How to create multiboot flash drive

Question

I've found a guide here: http://www.pendrivelinux.com/boot-multiple-iso-from-usb-multiboot-usb/

And found this menu.lst in my flash drive, which seems to be the one that I'm seeing when I boot using my flash drive:

# This Menu Created by Lance http://www.pendrivelinux.com
# Ongoing Suggested Menu Entries and the Suggestor are noted!
default 0
timeout 30
color NORMAL HIGHLIGHT HELPTEXT HEADING
splashimage=(hd0,0)/splash.xpm.gz
foreground=FFFFFF
background=0066FF 

title Memtest86+
find --set-root /memtest86+-4.00.iso
map --mem /memtest86+-4.00.iso (hd32)
map --hook
root (hd32)
chainloader (hd32)

# Suggested by madprofessor
title Boot Clonezilla
root (hd0,0)
kernel /clonezilla/live/vmlinuz live-media-path=clonezilla/live bootfrom=/dev/sd boot=live union=aufs noprompt ocs_live_run="ocs-live-general" ocs_live_extra_param="" ocs_live_keymap="" ocs_live_batch="no" ocs_lang="" vga=791 ip=frommedia
initrd /clonezilla/live/initrd.img

title Parted Magic 4.9 (Partition Tools)
find --set-root /pmagic-4.9.iso
map /pmagic-4.9.iso (hd32)
map --hook
root (hd32)
chainloader (hd32)

# Suggested by Deb
title Partition Wizard 4.2 (Partition Tools)
find --set-root /pwhe42.iso
map /pwhe42.iso (hd32)
map --hook
root (hd32)
chainloader (hd32)

title Balder DOS image (FreeDOS)
map --unsafe-boot /balder10.img (fd0)
map --hook
chainloader --force (fd0)+1
rootnoverify (fd0)

# Suggested by Szymon Silski
title Linux Mint 8
find --set-root /LinuxMint-8.iso
map /LinuxMint-8.iso (0xff)
map --hook
root (0xff)
kernel /casper/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/mint.seed boot=casper persistent iso-scan/filename=/LinuxMint-8.iso splash
initrd /casper/initrd.lz

title Ubuntu 10.04
find --set-root /ubuntu-10.04-desktop-i386.iso
map /ubuntu-10.04-desktop-i386.iso (0xff)
map --hook
root (0xff)
kernel /casper/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper persistent iso-scan/filename=/ubuntu-10.04-desktop-i386.iso splash
initrd /casper/initrd.lz

title Xubuntu 10.04 (XFCE Desktop)
find --set-root /xubuntu-10.04-desktop-i386.iso
map /xubuntu-10.04-desktop-i386.iso (0xff)
map --hook
root (0xff)
kernel /casper/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/xubuntu.seed boot=casper persistent iso-scan/filename=/xubuntu-10.04-desktop-i386.iso splash
initrd /casper/initrd.lz

title Kubuntu 10.04 (KDE Desktop)
find --set-root /kubuntu-10.04-desktop-i386.iso
map /kubuntu-10.04-desktop-i386.iso (0xff)
map --hook
root (0xff)
kernel /casper/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/kubuntu.seed boot=casper persistent iso-scan/filename=/kubuntu-10.04-desktop-i386.iso splash
initrd /casper/initrd.lz

# Suggested by Ambriel
title Lubuntu 10.04 (LXDE Lightweight Desktop)
find --set-root /lubuntu-10.04.iso
map /lubuntu-10.04.iso (0xff)
map --hook
root (0xff)
kernel /casper/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/lubuntu.seed boot=casper persistent iso-scan/filename=/lubuntu-10.04.iso splash
initrd /casper/initrd.lz

title Ubuntu 10.04 Netbook Remix (NetBook Distro)
find --set-root /ubuntu-10.04-netbook-i386.iso
map /ubuntu-10.04-netbook-i386.iso (0xff)
map --hook
root (0xff)
kernel /casper/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/netbook-remix.seed boot=casper persistent iso-scan/filename=/ubuntu-10.04-netbook-i386.iso splash
initrd /casper/initrd.lz

