grml2usb(8) ========== Name ---- grml2usb - install grml ISO(s) on usb device for booting Synopsis -------- grml2usb [ options ] ******************************************************************************* Important! The grml team does not take responsibility for loss of any data! ******************************************************************************* Introduction ------------ grml2usb installs grml on a given partition of your usb device and makes it bootable. It provides multi-iso support, meaning you can specify several grml ISOs on the command line at once and select the grml flavour you would like to boot on the bootbrompt then. Note that the *first* ISO specified on the grml2usb command line will become the default one (that's the one that will boot when just pressing enter on the bootprompt or wait until the boot timeout matches). Options ------- The ISO[s] might be the path to one or multiple grml-ISOs as well as the path to the currently running live-system (being /live/image). The device either might be a device name like /dev/sda1 or a directory. When specifying a device name the device is mounted automatically. When specifying a directory it won't be touched but instead grml2usb is assuming that you did set up a bootloader on your own and a bootloader won't be installed automatically. The following options are supported: *--bootoptions=...*:: Use specified bootoptions as default. *--bootloader-only*:: Do *not* copy files but instead just install a bootloader. *--copy-only*:: Copy files only but do *not* install a bootloader. *--dry-run*:: Avoid executing commands, instead show what would be executed. Warning: please notice that the ISO has to be mounted anyway, otherwise identifying the grml flavour would not be possible. *--fat16*:: Format specified partition with FAT16. **Important:** this will destroy any existing data on the specified partition! *--force*:: Force any (possible dangerous) actions requiring manual interaction (like --fat16). *--grub*:: Install grub bootloader instead of syslinux. *--help*:: Display usage information and exit. *--initrd=...*:: Install specified initrd instead of the default. You might want to specify option *--kernel* as well. (Be aware when using multiboot setup.) [Notice: not implemented yet.] *--kernel=...*:: Install specified kernel instead of the default. You might want to specify option *--initrd* as well. (Be aware when using multiboot setup.) [Notice: not implemented yet.] *--lilo=...*:: Use specified lilo executable for installing master boot record (MBR). By default any system wide (from $PATH) lilo executable is taken. If there can not be find any lilo executable the statically compiled version of the grml2usb Debian package (see /usr/share/grml2usb/lilo/lilo.static.[amd64|i386]) is taken. *--quiet*:: Do not output anything but just errors on console. *--skip-addons*:: Do not install /boot/addons/ files (like dos, grub, memdisk,...). *--squashfs=*:: Install specified squashfs file instead of the default. [Notice: not implemented yet.] *--uninstall*:: Uninstall grml ISO files. [Notice: not implemented yet.] *-v*, *--version*:: Return version and exit. *--verbose*:: Enable verbose mode. Developers Corner ----------------- Directory layout on usb device ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ boot/ -> |-- addons/ | |-- allinone.img | |-- balder10.imz | |-- chain.c32 | |-- memdisk | `-- menu.c32 |-- release/ | |-- grml/ | | |-- linux26 | | |-- initrd.gz | |-- grml64 | | |-- linux26 | | |-- initrd.gz | |-- grml-medium | | |-- linux26 | | |-- initrd.gz | |-- grml64-medium | | |-- linux26 | | |-- initrd.gz | |-- grml-small | | |-- linux26 | | |-- initrd.gz | `-- grml64-small | |-- linux26 | |-- initrd.gz |-- grub/ | |-- menu.lst | |-- splash.xpm.gz | `-- stage2_eltorito `-- syslinux/ |-- boot.msg |-- f1 |-- f2 |-- f3 |-- f4 |-- f5 |-- f6 |-- f7 |-- f8 |-- f9 |-- f10 |-- logo.16 `-- syslinux.cfg grml/ |-- grml2usb.txt |-- grml-cheatcodes.txt |-- grml-version.txt |-- LICENSE.txt |-- md5sums |-- README.txt `-- web/ |-- index.html |-- style.css `-- images/ |-- button.png |-- favicon.png |-- linux.jpg `-- logo.png live/ |-- filesystem.module |-- grml.squashfs |-- grml-medium.module |-- grml-medium.squashfs |-- grml-small.module |-- grml-small.squashfs |-- grml64.module |-- grml64.squashfs |-- grml64-medium.module |-- grml64-medium.squashfs |-- grml64-small.module `-- grml64-small.squashfs Grabbing the source ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ % git clone git://git.grml.org/grml2usb.git Developers Debugging Hints ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To play with grml2usb you can avoid using a real device via a loopback file setup, like: # dd if=/dev/zero of=~/loopback bs=1M count=100 # adjust size to your needs # losetup /dev/loop1 ~/loopback Then create according partitions either running for example: # echo -en "n\np\n1\n\n\nt\n6\na\n1\n w\n" | fdisk /dev/loop1 or: # parted /dev/loop1 -s "mkpart primary fat16 0 -1s mkfs 1 fat16" Finally create a filesystem and execute grml2usb as needed: # mkfs.vfat /dev/loop1 # grml2usb --bootloader-only /grml/isos/grml-small_2008.11.iso /dev/loop1 Performance tracing ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # blktrace -d /dev/sdb -o - | blkparse -i - # grml2usb grml_2008.11.iso /dev/sdb1 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) -------------------------------- What's the difference between grml2hd and grml2usb? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ grml2hd installs a running grml system to a harddisk. When rebooting the harddisk installation can be modified and changes will find their way to the harddisk immediately. grml2usb copies just the compressed chroot filesystem (being the squashfs file), some further informational files and a bootloader to your device. This way you don't need as much space as with a harddisk installation (just a USB device with >=ISO size) and when rebooting the system your changes will be lost (even though a persistent root feature is work-in-progress). Think of using a better CD version: booting is (usually) faster, you don't need to burn a new CD when a new ISO version arrives (just install the new ISO using grml2usb) and you can carry additional files on a writable medium with yourself. Why do I have to use a FAT16 filesystem? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You have to use a FAT16 filesystem if you consider using syslinux (being the default). Syslinux currently does not support any other filesystems. If you want to use another filesystem (like ext2/3) consider using the --grub option instead. I think I've got a really cool idea! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please <>. Or even better: send us a patch. I've found a bug! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please <>. Please provide usage examples and output of your grml2usb commandline (consider using the "--verbose" option). Usage examples -------------- # grml2usb /home/grml/grml_2008.11.iso /dev/sdb1 Install specified ISO on device /dev/sdb1. # grml2usb /home/grml/grml_2008.11.iso /home/grml/grml_small_2008.11.iso /dev/sdb1 Install specified ISOs on device /dev/sdb1 for multibooting ISOs. Note: boot "grml" as usual, for booting grml-small use "grml-small on the bootprompt, for grml64 use "grml64" and so on... The *first* specified ISO is the one being the default (when just pressing enter or waiting until the timeout is reached). # grml2usb --fat16 /home/grml/grml_2008.11.iso /dev/sdb1 Install specified ISO on device /dev/sdb1 and format partition /dev/sdb1 with FAT16 filesystem. # grml2usb --grub /home/grml/grml_2008.11.iso /dev/sdb1 Install specified ISO on device /dev/sdb1 and use Grub as bootloader (instead of syslinux being the default). # grml2usb --kernel=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-grml --initrd=/boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-grml \ /home/grml/grml_2008.11.iso /dev/sdb1 Install specified ISO on device /dev/sdb1 but use given kernel and initrd instead of the ones provided by the ISO. # grml2usb --squashfs=/grml/grml-live/grml_cd/live/grml.squashfs \ /home/grml/grml_2008.11.iso /dev/sdb1 Install specified ISO on device /dev/sdb1 but use given squashfs file instead of the one provided by the ISO. # grml2usb --bootoptions="lang=de ssh=mysecret" grml_2008.11.iso /dev/sdb1 Install specified ISO on device /dev/sdb1 and use "lang=de ssh=mysecret" as default bootoptions. Online Ressources ----------------- Check out the link:http://grml.org/grml2usb/[grml2usb webpage] and the link:http://git.grml.org/?p=grml2usb.git[grml2usb git repository]. Bugs ---- Please report feedback, bugreports and wishes <>. [[X7]] Author ------ Michael Prokop ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// http://wiki.grml.org/doku.php?id=tips#multiboot_usb_pen http://www.startx.ro/sugar/isotostick.sh https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/FromUSBStick http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/ http://www.tux.org/pub/people/kent-robotti/looplinux/rip/mkusb.sh https://fedorahosted.org/liveusb-creator/ /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////