd
546 instead of the ones provided by the ISO.
548 # grml2usb --squashfs=/grml/grml-live/grml_cd/live/grml.squashfs \
549 /home/grml/grml_2009.05.iso /dev/sdx1
551 Install specified ISO on device /dev/sdx1 but use given squashfs
552 file instead of the one provided by the ISO.
553 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
555 # grml2usb --bootoptions="lang=de ssh=mysecret" grml_2009.05.iso /dev/sdx1
557 Install specified ISO on device /dev/sdx1 and use "lang=de ssh=mysecret" as
564 Check out the link:http://grml.org/grml2usb/[grml2usb webpage] and the
565 link:http://git.grml.org/?p=grml2usb.git[grml2usb git repository].
570 Please report feedback, bugreports and wishes <<author,to the author>>.
575 Michael Prokop <mika@grml.org>
577 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
578 http://wiki.grml.org/doku.php?id=tips#multiboot_usb_pen
579 http://www.startx.ro/sugar/isotostick.sh
580 https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/FromUSBStick
581 http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/
582 http://www.tux.org/pub/people/kent-robotti/looplinux/rip/mkusb.sh
583 https://fedorahosted.org/liveusb-creator/
584 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////