ISO boot from FAT/NTFS/USB (GRUB.exe, grldr from boot.ini)

[patelbhavesh]

Hello,
Please find below the link to the boot ramdisk allowing to boot the Knoppix 5.0.1 DVD ISO from the hdd:
http://s94002264.onlinehome.us/grub/minirt_usb6.gz
Have fun with Knoppix 5.0.1 (Thank you Klaus for this new release) and please give me some feedback !
Cheers,
Gilles

This does not seem to be working for me.Are others seeing this issue.
Here is what i did
1>I copied the linux file from the older version(5.0 version) of ruymbeke's files since the link above does not have a linux file.
2>I used the minirt_usb6.gz

when i boot with 5.0.1 DVD it gives me missing synbols and does not start.I could not do a screenshot as it throws me to a limited shell.

[ruymbeke]

This does not seem to be working for me... I copied the linux file from the older version...

Hi Patelbhavesh,
Thank you for the feedback.
You have to use the 5.01 kernel to get it working (kernels and modules are not backward compatible).
I now have links to new zip files including the 5.01 kernel:
http://s94002264.onlinehome.us/grub/usb_dgle7.zip
http://s94002264.onlinehome.us/grub/grubi.zip
also posted in here (at the end of the post): http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtop...?p=93758#93758
Best Regards,
Gilles

[jacksonon]

Does the kernel in your package allow booting an ISO from a SerialATA-HDD (using an Intel ICH7)? I could not get this combination running under 4.02 because I think the kernel did not have the correct driver and therefore did not recognize the HDD...

[patelbhavesh]

This does not seem to be working for me... I copied the linux file from the older version...

Hi Patelbhavesh,
Thank you for the feedback.
You have to use the 5.01 kernel to get it working (kernels and modules are not backward compatible).
I now have links to new zip files including the 5.01 kernel:
http://s94002264.onlinehome.us/grub/usb_dgle7.zip
http://s94002264.onlinehome.us/grub/grubi.zip
also posted in here (at the end of the post): http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtop...?p=93758#93758
Best Regards,
Gilles

Using the linux from your link, now everything works fine !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks Gilles!!!!!!!!

[ruymbeke]

Does the kernel in your package allow booting an ISO from a SerialATA-HDD (using an Intel ICH7)? I could not get this combination running under 4.02 because I think the kernel did not have the correct driver and therefore did not recognize the HDD...

Kernels 2.6.15 and after (Knoppix 5.01) have better support for sata interfaces.
But I don't know since I don't have such hardware to test.
If the sata interface is recognized from the running 5.01 Knoppix, most likely yes.
Best Regards,
Gilles

[cpeter]

This does not seem to be working for me... I copied the linux file from the older version...

Hi Patelbhavesh,
Thank you for the feedback.
You have to use the 5.01 kernel to get it working (kernels and modules are not backward compatible).
I now have links to new zip files including the 5.01 kernel:
http://s94002264.onlinehome.us/grub/usb_dgle7.zip
http://s94002264.onlinehome.us/grub/grubi.zip
also posted in here (at the end of the post): http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtop...?p=93758#93758
Best Regards,
Gilles

THX, but:
My laptop is Acer TM230, NTFS format, so I use grubi.zip for boot,
but when reboot or shutdown, there is no any information, I should force shutdown by press power +6s.
???

[semreh]

Thank you very much, Gilles,

worked perfectly for me - moved knoppix.501 directory into my pre-existing structure on my USB flash drive, updated menu.lst and booted correctly 2nd time through (first time I didn't quite get the edit on menu.lst correct).

Typing this in using Knoppix 5 booted from the iso on the NTFS HD via the USB drive even now.

Cheers,

Semreh

[ruymbeke]

Hi,
To who may be interested, I have updated the minirt.gz of accelerated Knoppix 5.01
http://lists.debian.org/debian-knopp.../msg00024.html
to add the same features as for Knoppix 5.01 (ISO boot from ntfs, reiser, ext2 fix, dynamic host, ...):
http://s94002264.onlinehome.us/grub/minirt_a501.gz
Cheers,
Gilles

[lunlun]

i just googled searched this topic.

This idea of booting from usb sounds COOL.

However, im confused.

On post "http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=102084#102084"
you said

"NTFS will not work, since the dos boot require fat16 or fat32 to work, and as far as I know, "


however, you also mention on another post "Knoppix 5.01 (ISO boot from ntfs, reiser, ext2 fix, dynamic host, ...): "


so can i format my external harddrive as ntfs and have usb boot functioning


also what's the different between the two files

http://s94002264.onlinehome.us/grub/usb_dgle7.zip
http://s94002264.onlinehome.us/grub/grubi.zip


I am guessing, only usb_dgle7 is needed right???

those files on the two files seems similar~~


PS im trying to use knoppix 5

[ruymbeke]

...NTFS will not work, since the dos boot require fat16 or fat32 to work...
however, you also mention on another post "Knoppix 5.01 (ISO boot from ntfs, reiser, ext2 fix,...

It looks like a little confusing, so let me explain a couple of things.
In order to boot Knoppix from a local drive, or USB or FW device, you need quite a few things:

1) Your BIOS should be capable to boot from such a device. (it seems that your are ok)
2) You need to install a bootloader on that device which will load the initial linux kernel and boot ramdisk ( I use dos)
3) a partition holding the Knoppix iso which for the dvd 5.01 is over the 4GB barrier of a fat partition. (ntfs/ext/reiser)

As usual, there are more than one way to do things, but I decided to use this way since it is script based
which means that the files can be installed/modified/removed from both Windows and Linux environments.
No special tools, no hidden trick, but understandable text files as config files which can be tuned the way you like.

So assuming that your bios can boot from your external device (USB dongle or external disk drive)
I used the old and well known dos boot loader (with io.sys msdos.sys config.sys and autoexec.bat)
to run a dos executable of grub(.exe) which is used to launch the linux kernel and boot ramdisk.
Since this is a dos boot loader, I need a dos compatible partition which is a fat 16 or fat 32.
Obviously you can also install grub as a native bootloader (which is not that straight forward for a newbee)
and format your device with ext2/3 partition type and obtain the same or better result.
BTW, when I will have a little bit of time, I would like to replace msdos by freedos, since I have it almost done...

Once the linux kernel is running and in order to finish the boot process, the linuxrc boot script will look for
the knoppix data which can be on the same or an other partition. I made a special minirt boot ramdisk to
add the option to boot from a ntfs/reiser partition (among other features as custom hostname and bug fixes)

I made this simple approach for small USB flash dongles (I use a 4GB), but I assume that this method
can be used with a hdd as well. You may consider creating two partitions:
a first dos partition for the dos boot loader & grub.exe and an other ntfs/ext/reiser for the knoppix iso and data.
But once again, a more sofisticated setup with a single partition and grub filling the disk mbr
and boot loader sectors of your disk and partition may work better for you.
Hope this helps,
Gilles

PS: yes the usb_dgle7.zip and grubi.zip have similar content (minirt_usb6.gz), just different setup for different use.