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Linux and Multi-Boot


fevoldj2

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I'm gonna finalise my current uber disc tonight using CDShell (everythings done bar afew tweaks) then I'm gonna start on this.

Thanks.

I have a question: you've seen the Knoppix boot splash. Does CDSHELL do anything like that ? I got so confused at first, I never really gave it a full shake down. I got confusing info from diff web pages about the syntax for BCDW 1.50 vs 2.0, where the .INI files were placed, and the CDSHELL website started out by explaining the syntax of scripting lang, instead of a simple starter menu template, that I gave up on it and switched to ISOLINUX. Never looked back after that....Jet

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CDShell has a BCDW module for it.

The boot syntax for it is:

bcdw boot /<your path>/<your file>.

The module doesn't come with CDShell but you can get it from the website.

Yes, you can have images in CDShell just look here for an example.

Personally I like the retro feel of a scripted menu.

If you want help with CDShell I'll be happy to post my setup. You could also check out Flyakites guide, although you've probably done that already.

I've theoretically worked out how to boot CDShell with isolinux but I need some more experience first.

Now some questions about isolinux.

Can you use diskemu to boot floppy images with isolinux? Memdisk can cause problems some times.

How do you debug your menu, do you need to create a .iso each time you want to test it?

How do I go about getting a basic isolinux folder together, what files do I need?

I think thats it... for now :whistle::D .

-kof94

Edited by kof94
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CDShell has a BCDW module for it.

I've theoretically worked out how to boot CDShell with isolinux but I need some more experience first.

Now some questions about isolinux.

Can you use diskemu to boot floppy images with isolinux? Memdisk can cause problems some times.

How do you debug your menu, do you need to create a .iso each time you want to test it?

How do I go about getting a basic isolinux folder together, what files do I need?

I think thats it... for now :whistle::D .

-kof94

Had I seen those CDSHELL samples I mite have made a different choice.

About DISKEMU, I have no cloo. But I'd imagine it would work, as long as it's a simple binary, that is, not an .EXE. Remember ISOLINUX isn't an OS, but then CDSHELL/BCDW aren't either. What's wrong w/ MEMDISK ?

About testing an ISOLINUX menu, yes you'll have to make an ISO and boot it under VMWARE or VPC to test it.

A basic ISOLINUX boot setup, again you have one in your hands. KNOPPIX is what I used for my core files, even though I d/l'd the basic SYSLINUX kit (mainly for the docs.) They illustrate how a boot splash is setup (a text file which includes some funky control codes to clear the screen then the name of the splash file.) For a simple text menu, you have pad each line in the the text file w/ spaces out to the full screen size, but otherwise it's a no-brainer.

Later.... :yes:

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@fevoldj2

Basically, you just need to script it calling the isolinux module.

The problem is I can't get it to work and no-one else has offered a solution.

If isolinux can be as versatile as CDShell then I'm willing to give it ago.

@jetman

It might just be CDShell but some images don't like memdisk. Obviously you then have the choice of using diskemu or bcdw instead. I use diskemu mainly.

I know I said I like a retro menu in CDShell but looking at the ubuntu isolinux menu :wub: I feel an image is definitely in order for my menu .

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Have you got it working :w00t: ?

If so could you post your commands for Knoppix and ubuntu please.

Edit:

How are you doing with the remastering, is there any simple way of doing it?

Edited by kof94
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I finally managed to get Knoppix 5.0.1 and ubuntu 6.10 to boot through CDShell using the default boot options.

For Knoppix put the isolinux folder inside the KNOPPIX folder on your disc the use this command to boot it:

if $lastKey == key[f4]; then isolinux /KNOPPIX/isolinux/linux ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init lang=us apm=power-off vga=791 initrd=/KNOPPIX/isolinux/minirt.gz nomce quiet BOOT_IMAGE=knoppix

And use this command for ubuntu (no isolinux folder required and source files at root of disc):

if $lastKey == key[f8]; then isolinux /casper/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper initrd=/casper/initrd.gz ramdisk_size=1048576 root=/dev/ram rw quiet splash --

Obviously change the keys to fit your menu.

