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

Hi,

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Originally Posted by ruymbeke

In this zip you will find 2 directories: grub.bin with includes some binaries useful for other people setup and
Root_Of_NTFS which you will need to copy the content ino the root of your NTFS partition.

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since I am a total Linux newbie I dismissed your post at first and tried my hand at the topologilinux grub version [which also works]. Since I didn't fancy having to fix after every defrag or copy, I googled and thought a bit further and tried your solution.

Reason for my post: the above sentence threw me of track, since my goal was to have grub on a FAT16 active partition, and then loading Knoppix from my OS-NTFS-partition. Your solution works for this case as well: perhaps evident for any old linux hand, but not for everybody just leaning a bit out of windows <g>. It also works loading Knoppix from the same partition and from a FAT32 (just tested it for the fun of it).

Now I just have to figure out which cheatcodes [what is bootfrom ??] to put where in the grub menu file and perhaps play a bit with DOS-floppy images for old times sake before jumping deeper into pinguin infested seas :D

thx a lot

thomas

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Originally Posted by knauserix

thx a lot, thomas

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Glad to see it is helpful to someone...
Actually you are ritht, this way to boot knoppix (or other linux flavor) can be used not only to boot from an ntfs partition, but also from fat16, fat32, ext2/3, BSD fs, network, cd, ...

Grub can be started from:
- the disk or partition boot sector (stage1,1.5,2)
- from the NT/XP BOOT.INI (grldr)
- from DOS (grub.exe without emm386)
- from the NETwork (pxegrub, nbgrub) via pxe, dhcp/bootp and tftp
- from a boot CD (stage2_eltorito)

Gilles

PS: Fabianx, could you please give me some feedback ?

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Originally Posted by j.drake

Try bootfrom=/dev/hda1/k*.iso

Not sure why it would make a difference, but this is what the cheatcode said, and it worked for me (although I wasn't using an NTFS partition)

HTH
jd

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I am using GRUB for multi-os loader manager. How can I make a bootable floppy image to boot up my computer, so that I can type the cheatcode at the command line?

Thank you very much for your help.

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Originally Posted by wslkevin

I am using GRUB for multi-os loader manager. How can I make a bootable floppy image to boot up my computer, so that I can type the cheatcode at the command line?

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If you're using GRUB, you can put all the Knoppix cheatcodes you need to use in "menu.lst" (GRUB's configuration file), in the stanza that boots Knoppix, at the end of the line that starts with kernel.

If you absolutely have to have boot floppies, Knoppix containes a utility to make them (Knoppix menu > Utilities > Create bootfloppies for Knoppix). It takes two, and they'll have syslinux on them, not GRUB. But why use them, if your system boots from the CD or from GRUB?

Guys,

We need to play with the linuxrc script in de minitrd34.gz (or whatever). (Only cheatcodes will not work here)

I am getting close, however still no lluck, this is where I stand now in booting knoppix from NTFS.
* Booting the kernel + initial ramdisk works
* Looking for CD -> Error

First mount the root image disk
cd /whereeveryourmini4d34.gz is
gunzip minird34.gz
mkdir /mnt/root
mount -o minird34 /mnt/root

Ok now, the /mnt/root is our playground, first lets make sure we have the ntfs module upon booting, so copy the ntfs.o module to /mnt/root/modules
Next make sure that one of the first lines in the /mnt/root/linuxrc is actually the insmodding of the ntfs module, and mounting the ntfs partition.

Now what i tried is mounting the /dev/hda to /isoimage, and creating a symlbolic link from /dev/pscd8 to /isoimage/k*.iso, because I noticed that the linuxrc searches all the /dev/pscd? devices. (This is where I am stuck, mounting works, linking works...)
However It's still not able to mount the /dev/pscd? because it needs the loopback driver to do it,... I think I can make this work...
Just a little more time...
Linuxrc is the key...

After you finished modifieying the root, don't forget to unmount and gzip the rootdisk again.

Regards,

Harm Jan

P.S> I'm trying knoppix 3.6

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Originally Posted by eco2geek

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wslkevin

I am using GRUB for multi-os loader manager. How can I make a bootable floppy image to boot up my computer, so that I can type the cheatcode at the command line?

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If you're using GRUB, you can put all the Knoppix cheatcodes you need to use in "menu.lst" (GRUB's configuration file), in the stanza that boots Knoppix, at the end of the line that starts with kernel.

If you absolutely have to have boot floppies, Knoppix containes a utility to make them (Knoppix menu > Utilities > Create bootfloppies for Knoppix). It takes two, and they'll have syslinux on them, not GRUB. But why use them, if your system boots from the CD or from GRUB?

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Thanks very much for your kindly replay, eco2geek, but I still got some questions. Could you help me to solve them?

1. Which files should I copy from the ISO to the hard disk, says, C:\?
2. What configuration should I make in the GRUB menu,lst file?

Could you give the details?

After reading this thread, I know there are still some technical issues haven't been solved. However, I am a Linux newbie and really like Knoppix, and want to "install" (actually just store the ISO image in C:\) to my office notebook (because I can't/don't want to mess it). So that, I want to follow your step to the success.

Ah, you want to boot the ISO. Well, I (like the guys up higher in the thread) have never been successful at booting the ISO from my C:\ (NTFS formatted) drive using GRUB.

However, the folks who maintain the Japanese version of Knoppix recently came out with a version that you can boot entirely from your NTFS partition. It's available at

http://unit.aist.go.jp/it/knoppix/win/index-en.html

and you can either use their installer, which is completely automated, or, if you already have GRUB installed, set it up manually. (It uses the ~700MB /KNOPPIX/KNOPPIX file, their modified "miniroot," and the kernel, copied to your C:\ drive).

If you're interested, I can post manual installation instructions.

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Originally Posted by eco2geek

If you're interested, I can post manual installation instructions.

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I think that I already have posted some installation instructions in this thread ...
I am still working on the 3.6 linuxrc to boot from the iso directly.
BTW, there is not much changes in the 3.7 version besides the firewall.

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Originally Posted by j.drake

Fabian, please help this guy. He's on a mission from God. We desperately need a script to perform a simple poor man's installation on the typical factory-configured XP computer, as a one-click option in Knoppix-installer!! This is the very key to Linux-Windows convergence!!

This is our future!

This is our destiny!

This is our quest!

Gilles, if you're simply asking how to use the cheatcodes, I put something here that might help.

jd

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http://unit.aist.go.jp/it/knoppix/win/index-en.html seems to do it! Has anyone tested it yet?

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Originally Posted by probono

Quote:

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Originally Posted by j.drake

Fabian, please help this guy. He's on a mission from God. We desperately need a script to perform a simple poor man's installation on the typical factory-configured XP computer, as a one-click option in Knoppix-installer!! This is the very key to Linux-Windows convergence!!

This is our future! This is our destiny! This is our quest!

Gilles, if you're simply asking how to use the cheatcodes, I put something here that might help.jd

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http://unit.aist.go.jp/it/knoppix/win/index-en.html seems to do it! Has anyone tested it yet?

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Yes it does work, but ... only with 3.4 and not from an ISO ...
Gilles