Name
----
-grml2usb - install grml on usb device
+grml2usb - install grml ISO(s) on usb device for booting
Synopsis
--------
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.
+Install grub bootloader instead of syslinux. [Notice: not implemented yet.]
+
+ *--help*::
+
+Display usage information and exit.
+
+ *--initrd=...*::
- *--mbr*::
+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.]
-Install master boot record (MBR) on the device.
+ *--kernel=...*::
- *--syslinux*::
+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.]
-Install syslinux bootloader (default, requires FAT16 filesystem on the specified partition).
+ *--lilo=...*::
- *-v*::
+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.
- *-V*::
+ *--verbose*::
Enable verbose mode.
-Introduction
-------------
-
-grml2usb installs grml on a given partition on your usb device and makes it
-bootable.
+Developers Corner
+-----------------
Directory layout on usb device
-------------------------------
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
boot/ ->
|-- addons/
| `-- menu.c32
|-- release/
| |-- grml/
- | |-- linux26
- | |-- initrd.gz
+ | | |-- linux26
+ | | |-- initrd.gz
| |-- grml64
- | |-- linux26
- | |-- initrd.gz
+ | | |-- linux26
+ | | |-- initrd.gz
| |-- grml-medium
- | |-- linux26
- | |-- initrd.gz
+ | | |-- linux26
+ | | |-- initrd.gz
| |-- grml64-medium
- | |-- linux26
- | |-- initrd.gz
+ | | |-- linux26
+ | | |-- initrd.gz
| |-- grml-small
- | |-- linux26
- | |-- initrd.gz
- | |-- grml64-small
+ | | |-- linux26
+ | | |-- initrd.gz
+ | `-- grml64-small
| |-- linux26
| |-- initrd.gz
|-- grub/
| |-- menu.lst
| |-- splash.xpm.gz
- | |-- stage2_eltorito
- |-- isolinux/
- | |-- boot.msg
- | |-- boot-beep.msg
- | |-- logo.16
- | |-- isolinux-main.cfg
- | |-- isolinux.cfg
- | |-- syslinux.cfg
- `-- bootsplashes/
+ | `-- stage2_eltorito
+ `-- syslinux/
+ |-- boot.msg
|-- f1
|-- f2
|-- f3
|-- f7
|-- f8
|-- f9
- `-- f10
+ |-- f10
+ |-- logo.16
+ `-- syslinux.cfg
grml/
|-- grml2usb.txt
|-- LICENSE.txt
|-- md5sums
|-- README.txt
- |-- web/
+ `-- web/
|-- index.html
|-- style.css
`-- images/
|-- 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 <<X7,report it to the author>>. Or even better: send us a patch.
+
+I've found a bug!
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Please <<X7,report it to the author>>. Please provide usage examples and output
+of your grml2usb commandline (consider using the "--verbose" option).
+
Usage examples
--------------
-TODO
+ # 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, link:http://grml.org/bugs/[bugreports] and wishes link:http://grml.org/contact/[to us]!
+Please report feedback, bugreports and wishes <<X7,to the author>>.
+[[X7]]
Author
------
Michael Prokop <mika@grml.org>
+
+/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+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/
+/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
projects / grml2usb.git / blobdiff