Super-Disc: Multi-Boot Project CD/DVD Using ISOLINUX

[jroc74]

I joined this forum today just because of this topic. Great guide!! I've been looking for something like this for awhile. I been playing around with Linux since early last year. I want to put as many LiveCD's as I can on DVD's. I created the orig Super Disc with no problems except for some minor head scratch moments:

*vmlinuz1 has been renamed to rescuecd

*vmlinuz1.igz has been renamed to rescuecd.igz for the latest version of System Rescue CD

I didnt know where exactly to look for some of the files in the syslinux folder. I also grabbed the whole memdisk folder instead of just the file. And some other minor things that's too trivial to mention. It would help some ppl (like me) if u had made the guide a lil more dumbed down.

I also didnt know that I could take the MKISOFS post in your guide and save it as a batch file. I only found that out after I found a GUI for MKISOFS for Windows. That might help a boatload of ppl, like me, who couldnt get MKISOFS to start or were/are intimidated by it. The easiest way is to load up a sample isolinux batch that comes with the GUI, setup the correct folders in the GUI, save it, click on the newly made batch file then its off to the races. If anyone tries to use the GUI u have to set the boot image. U can use the isolinux.bin file in your boot/isolinux folder. I also found ISOLinux Mate. It helps you make your menus easier with a GUI and a preview screen. (as u can tell by those appz I'm a visual creature. GUI's ftw!!)

Imma experiment with UltraISO (it has a generate bootinfotable option) to see if it can make the right type of cd/dvd. I tried PowerISO but I got a 'ISOLinux created by' screen w/checksum error message on startup.

Ok: Right now I'm trying to make a DVD with Debian Gnome, KDE and Xfce; Kubuntu, uBuntu and Xbuntu. I cant get any of the Debians to load. The uBuntu's almost load then I get kicked to a command prompt. Now one thing I noticed is when I try to boot my single live cd's off my dvd rewriter they fail. But they load fine from the cd drive. Im trying to do this cuz I dont wanna have 20 LiveCD's laying around. Again, great guide!! Now I just gotta get the uBuntu's to act right.

<---reads post above for tips

Edited May 22, 2007 by jroc74

[kof94]

I would love to use mkisofs instead of CDImage but no one will tell me of a decent set of switches that will keep Windows and Linux happy. I also require file optimisation (writing duplicate files once) because I have two vers of XP on my disc.

Where did you get your mkisofs GUI from?

Moving on, Kubuntu, Ubuntu and any other buntu will probably give you a head ache.

I personally prefer Ubuntu, the folders required are:

.disk
boot
casper
dists
pool
preseed

The rest are just there for the Windows apps!

In previous versions you didn't need the .disk folder but as of Feisty Fawn you need it. Must be a tag or something i.e. with out it the live setup cannot find the .squashfs file.

Edited May 22, 2007 by kof94

[jroc74]

I got both the mkisofs GUI and ISOLinux Mate from here:

http://members.chello.at/bobby100/ Its also has some good reading material. (for newbies like me) One section breaks down what ISOLinux does and what each file do. If u get the GUI and it doesnt start, click on the help file in the folder that u extracted the GUI to. Click installation to the left and it tells u everything u need with download links. Just put all necessary files in the folder u extracted the GUI to.

EDIT:

I'm still at it. If yall dont use it, get MagicISO. This way u can just open the iso, edit what files u need to, save it, and test. Its beautiful cuz when u edit files in the iso and save it, its like saving a regular file. No need to remake the iso all over.

EDIT:

Im getting somewhere!! I think my folder names were too long for Debian. I made em no longer than 8 letters and finally I got past the OS choice screen. Got all the way down to loading file system then....some error message and a command prompt.

Edited May 23, 2007 by jroc74

[jetman]

I joined this forum today just because of this topic. Great guide!! I've been looking for something like this for awhile. I been playing around with Linux since early last year. I want to put as many LiveCD's as I can on DVD's. I created the orig Super Disc with no problems except for some minor head scratch moments:

*vmlinuz1 has been renamed to rescuecd

*vmlinuz1.igz has been renamed to rescuecd.igz for the latest version of System Rescue CD

Welcome. Renaming is cool, but beware that SYSLINUX mite be sensitive to filename lgths, particularly WRT the names of kernel and init ramdisk images. I'm not absolutely certain, but beware....

I didnt know where exactly to look for some of the files in the syslinux folder. I also grabbed the whole memdisk folder instead of just the file. And some other minor things that's too trivial to mention. It would help some ppl (like me) if u had made the guide a lil more dumbed down.

I'll review certain instructions like the MEMDISK thing that you mention.

I also didnt know that I could take the MKISOFS post in your guide and save it as a batch file. I only found that out after I found a GUI for MKISOFS for Windows. That might help a boatload of ppl, like me, who couldnt get MKISOFS to start or were/are intimidated by it. The easiest way is to load up a sample isolinux batch that comes with the GUI, setup the correct folders in the GUI, save it, click on the newly made batch file then its off to the races. If anyone tries to use the GUI u have to set the boot image. U can use the isolinux.bin file in your boot/isolinux folder. I also found ISOLinux Mate. It helps you make your menus easier with a GUI and a preview screen. (as u can tell by those appz I'm a visual creature. GUI's ftw!!)

