Important! The grml team does not take responsibility for loss of any data!
*******************************************************************************
+[[introduction]]
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
+boot on the bootprompt 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).
with the default MBR consider using --syslinux-mbr instead. If bootloader
grub doesn't work for you check out the --syslinux option.
+[[options]]
Options
-------
Do not install /boot/addons/ files (like dos, grub, memdisk,...).
+ *\--skip-grub-config*::
+
+Skip generation of grub configuration files. By default the configuration
+files for syslinux *and* grub will be written so you've a working configuration
+file no matter whether you're using grub or syslinux as bootloader.
+
*\--skip-mbr*::
Do not touch/install the master boot record (MBR).
+ *\--skip-syslinux-config*::
+
+Skip generation of syslinux configuration files. By default the configuration
+files for syslinux *and* grub will be written so you've a working configuration
+file no matter whether you're using grub or syslinux as bootloader.
+
*\--syslinux*::
Install syslinux bootloader instead of the default (being grub).
Install syslinux' master boot record (MBR, which is booting from the partition
with the "active" flag set) instead of the default one. If you encounter any
problems with the default MBR you can try using the syslinux MBR instead. If
-that works for you please <<X7,let us know>> so we can adjust our default MBR
-accordingly. Note: When using the --syslinux-mbr option lilo is executed before
-the MBR is installed so the according partitions are set active.
+that works for you please <<author,let us know>> so we can adjust our default
+MBR accordingly. Note: When using the --syslinux-mbr option lilo is executed
+before the MBR is installed so the according partitions are set active.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
*\--squashfs=*::
Developers Corner
-----------------
+[[directory-layout]]
Directory layout on usb device
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| `-- grml-small.squashfs [squashfs file for grml-small]
`-- ...
+[[source]]
Grabbing the source
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
% git clone git://git.grml.org/grml2usb.git
+[[debugging]]
Developers Debugging Hints
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
# mkfs.vfat /dev/loop1
# grml2usb --bootloader-only /grml/isos/grml-small_2009.05.iso /dev/loop1
+[[performance-tracing]]
Performance tracing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
# blktrace -d /dev/sdx -o - | blkparse -i -
# grml2usb grml_2009.05.iso /dev/sdx1
-[[X6]]
+[[troubleshooting]]
Troubleshooting and Pitfalls when booting
-----------------------------------------
whether the vendor provides a BIOS update or if using bootloader grub instead of
isolinux/syslinux fixes the problem.
+[[faq]]
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
--------------------------------
-[[X5]]
+[[download]]
Where can I get grml2usb?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(link:http://grml.org/grml2usb/grml2usb.tgz.md5.asc[gpg signed md5 hash]).
Download and extract the tarball and execute the provided script 'install.sh'.
+[[grml2hd-vs-grml2usb]]
What's the difference between grml2hd and grml2usb?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.
+[[dd]]
+Why can't I just dd the ISO to a USB device?
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Well, you can. :)
+
+[IMPORTANT]
+Note that ANY existing data on your USB device will be destroyed when
+using the dd approach.
+
+Grab a recent grml ISO and use
+link:http://syslinux.zytor.com/wiki/index.php/Doc/isolinux#HYBRID_CD-ROM.2FHARD_DISK_MODE[isohybrid
+from the syslinux project]:
+
+ % isohybrid grml_2009.05.iso
+
+This allows you to dd the grml ISO to your USB device (use for example
+link:http://www.chrysocome.net/rawwrite[rawwrite] if you've just a Windows
+system available) running:
+
+ % dd if=grml_2009.05.iso of=/dev/sdX
+
+where /dev/sdX is your USB device.
+
+[TIP]
+Upcoming stable versions of grml will provide dd-able ISOs straight
+out-of-the-box (and current link:http://daily.grml.org/[daily snapshots] already
+do) using a so called manifold boot method.
+
+[[grml2usb-vs-dd]]
+What's the difference between grml2usb and just using dd?
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+grml2usb does not remove any data from your USB device and does not alter the
+partition table at all. grml2usb provides multi-ISO support, support for adding
+default bootoptions and selecting the bootloader (grub vs. syslinux) without
+having to manually touch the ISO at all.
+
+[[grml2iso]]
+What's grml2iso?
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+grml2iso is a script which uses grml2usb to generate a multiboot ISO out of
+several grml ISOs. See 'man grml2iso' for further details.
+
+[[menu-lst]]
Why is there a menu.lst and a grub.cfg inside /boot/grub/?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
no matter which grub version is available on the host where grml2usb is
executed on.
+[[stage1]]
grub-install fails with 'The file ../boot/grub/stage1 not read correctly"?!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FAT16 (partition type 6) when using a ext3 filesystem on the partition but
instead use the correct partition type ('83' - Linux) then.