title Ubuntu 10.04 Server Edition Installer (32 bit Installer Only)
find --set-root /ubuntu-10.04-server-i386.iso
map /ubuntu-10.04-server-i386.iso (0xff)
map --hook
root (0xff)
kernel /install/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu-server.seed boot=install iso-scan/filename=/ubuntu-10.04-server-i386.iso splash
initrd /install/initrd.gz

title Ubuntu 9.10
find --set-root /ubuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso
map /ubuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso (0xff)
map --hook
root (0xff)
kernel /casper/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper persistent iso-scan/filename=/ubuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso splash
initrd /casper/initrd.lz

title Xubuntu 9.10
find --set-root /xubuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso
map /xubuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso (0xff)
map --hook
root (0xff)
kernel /casper/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/xubuntu.seed boot=casper persistent iso-scan/filename=/xubuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso splash
initrd /casper/initrd.lz

title Kubuntu 9.10
find --set-root /kubuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso
map /kubuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso (0xff)
map --hook
root (0xff)
kernel /casper/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/kubuntu.seed boot=casper persistent iso-scan/filename=/kubuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso splash
initrd /casper/initrd.lz

# Ubuntu Server and Netbook Remix suggested by Wojciech Holek
title Ubuntu 9.10 Server Edition Installer (Installer Only)
find --set-root /ubuntu-9.10-server-i386.iso
map /ubuntu-9.10-server-i386.iso (0xff)
map --hook
root (0xff)
kernel /install/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu-server.seed boot=install iso-scan/filename=/ubuntu-9.10-server-i386.iso splash
initrd /install/initrd.gz

title Ubuntu 9.10 Netbook Remix (NetBook Distro)
find --set-root /ubuntu-9.10-netbook-remix-i386.iso
map /ubuntu-9.10-netbook-remix-i386.iso (0xff)
map --hook
root (0xff)
kernel /casper/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/netbook-remix.seed boot=casper persistent iso-scan/filename=/ubuntu-9.10-netbook-remix-i386.iso splash
initrd /casper/initrd.lz

title Ubuntu 9.10 Rescue Remix (Recovery Tools)
find --set-root /ubuntu-rescue-remix-9-10-revision1.iso
map /ubuntu-rescue-remix-9-10-revision1.iso (0xff)
map --hook
root (0xff)
kernel /casper/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper iso-scan/filename=/ubuntu-rescue-remix-9-10-revision1.iso splash
initrd /casper/initrd.lz

title DSL 4.4.10
find --set-root /dsl-4.4.10-initrd.iso
map --mem /dsl-4.4.10-initrd.iso (hd32)
map --hook
root (hd32)
chainloader (hd32)

title AVG Rescue CD (Anti-Virus + Anti-Spyware)
find --set-root /avg_arl_en_90_100114.iso
map /avg_arl_en_90_100114.iso (hd32)
map --hook
chainloader (hd32)

title Ultimate Boot CD 4.11
find --set-root /ubcd411.iso
map /ubcd411.iso (hd32)
map --hook
chainloader (hd32)

title OphCrack XP 2.3.1 (XP Password Cracker)
find --set-root /ophcrack-xp-livecd-2.3.1.iso
map /ophcrack-xp-livecd-2.3.1.iso (0xff)
map --hook
root (0xff)
kernel /boot/bzImage rw root=/dev/null vga=normal lang=C kmap=us screen=1024x768x16 autologin
initrd /boot/rootfs.gz 

title OphCrack Vista 2.3.1 (Vista Password Cracker)
find --set-root /ophcrack-vista-livecd-2.3.1.iso
map /ophcrack-vista-livecd-2.3.1.iso (0xff)
map --hook
root (0xff)
kernel /boot/bzImage rw root=/dev/null vga=normal lang=C kmap=us screen=1024x768x16 autologin
initrd /boot/rootfs.gz 

# Suggested by Greg Steer
title Offline NT Password & Registy Editor
find --set-root /cd080802.iso
map /cd080802.iso  (hd32)
map --hook
chainloader (hd32)

title SliTaz 2.0
find --set-root /slitaz-2.0.iso
map --mem /slitaz-2.0.iso (hd32)
map --hook
chainloader (hd32)

title Riplinux 9.3
find --set-root /RIPLinuX-9.3.iso
map --heads=0 --sectors-per-track=0 /RIPLinuX-9.3.iso (0xff) || map --heads=0 --sectors-per-track=0 --mem /RIPLinuX-9.3.iso (0xff)
map --hook
chainloader (0xff)