The only draw back with this approach is you would need to script each isolinux command in CDShell if you wanted the extra boot options.

I found an interesting thread here that could be adapted to provide the full isolinux boot menu for each distro. However, I do not yet poses enough knowledge about mkisofs to decipher exactly what is being done here... jetman? :whistle:

On the topic of relocating source files.

I've also read somewhere that you can append source file locations to the isolinux command. Although I havn't tried this yet, I worry this could cause problems during installation (ubuntu) even if it manages boot live. I'll try to find the topic again to give to guys an example.

-kof94

Edited by kof94
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so kof94, using this: "if $lastKey == key[f8]; then isolinux /casper/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper initrd=/casper/initrd.gz ramdisk_size=1048576 root=/dev/ram rw quiet splash --"

in my cdshell.ini it would boot the setup for ubuntu?

if yes, where must i put the ubuntu folder? AOIDVD\Ubuntu ?

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if yes, where must i put the ubuntu folder? AOIDVD\Ubuntu ?

This is something no-one has figured out yet.

You can use this...

if $lastKey == key[f8]; then isolinux /casper/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper initrd=/casper/initrd.gz ramdisk_size=1048576 root=/dev/ram rw quiet splash --

...only if you copy the ubuntu .iso contents to the root of you disc.

You only need these folders (for Edgy Eft anyway).

[casper]
[dists]
[pool]
[preseed]

-kof94

Edited by kof94
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So you can only really have knoppix and one other Linux distro?
You could have more but only if the folders don't clash. You couldn't have ubuntu, kubuntu and edubuntu on one disc this way, for example.

You also don't get the full boot menu. I suppose you could add each boot option to your CDShell menu though.

The one beauty of doing it this way is you can rename the isolinux folder to whatever you want because your bypassing isolinux.bin :) .

The person who created knoppix was able to put the distro in its own folder. We should be able to do the same.

The difference is they built it, we're trying to mod it. I have to agree though their must be a simple way.

This may, however, become a question for the dev's of each Linux distro you want on your disc. Since each one seams to be built so differently :} .

-kof94

Edited by kof94
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So you can only really have knoppix and one other Linux distro? The person who created knoppix was able to put the distro in its own folder. We should be able to do the same.

The only distro I have that hasn't been easily added to a multi-boot DVD is FreeSpire, bec they have some unusual ISO properties, so you can't simply copy the files from the CD under Windows. Otherwise, it's easy. Now, as I've said before, if you want to relocate, it'll take some extra work on your part. The process is called remastering, in fact the simplest kind of remastering. However, what's needed is to have a working Linux system, so that you can extract the entire contents of the distro (typically, they're contained in a compressed file system only readable under Linux), then you modify (in order to relocate) one of the boot scripts to look for the core OS files in a diff CD sub-dir. Repackage (recompress) and recreate the ISO and you're done. Most distros have forums/fora which explain in detail the remastering process. That's how new distros come to be: via remastering.

The distros I've tried: DSL (based on Knoppix) + Knoppix (not at the same time as DSL !) + Slax + Mepis + TRK. I don't think Kubuntu would be problematic and will try it when I get a break. (Other than monitoring the forums, I haven't touched that stuf in weeks.) DSL and Knoppix can't co-exist w/o remastering bec they rely on the same KNOPPIX sub-dir.

Follow my instuctions to get a working multi-boot DVD, regardless of using ISOLINUX or CDSHELL, *then* see if remastering/relocating is worth addl effort....

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I want to choose between the x86-32 version of Debian and the x86-64 version. They'll stomp all over each other if they're both in the root. Plus the root will be terribly untidy :-)

You sound like you want both Knoppix and DSL available as options.

So there's two good reasons to figure out how to achieve this.

BTW: Slax is easy to move out of the root: it must be easy if a dufus like me can manage it! I've left the details either in this forum or in the slax ones.

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