ISOLINUX Mate is worth looking into. Thanx for the pointer.

Imma experiment with UltraISO (it has a generate bootinfotable option) to see if it can make the right type of cd/dvd. I tried PowerISO but I got a 'ISOLinux created by' screen w/checksum error message on startup.

Ok: Right now I'm trying to make a DVD with Debian Gnome, KDE and Xfce; Kubuntu, uBuntu and Xbuntu. I cant get any of the Debians to load. The uBuntu's almost load then I get kicked to a command prompt. Now one thing I noticed is when I try to boot my single live cd's off my dvd rewriter they fail. But they load fine from the cd drive. Im trying to do this cuz I dont wanna have 20 LiveCD's laying around. Again, great guide!! Now I just gotta get the uBuntu's to act right.

<---reads post above for tips

My work on Kubuntu found its way into Super-Disc's predecessor, many months ago. It booted into the GUI, but that's as far as I went w/ it. Essentially, the Ubuntu family are more demo discs than live CDs, hence I've never done much w/ them in their stock form. When time permits, I want to do some customization, then perhaps they'll find their way back into good graces. But to make them work, I now believe one must do the work in Linux exclusively, as I suspect there are symlinks on the disc that can't be represented in the Windows world. Another pos consideration, is the Rock Ridge ISO attribute. Not researched WRT Ubuntu, but something to keep in mind. I did find this attr critical in making something else work and mite be helpful. However, I also discovered that Rock Ridge was like Kryptonite to the BartPE/Windows systems on the DVD !

Here's something else which may be helpful for bgnd info: the Ubuntu Customization Kit. Haven't used it yet, but it's high on my TODO list....Jet

[jetman]

I would love to use mkisofs instead of CDImage but no one will tell me of a decent set of switches that will keep Windows and Linux happy. I also require file optimisation (writing duplicate files once) because I have two vers of XP on my disc.

Dude ! You don't need MKISOFS (at least not directly) bec you have Slax and K3B ! The Slax module repo (at least) has a (late) K3B 1.0-RC module (I made and uploaded it) and probably has a production 1.01 (from someone else) by now. Moreover, the batch script I provided earlier is almost certain to make a BartPE/Slax/Knoppix hybrid as is. I seem to recall that it did ! Will review and get back to you. I only abandoned it bec I got better turnaround times from UltraISO and bec of the graphical layout builder. With K3B, you get that too for free !

Maybe it's time for a K3B addendum....Jet

PS: How goes your pursuit of connectivity ?

[jetman]

I got both the mkisofs GUI and ISOLinux Mate from here:

http://members.chello.at/bobby100/ Its also has some good reading material. (for newbies like me) One section breaks down what ISOLinux does and what each file do. If u get the GUI and it doesnt start, click on the help file in the folder that u extracted the GUI to. Click installation to the left and it tells u everything u need with download links. Just put all necessary files in the folder u extracted the GUI to.

I've been there, a looong time ago, before the development of these tools. However, ISOLINUX Mate is a tool for making LSS-type splash screens. Not recommended, as VESAMENU does the same, but no PPM files, no dithering, no PPM2LSS hack, just industry-std PNG gfx. It's up to you, though.

The README files in the ISOLINUX pkg are pretty much the same as what he offers, exc he did a lot to explain the whole LSS thing, which is (for the most part) obsolete. It was helpful for me, prior to VESAMENU becoming documented. If you want to the 'boot:' prompt, just put PROMPT 1 in your ISOLINUX.CFG.

EDIT:

I'm still at it. If yall dont use it, get MagicISO. This way u can just open the iso, edit what files u need to, save it, and test. Its beautiful cuz when u edit files in the iso and save it, its like saving a regular file. No need to remake the iso all over.

EDIT:

Im getting somewhere!! I think my folder names were too long for Debian. I made em no longer than 8 letters and finally I got past the OS choice screen. Got all the way down to loading file system then....some error message and a command prompt.

Tried MagicISO, but UltraISO does everything you've described. Plus the latest version has rudimentary project files support, so it's pos to repeat a certain ISO layout over and over again, instead of always editing an ISO image. On the Linux side (meaning free), there's ISOMaster. Haven't tried that yet either, but it's out there and part of Knoppix....Jet

[jetman]

I would love to use mkisofs instead of CDImage but no one will tell me of a decent set of switches that will keep Windows and Linux happy. I also require file optimisation (writing duplicate files once) because I have two vers of XP on my disc.

<snip>

For the record, the MKISOFS script I provided back when, does in fact work w/ Linux and BartPE (therefore all Windows installers.) Just tried it again. WRT to file optimization, I saw a util for that ref'd on the site w/ the MKISOFS GUI/ISOLINUX Mate/etc....

[kof94]

Sorry Jet, I completely overlooked it in the first post. I don't know why, I know I've read the whole thing a number of times.