+[[grub-install-xfs_freeze]]
grub-install complains about /sbin/grub-install and/or xfs_freeze?!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You shouldn't call /sbin/grub-install. Please call /usr/sbin/grub-install instead!
xfs_freeze: specified file ["/tmp/tmpqaBK6z/boot/grub"] is not on an XFS filesystem
-... is "normal". grub-install sends those messages to stderr. To avoid hiding any
+This is "normal". grub-install sends those messages to stderr. To avoid hiding any
possible real error messages grml2usb doesn't ignore those messages.
+[[device-map]]
grub-install complains about /boot/grub/device.map?!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
grub-probe: error: Cannot open `/boot/grub/device.map'
-... is "normal" (at least with grub1). This isn't a problem, because the
+This is "normal" (at least with grub1). This isn't a problem, because the
device.map file will be generated on the target device anyway.
+[[unary-operator]]
grub-install complains about a unary operator?!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
'/usr/sbin/grub-install: line 374: [: =: unary operator expected'
-... is "normal". Just ignore it.
+This is "normal". Just ignore it. (It usually doesn't appear
+on the second invocation on the same device.)
+
+[[unknown-filesystem]]
+grub-install fails with grub-probe: error: unknown filesystem?!
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+The following message:
+
+ grub-probe: error: unknown filesystem
+ Auto-detection of a filesystem module failed.
+ Please specify the module with the option `--modules' explicitly.
+
+usually means that the device partition table says something else than the
+filesystem on the device. For example using FAT16 as filesystem type and
+using FAT32 as filesystem on the partition will not work. Either set filesystem
+type to FAT32 or format the partition using FAT16. It is essential that
+device partition table and filesystem use the same filesystem type.
+
+[[mbr-vs-pbr]]
+grub-setup fails after Attempting to install GRUB to a partition instead of the MBR?!
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+The following message:
+
+ grub-setup: warn: Attempting to install GRUB to a partition instead of the MBR. This is a BAD idea.
+ grub-setup: warn: Embedding is not possible. GRUB can only be installed in this setup by using blocklists. However, blocklists are UNRELIABLE and its use is discouraged.
+ grub-setup: error: Cannot read `/grub/core.img' correctly
+
+appears because recent grub2 versions introduced a regression which avoids that
+grub is being installed into a partition (instead of MBR). We (the grml2usb
+developers) are evaluating the current situation (thinking about installing grub
+into the MBR). To fix this issue in the meanwhile either manually execute
+(adjust '/dev/sdx' to your device of course):
+
+ mount /dev/sdx1 /mnt/test
+ grub-install --force --recheck --no-floppy --root-directory=/mnt/test /dev/sdx
+
+after execution of grml2usb failed (this will will install grub into the MBR of
+the specified device) or consider using the '--syslinux' option until this issue
+is resolved. Sorry about that.
+[[splash-xpm]]
I'm getting something like "Error: /usr/share/grml2usb/grub/splash.xpm.gz can not be read"!?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Looks like you've only the grml2usb script itself available. Please make sure
you've the grml2usb Debian package installed. The most resent stable version is
available via link:http://deb.grml.org/[the grml-testing Debian repository]. If
-you do not have a Debian system please see section <<X5,Where can I get
+you do not have a Debian system please see section <<download,Where can I get
grml2usb?>> in this FAQ.
+[[fat16]]
Why do I have to use a FAT16 filesystem?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
filesystem (like ext2/3) just don't use syslinux (drop the \--syslinux option)
but use the default bootloader (grub) instead.
+[[cool-idea]]
I think I've got a really cool idea!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Great! Please check out
link:http://git.grml.org/?p=grml2usb.git;a=blob;f=TODO;hb=HEAD[the TODO file].
-Feel free to <<X7,report your wishes to the author>>. Patches highly
+Feel free to <<author,report your wishes to the author>>. Patches highly
appreciated.
+[[booting-from-usb]]
I've problems with booting from USB.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-Check out <<X6,Troubleshooting and Pitfalls when booting>>.
+Check out <<troubleshooting,Troubleshooting and Pitfalls when booting>>.
+[[found-a-bug]]
I've found a bug!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-Please <<X7,report it to the author>>. Please provide usage examples and output
+Please <<author,report it to the author>>. Please provide usage examples and output
of your grml2usb commandline (consider using the "\--verbose" option).
+[[usage-examples]]
Usage examples
--------------
Install specified ISO on device /dev/sdx1 and use "lang=de ssh=mysecret" as
default bootoptions.
+[[ressources]]
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]]
Bugs
----
-Please report feedback, bugreports and wishes <<X7,to the author>>.
+Please report feedback, bugreports and wishes <<author,to the author>>.
-[[X7]]
+[[author]]
Author
------
Michael Prokop <mika@grml.org>
projects / grml2usb.git / blobdiff