# Suggested by Sunny
title YlmF (Windows Like OS)
find --set-root /YlmF_OS_EN_v1.0.iso
map /YlmF_OS_EN_v1.0.iso (0xff)
map --hook
root (0xff)
kernel /casper/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper persistent iso-scan/filename=/YlmF_OS_EN_v1.0.iso splash
initrd /casper/initrd.lz

# Suggested by Martin Andersson
title DBAN 1.0.7 (Drive Nuker)
find --set-root /dban-1.0.7_i386.iso
map --mem /dban-1.0.7_i386.iso (hd32)
map --hook
root (hd32)
chainloader (hd32)

# Suggested by Robin McGough
title xPUD 0.9.2 (NetBook Distro)
find --set-root --ignore-floppies --ignore-cd /xpud-0.9.2.iso
map --heads=0 --sectors-per-track=0 /xpud-0.9.2.iso (hd32)
map --hook
chainloader (hd32)

title Puppy 4.3.1
find --set-root /puppy/pup-431.sfs
kernel /puppy/vmlinuz
initrd /puppy/initrd.gz

# Suggested by Relst
title Run a Linux OS from the Internet
kernel /gpxe.lkrn

I also put some .iso files for os installers (Windows xp sp2 and Ubuntu 10.04) But they didn't show up in the list when I booted

Do I need to:

• extract the .iso files and put in in their respective folders?
• Add the os that I added on the menu.lst?
• How do I add the iso image(os) in the menu.lst?

Before adding the .iso files I first made a folder named Windows xp sp2 then placed the .iso files in there. Please help, I think I need to add the folder name or the file name on the menu.lst but I don't know how

Solution 1

You do need to add the respective entries to the menu.lst file. That menu.lst already has the relevant command for Ubuntu 10.04, you just need to place the ubuntu-10.04-desktop-i386.iso file in the root folder of the USB drive.

I doubt that Windows would be able to boot from an ISO directly. And even after extracting it, I have no idea about how to set up grub to start the Windows installer.

Solution 2

There are many articles on www.rmprepusb.com which show you how to add Windows Installer ISOs to a grub4dos USB drive - e.g. #43. However, I would recommend Easy2Boot as a multiboot USB solution.

Solution 3

PenDrive Linux takes care of windows and ubuntu for you natively. You just have to boot the the flash drive and select the .iso that you wish to boot to. If you are wanting to manually install an .iso that is not supported by pendrive's multiboot, then you'll need to add an entry manually. You edit this file similarly to editing a grub menu file.

Solution 4

You can make a multiboot USB flash drive to install Windows and/or Linux operating systems using YUMI multiboot USB creator by following the below steps. You will need a flash drive that is large enough to contain all of the operating systems that you want to put on it.

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How to make a multiboot USB

1. YUMI multiboot USB Creator is available for Windows, Debian and Ubuntu. Download YUMI multiboot USB Creator from here. Update: YUMI for Linux version is broken and is being rewritten.

2. Double-click the file that you downloaded to start the YUMI installation, and install it.

3. Click the checkbox to the left of Show All Drives and select your USB flash drive. Make sure that you select the right drive to avoid overwriting a partition/drive that contains your operating system or stored data!

   

4. Click the Select a Distribution dropdown menu's little black triangle to unfold the dropdown menu and select a Windows or Linux installer from the list of supported operating systems.

5. Click the Browse button, browse to the location of your ISO image, and select it.

6. Click the Create button and wait for it to finish creating.

7. Repeat steps 4-6 to add additional ISOs to the YUMI multiboot USB.

Usage

1. Restart your computer and select the USB flash drive as the first device in the boot priority of your BIOS settings.

2. You will see a YUMI Multiboot Installer menu. Select your operating system from the menu and start the operating system's installation.

Solution 5

All you have to do is download multiboot version 10 or up. This utility is to help you to transfer the XP, Vista, or 7 operating system onto the flash drive.

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