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.
82 Install specified initrd instead of the default. You might want to specify
83 option *--kernel* as well. (Be aware when using multiboot setup.)
84 [Notice: not implemented yet.]
88 Install specified kernel instead of the default. You might want to specify
89 option *--initrd* as well. (Be aware when using multiboot setup.)
90 [Notice: not implemented yet.]
94 Use specified lilo executable for installing master boot record (MBR) when using
95 the --syslinux-mbr option. By default any system wide (from $PATH) lilo
96 executable is taken. If there can not be find any lilo executable the
97 statically compiled version of the grml2usb Debian package (see
98 /usr/share/grml2usb/lilo/lilo.static.[amd64|i386]) is taken.
100 *--mbr-manager=...*::
102 Install master boot record (MBR) with integrated boot manager, providing a
103 simple selection for specifying the device for booting from. This options is
104 available only when using the default MBR and won't work if using the
105 --syslinux-mbr option.
109 Do not output anything but just errors on console.
113 Do not install /boot/addons/ files (like dos, grub, memdisk,...).
117 Do not touch/install the master boot record (MBR).
121 Install syslinux bootloader instead of the default (being grub).
125 Install syslinux master boot record (MBR) instead of the default one. By
126 default a very compatible MBR is installed, if you can encounter any problems
127 with it you can try using the syslinux MBR instead. If that works for you please
128 <<X7,let us know>> so we can adjust our default MBR accordingly.
131 When using the --syslinux-mbr option also lilo is executed so the according
132 partitions are set active.
136 Install specified squashfs file instead of the default.
137 [Notice: not implemented yet.]
141 Uninstall grml ISO files.
142 [Notice: not implemented yet.]
146 Return version and exit.
155 Directory layout on usb device
156 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
160 | |-- allinone.img [grub - all in one image]
161 | |-- bsd4grml/ [MirBSD]
162 | |-- balder10.imz [FreeDOS]
163 | |-- memdisk [chainloading helper]
164 | |-- memtest [memtest86+]
167 | | |-- linux26 [Kernel]
168 | | |-- initrd.gz [initramfs]
170 | | |-- linux26 [Kernel]
171 | | |-- initrd.gz [initramfs]
173 | | |-- linux26 [...]
185 | |-- grml.png [splash screen for grub2]
186 | |-- grub.cfg [configuration file for grub2]
187 | |-- menu.lst [configuration file for grub1]
188 | |-- splash.xpm.gz [splash screen for grub1]
189 | `-- stage2_eltorito [stage 2 loader for grub1]
191 |-- boot.msg [boot splash for syslinux]
192 |-- f1 [screen when pressing f1]
193 |-- f2 [screen when pressing f2]
202 |-- logo.16 [graphical part of boot splash]
203 `-- syslinux.cfg [configuration file for syslinux]
206 |-- grml2usb.txt [not yet implemented]
207 |-- grml-cheatcodes.txt [list of bootoptions for grml]
208 |-- grml-version.txt [file containing information about grml-version]
209 |-- LICENSE.txt [license information]
210 |-- md5sums [md5sums of original ISO]
211 |-- README.txt [informational text]
212 `-- web/ [browser related files]
222 |-- filesystem.module [file specifying which squashfs should be used by default]
223 |-- grml.squashfs [squashfs file]
224 |-- grml-medium.module [module specifying which squashfs should be used for grml-medium]
225 |-- grml-medium.squashfs [squashfs file for grml-medium]
226 |-- grml-small.module [...]
227 |-- grml-small.squashfs
230 |-- grml64-medium.module
231 |-- grml64-medium.squashfs
232 |-- grml64-small.module
233 `-- grml64-small.squashfs
238 % git clone git://git.grml.org/grml2usb.git
240 Developers Debugging Hints
241 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
243 To play with grml2usb you can avoid using a real device via a loopback file
246 # dd if=/dev/zero of=~/loopback bs=1M count=100 # adjust size to your needs
247 # losetup /dev/loop1 ~/loopback
249 Then create according partitions either running for example:
251 # echo -en "n\np\n1\n\n\nt\n6\na\n1\n w\n" | fdisk /dev/loop1
255 # parted /dev/loop1 -s "mkpart primary fat16 0 -1s mkfs 1 fat16"
257 Finally create a filesystem and execute grml2usb as needed:
259 # mkfs.vfat /dev/loop1
260 # grml2usb --bootloader-only /grml/isos/grml-small_2008.11.iso /dev/loop1
265 # blktrace -d /dev/sdb -o - | blkparse -i -
266 # grml2usb grml_2008.11.iso /dev/sdb1
269 Troubleshooting and Pitfalls when booting
270 -----------------------------------------
272 Here is a list of common error messages from BIOS/bootloader when trying to boot
275 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
276 TODO: better list type for the error message / reason part?
277 See http://www.methods.co.nz/asciidoc/userguide.html
278 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
281 *Error message*:: ran out of input data. System halted
283 *Reason*:: Everything OK, except for the filesystem used on your usb device. So
284 instead of fat16 you are using for example fat32. Fix: use the appropriate
285 filesystem (fat16 for usb pens usually). The Bootsplash might be displayed, the
286 kernel loads but you very soon get the error message.