I was under the impression though that certain Distro's needed Joliet e.g Knoppix. I know I needed to add this setting to my previous images using CDShell to get version 4.x of Knoppix to boot.

I don't really know why I want to get away from CDImage, it does the job I want it to do after all. I suppose it's just the whole M$ thing.

Dude ! You don't need MKISOFS (at least not directly) bec you have Slax and K3B !

With the amount of testing and p***ing about I do when creating my discs I'd be in and out of Slax every five minutes if I did that. On the other hand, if I could get k3b to work properly in Ubuntu it wouldn't be so bad.

Maybe it's time for a K3B addendum....Jet

Not a bad idea.

How goes your pursuit of connectivity ?

Put it this way, I've got a bloody great big hole in the wall next to me with a cable going through it .

Edited May 23, 2007 by kof94

[jroc74]

Tried MagicISO, but UltraISO does everything you've described. Plus the latest version has rudimentary project files support, so it's pos to repeat a certain ISO layout over and over again, instead of always editing an ISO image. On the Linux side (meaning free), there's ISOMaster. Haven't tried that yet either, but it's out there and part of Knoppix....Jet

I played with UltraISO a lil bit and u right it does the same thing. But even just changing something as small as the config file, UltraISO remakes the whole iso. MagicISO treats it like saving a file unless its large data being added or removed from the iso. Even then it remakes the iso alot faster then when it first got made.

How do u use UltraISO to make the correct cd/dvd? I tried the generate bootinfotable option but it must be some step(s) I'm not doing. I've been playing around with the config file for my lil project and get different things happening each time for the uBuntu's and the Debian's. So is it possible for me to just setup the config file the right way (cuz I just dumped the the whole iso into their own folders for my project) or would it be best to try to find out which folders/files I need only (like in your guide)?

Edited May 24, 2007 by jroc74

[jetman]

<snip>

How do u use UltraISO to make the correct cd/dvd? I tried the generate bootinfotable option but it must be some step(s) I'm not doing. I've been playing around with the config file for my lil project and get different things happening each time for the uBuntu's and the Debian's. So is it possible for me to just setup the config file the right way (cuz I just dumped the the whole iso into their own folders for my project) or would it be best to try to find out which folders/files I need only (like in your guide)?

There isn't much to UISO. Set the Properties of the ISO to use Joliet w/ all of the long file name options enabled and NO Rock Ridge. Joliet isn't nec, exc for long filename compat w/ Windows. Disable ISO9660 version numbering and no lower-case support. All of my discs are setup that way, the same as my discs made w/ MKISOFS.

Can't help w/ Debian (never got one to work, prob the RockRidge) and the Ubuntu family really don't lend themselves to the Super-Disc idea. As I've already said, they really aren't live CDs. I do have a Kubuntu proj on the stack, but no date other than sometime in the next couple of months. To make an Ubuntu work, it'll need to be customized quite a bit, hence my link to the UCK. Just to put one on a disc, try enabling Rock Ridge, which will nuke any Windows systems, so you may have to go for an all Linux disc for that.

Later....Jet

[kof94]

Ubuntu works A-OK from my project.

Although I do use the default locations and boot commands but that doesn't bother me, I'm past caring about having everything in one folder and I'd never install one of the other buntu's anyway.

Joliet isn't nec, exc for long filename compat w/ Windows.

Thanks.

[jetman]

Ubuntu works A-OK from my project.

Although I do use the default locations and boot commands but that doesn't bother me, I'm past caring about having everything in one folder and I'd never install one of the other buntu's anyway.

<snip>

Thanks.

Yeah, I remember those conversations, but those talks aren't coloring my words today. Kubuntu could be a fine live CD distro, w/ some work. It's clearly from one of the most respected Linux "families" (in a manner of speaking), hence worth some consideration. It's a toss-up bet Kubuntu or Knoppix. Knoppix is closer (in terms of completeness) and therefore easier, while Kubuntu would be more of a "prize", but much more effort...Jet

[kof94]

I think we have different goals here.

I could get by without the live CD part since I have Ubuntu installed as my secondary (although fastly becoming more primary by the week) OS. I have to agree though that the live CD is rather weak.

I solved the issues with k3b and taken a proper look at it, it's quite an app . I'm might start using it since you can now access NTFS partitions from Ubuntu.

As you can tell I'm testing out a Windows XP=>Ubuntu migration. Might as well since Vista doesn't exactly inspire me!

[Godzilla]

@ kof94

I started creating my MultiBoot 2.0 with syslinux yesterday.

Now I want to integrade Ubuntu.

You said wich files/folders I have to copy,

but what else I have to do?

Do I have to rename or edit some files?

What command starts Ubuntu (or the Ubuntu-boot-menu) from the syslinux-menu?

Thx

@Jotnar

Your menu looks fantastic.

Could you post your cfg-files, please??

Thx

[kof94]

If you've copied the folders I specified to the root of your disc structure you can use the default boot commands from original Ubuntu isolinux.cfg.

The kernel and initrd are in the 'casper' folder and not the usual isolinux folder so no editing is required!