288 *Error message*:: Invalid operating system
290 *Reason*:: the partition layout is not ok. Very probably there's no primary
291 partition (/dev/sdX{1..4}) or none has the flag 'bootable' set.
293 *Error message*:: No operating system found.
295 *Reason*:: you forgot to set the boot-flag on the partition. Or there really isn't
296 any operating system at all. :)
298 *Error message*:: kernel-panic: unable to mount root-fs...
300 *Reason*:: Kernel boots but fails to find the root filesystem. The root=
301 argument in your kernel commandline is pointing to the wrong device. Adjust
302 root=..., consider using root=UUID=....
304 *Error message*:: Could not find kernel image: ...
306 *Reason*:: either a broken isolinux/syslinux version or a broken BIOS. Check out
307 whether the vendor provides a BIOS update or if using bootloader grub instead of
308 isolinux/syslinux fixes the problem.
310 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
311 --------------------------------
313 What's the difference between grml2hd and grml2usb?
314 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
316 grml2hd installs a running grml system to a harddisk. When rebooting the
317 harddisk installation can be modified and changes will find their way to the
318 harddisk immediately. grml2usb copies just the compressed chroot filesystem
319 (being the squashfs file), some further informational files and a bootloader to
320 your device. This way you don't need as much space as with a harddisk
321 installation (just a USB device with >=ISO size) and when rebooting the system
322 your changes will be lost (even though a persistent root feature is
323 work-in-progress). Think of using a better CD version: booting is (usually)
324 faster, you don't need to burn a new CD when a new ISO version arrives (just
325 install the new ISO using grml2usb) and you can carry additional files on a
326 writable medium with yourself.
328 Why is there a menu.lst and a grub.cfg inside /boot/grub/?
329 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
331 grml2usb supports grub version 1 (grub1) as well as grub version 2 (grub2).
332 Whereas grub1 uses menu.lst the new version grub2 needs grub.cfg.
333 Providing both files allows grml2usb to install grub on the target device
334 no matter which grub version is available on the host where grml2usb is
337 Why do I have to use a FAT16 filesystem?
338 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
340 You have to use a FAT16 filesystem only if you consider using syslinux, Syslinux
341 (currently) does not support any other filesystems. If you want to use another
342 filesystem (like ext2/3) just don't use syslinux (drop the --syslinux option)
343 but use the default bootloader (grub) instead.
345 I think I've got a really cool idea!
346 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
348 Please <<X7,report it to the author>>. Or even better: send us a patch. :)
350 I've problems with booting from USB.
351 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
353 Check out <<X6,Troubleshooting and Pitfalls when booting>>.
358 Please <<X7,report it to the author>>. Please provide usage examples and output
359 of your grml2usb commandline (consider using the "--verbose" option).
364 # grml2usb /home/grml/grml_2008.11.iso /dev/sdb1
366 Install specified ISO on device /dev/sdb1.
368 # grml2usb /home/grml/grml_2008.11.iso /home/grml/grml_small_2008.11.iso /dev/sdb1
370 Install specified ISOs on device /dev/sdb1 for multibooting ISOs.
371 Note: boot "grml" as usual, for booting grml-small use "grml-small on the
372 bootprompt, for grml64 use "grml64" and so on... The *first* specified ISO is
373 the one being the default (when just pressing enter or waiting until the timeout
376 # grml2usb --fat16 /home/grml/grml_2008.11.iso /dev/sdb1
378 Install specified ISO on device /dev/sdb1 and format partition /dev/sdb1 with
381 # grml2usb --syslinux /home/grml/grml_2008.11.iso /dev/sdb1
383 Install specified ISO on device /dev/sdb1 and use syslinux as bootloader
384 (instead of grub being the default).
386 # grml2usb --kernel=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-grml --initrd=/boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-grml \
387 /home/grml/grml_2008.11.iso /dev/sdb1
389 Install specified ISO on device /dev/sdb1 but use given kernel and initrd
390 instead of the ones provided by the ISO.
392 # grml2usb --squashfs=/grml/grml-live/grml_cd/live/grml.squashfs \
393 /home/grml/grml_2008.11.iso /dev/sdb1
395 Install specified ISO on device /dev/sdb1 but use given squashfs
396 file instead of the one provided by the ISO.
398 # grml2usb --bootoptions="lang=de ssh=mysecret" grml_2008.11.iso /dev/sdb1
400 Install specified ISO on device /dev/sdb1 and use "lang=de ssh=mysecret" as
406 Check out the link:http://grml.org/grml2usb/[grml2usb webpage] and the
407 link:http://git.grml.org/?p=grml2usb.git[grml2usb git repository].
411 Please report feedback, bugreports and wishes <<X7,to the author>>.
416 Michael Prokop <mika@grml.org>
418 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
419 http://wiki.grml.org/doku.php?id=tips#multiboot_usb_pen
420 http://www.startx.ro/sugar/isotostick.sh
421 https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/FromUSBStick
422 http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/
423 http://www.tux.org/pub/people/kent-robotti/looplinux/rip/mkusb.sh
424 https://fedorahosted.org/liveusb-creator/
425 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////